Neither earthquake, tropical storm, nor COVID-19 prevented the 11 days of production for the feature film Blackjack Christmas, which wrapped in the Corporate Area this weekend.

Former star of the soap opera The Young and the Restless, Victoria Rowell, helmed the project as director, drawing on the acting talents of Jamaican favourites Oliver Samuels and Fae Ellington, as well as Americans Charmin Lee and Dawnn Lewis, who many will remember for her role as Jaleesa on the groundbreaking television sitcom A Different World, which first aired in 1987, running until the end of its fifth season in 1992.

Rowell, who is no stranger to Jamaica, noted that she wanted the project to be a ‘Jamerican’ experience, with eight days of filming in Los Angeles and six days here in Jamaica. This was also reflected in the script, with a total of eight Jamaican speaking parts.

“I love Jamaica for personal reasons and artistic reasons. This is my third production in Jamaica . This is Blackjack Christmas, a holiday movie about two sisters, one who migrated to the US and one who stayed in Jamaica and inherited the grandmother’s house. The sisters grew apart, so it is about conflict — a family that falls apart but comes back together. They find resolution and the common denominator is love and forgiveness.”

“This is my second project with Oliver Samuels. I have so wanted to work with him. I remember seeing him perform at the Little Little Theatre and I waited for him backstage. This was back in 2015. When he came out we both had a mutual reaction to each other, and we both said we would work with each other and it has come to fruition,” she continued.

Both Ellington and Samuels were extremely proud to be working on this latest film being shot here in Jamaica.

“I must tell you that Victoria Rowell has been extremely careful along with her supporting team members to ensure that we observe all the rules and regulations. Having said that, the team with whom I’m working — the ladies who I am meeting for the first time — have been wonderful. There is mi frien’ Oliver Samuels; it’s been 50 years working together, from theatre school coming up. It’s a great experience. The production and technical team, everybody has been so professional,” said Ellington.

Samuels quickly chimed in and echoed her sentiment.

“It has been fantastic… the experience. I have loved working with the two American ladies, they have been very nice, accommodating, and patient. As to Fae Ellington now, this is 50 years of dreaming together and realising some of these dreams,” he shared.

For the American actresses Lewis and Lee, filming on location in Jamaica has greatly added to their experience. The 60-year-old Lewis noted that she brought in some family members to celebrate her birthday milestone ahead of the shoot.

“I’m having a great time in Jamaica. I love Jamaica, it is not my first time, one of many, many times that I’ve been here. So much so that my birthday was just a few days ago and I chose to celebrate it here in Jamaica. In fact, 14 family members came here to celebrate it with me. So, grace of God, the film continues my extended stay. I was on the Ocho Rios side and now we are here in Kingston,” Lewis said.

“Working on Blackjack Christmas has been epic. There’s working with people that you get to know and there’s working with people that you come to love, and I have really fallen in love with these people. I’ve got new Jamaican family and I am really thankful for that. Victoria giving me the opportunity to lead this movie has been the biggest opportunity of my career. Hopefully I can hold it down and make everybody proud in America and Jamaica,” Lee stated.