Hallmark... In a Day
12A

Presented by Darragh Amelia & Guilt-Free Pleasures

Coming soon • December 2025

Hallmark... In a Day is about finding our way back to joy, to wonder, to community, or to a part of ourselves we had forgotten. Sometimes in a hometown, sometimes abroad at a Christmas market, sometimes simply through a shift in perspective.

Educational • Heartfelt • Charming

Part of Hyde Park Film School

Part of Too Much: Melodrama on Film

Hallmark Christmas movies are often dismissed for their 'simplistic' predictability.

However, if we look closely, they function almost like modern fairy tales or seasonal Shakespearean myths - uncovering meaning through familiar patterns: a festive setting, a protagonist experiencing some form of disconnection, a catalyst that reawakens something within them, and a resolution that feels warm and whole.

And while on the surface these films might seem to be about returning to a small snowy town or rekindling a lost romance, beneath the cozy Christmas facade they speak to something much deeper: a return to self.

Having found profound comfort, inspiration and motivation in the formula herself - Darragh Amelia (filmmaker, curator and certified cinematherapist) is hosting this Hallmark... In a Day to provide a container of sorts for anyone seeking some of the same (or anyone simply interested in dissecting these beloved holiday films).

The day will begin at 14:00 with a workshop led by Darragh Amelia on Life as a Hallmark (Christmas) Movie and Finding Yourself in The Formula. Followed by an introduction and screening of a Hallmark Christmas Movie, with a post-film discussion.

Presented by Guilt-Free Pleasures and curator Darragh Amelia.

Showing as part of our season Too Much: Melodrama on Film - supported by the BFI and Film Hub North.

Details

Duration

4hrs

Strobe lighting

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Part of Hyde Park Film School

Guided by guest speakers, the Hyde Park Film School provides opportunities to discover more about film – from the work of influential directors, to the enduring legacy of film movements. All courses are entry level, non-academic and open to everyone.

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