"Allston Christmas" the movie: Romantic comedy to include a haunted couch
ALLSTON - Move over Hallmark, there is a new kind of Christmas movie coming out this holiday season. It's a love story about Allston Christmas, the neighborhood's official, unofficial moving day.
If you are not familiar with the term "Allston Christmas" it refers to the first weekend of September in the city of Boston, and in particular the college neighborhood of Allston. During this weekend, a vast number of Bostonian's move out of their apartments, while others move in. It has become a tradition where people leave unwanted belongings on the street. They are typically there for the taking.
"Boston, despite being a city of great ideas, decided for everyone to move out on the same day," joked director Natasha Nowell.
"People have fully furnished their apartments with Allston Christmas things. I know I got a fantastic table," laughed Rae Brown, the head producer of the upcoming movie.
Brown came up with the idea to turn Allston Christmas into a romantic comedy.
"It's very 'Love Actually', but on Allston Christmas. We have three interconnected stories all telling us about Allston Christmas. People trying to get through moves, people trying to propose, all of that fun stuff," smiles Brown.
One couple is searching for an item mistakenly placed on the street, while another character can't find any takers for her possessed garbage - a haunted couch.
"My character's story arc is 'Man vs. Couch," said actor and co-producer Ameera Iftekhar. "This person is trying really hard, despite all the circumstances, to rid themselves of this couch. No one, not even God wants this couch."
"We are following a bunch of 20 something-year-old degenerates trying to make the most of Allston Christmas," said Director Natasha Nowell.
The team hopes to submit the film to the New England Film Festival. They say this prevents them from doing a public release of the movie until the festival, however they are planning to do some private showings.
"We are hoping to do a true holiday kind of release," said Brown.