‘The Christmas Writer’ brings queer holiday magic home

A lesbian Christmas author loses her muse, retreats to her tiny hometown, meets a charming single mom, and accidentally falls into the kind of romance she’s spent her whole career inventing. That’s the heart of The Christmas Writer, a cozy, LGBTQ+ holiday romcom making its world premiere Nov. 18 on VOD on the Tello Films Network—long known as the home of sapphic holiday cinema.

Directed by Tello founder Christin Baker and written by Baker and Katie I. Williams, the film slots straight into the network’s signature lane: heartfelt queer storytelling built for the season’s comfort-watch mood. Shelby Allison Brown stars as Noel, a bestselling author stalled by grief, deadlines and a sudden breakup. Her return to Pinewood—population small, sentiment big—is meant to break her writer’s block. Instead, she collides with Callie, played by Callie Bussell, a grounded single mom who’s revitalized the town bookstore. Their slow-build spark is nudged along by Noel’s meddling circle, from Paulette (Jordan Myrick) and Erin (Kendahl Landreth) to her steady, wry Grandma Robbins (Karen M. Chan). June Tuss rounds out the cast as Pepper.

It’s a clean, comforting setup executed with Baker’s familiar precision: warm lights, small-town edges, chosen-family humor, and a romance that reveals itself in quiet beats. Noel’s dilemma—cling to a polished but hollow city life or risk everything on an unexpected connection—lands with simple clarity. It’s a holiday film built for replay.

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Discover queer christmas magic

The premiere arrives with a theatrical rollout in five cities: Los Angeles (Nov. 11), San Francisco Bay Area (Nov. 16), Washington D.C. (Nov. 18), Atlanta (Nov. 21) and Nashville (Dec. 3), each featuring an opening-day Q&A with the director and cast. VOD pre-orders open Nov. 1, with rentals available Nov. 18 for $6.99 (14 days) or purchase for $14.99. A Tello Films subscription isn’t required. The film will also be available on Amazon, Apple and YouTube Movies. Tello is pairing the release with a holiday promo: rent seven additional lesbian holiday films for $14.99 (30 days)—City of Trees, Looking for Her, A Holiday I Do, Christmas at the Ranch, Merry & Gay, I Hate New Year’s and Season of Love. The lineup showcases the platform’s specialty: queer love stories built with sincerity, ensemble chemistry and a sense of seasonal uplift.

Tello’s holiday slate underscores why the platform has held its position as the longest-running LGBTQ+ streaming service. Baker’s approach has always centered representation without compromise—stories where queer women get to be funny, complex, tender, messy, and fully romantic, all inside genres that historically excluded them. The Christmas Writer continues that blueprint with a production that feels both intimate and assured. The film leans into classic tropes—snow-dusted streets, bookstore meet-cutes, hometown nostalgia—but reframes them with a modern queer lens that resists cynicism. There’s no “coming out” arc, no tragedy baked into the romance. Just two women navigating loss, renewal and attraction with clean emotional stakes.

Noel’s creative paralysis threads the film’s emotional core. Her mother’s death—paired with the fallout of a breakup—has drained the holiday season of its previous sparkle. Pinewood forces a slowdown. Callie forces a recalibration. Their connection isn’t explosive; it’s incremental, built through shared quiet, glances, and the kind of accidental vulnerability small towns tend to expose. By the time Noel begins drafting again, it’s clear the story she’s trying to write is the one she’s living.

Hidden warmth unfolds here

The supporting characters sharpen the film’s rhythm. Paulette and Erin provide comic tension; Jillian and Pepper add texture; Grandma Robbins functions as the emotional anchor, grounding Noel’s arc with unflinching warmth. Baker’s ensemble direction keeps the town alive, using small gestures—storefront decor, diner chatter, bookstore stacks—to create a sense of lived-in familiarity. Pinewood isn’t a backdrop; it’s Noel’s catalyst.

As Tello continues expanding its holiday catalog, The Christmas Writer serves as a clean entry point for newcomers: accessible, witty, and anchored in the sincere optimism viewers look for in seasonal romance. It’s also a strategic partnership between Tello and Good Deed Entertainment, which strengthens the film’s distribution reach while keeping its indie DNA intact.

For audiences seeking cozy queer escapism, gentle humor, and a romance that unfolds with soft inevitability, the film fits neatly into the growing canon of LGBTQ+ holiday comfort watches.