25 years ago, filmmaker Jerry Vasilatos began his journey as an independent filmmaker with a dream to make a Christmas movie, going from script to screen with “Solstice", a Christmas story which was broadcast into millions of households as Lifetime Television's Original Holiday World Premiere Movie in 1994.
The newly restored 25th Anniversary Limited Edition with a brand new orchestral score has garnered nominations and awards including Best Drama and Best Score at the Action on Film Megafest, Hollywood Dreams International Film Festival, Los Angeles Film Awards and Los Angeles Independent Film Festival.
Set in frigid, mid-winter Chicago, "Solstice" tells the story of Nick and Kristine (played by Michael Kelley & Mary McCloud), a disillusioned young couple dealing with a broken romance that regain a new sense of hope and optimism during a lonely Christmas Eve.
Harkening other perennial Christmas classics like "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Mr. Krueger's Christmas", "Solstice" deals with personal seasonal introspections as relevant today as they were 25 years ago. The film was restored after scanning the original camera negative in 2K and the sound mix recreated from the original reel to reel elements. Along with composer Bálint Sapszon's award-winning new score recorded by the Budapest Scoring Orchestra, the film looks and sounds better now than when it was originally released to reflect the director’s fully realized vision for audiences that remember it, and new audiences discovering it for the first time.
Starring: Michael Kelley, Mary McCloud, Jay Lehrfeld, Bill Fogarty, Ramona Curtis, Lawrence Bull
Directed By: Jerry Vasilatos
Written By: Jerry Vasilatos
Score By: Bálint Sapszon
Language: English
Video: 1080p High Definition / 1.33:1 / Color
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0
Subtitles: English SDH, French, German, Spanish, Greek, Russian
Theatrical Release: 1994
Runtime: 48 Minutes
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region Code: Region Free (A/B/C)
Special Features:
2019 Director’s Commentary
2019 Film Historian’s Commentary
1994 10th Anniversary Cast and Crew Commentary
95 Minutes of Newly Produced, Never Before Seen HD Anniversary Programs including:
Spirits of Christmas Past and the Making of "Solstice" (44 min)
"Solstice II" - Kristine's Story (2.5 min)
The History of the Music Box Sing-Along (6 min)
25th Anniversary Trailer (2 min)
25th Anniversary Screening Q&A (24 min)
Spirits of Christmas Past Roadshow Cut (15 min)
Coda (4.5 min)
Deleted Scene w/Director's Commentary (1 min)
Outtake w/ Director's Commentary (.50 min)
Original 1993 Release with Mono Mix (48 min)
Original 2004 Bonus Content Archives ported from the Standard Definition DVD including:
Star Michael Kelley and Mary McCloud's original audition (4.5 min)
Behind the Scenes at Six Corners (6.5 min)
Chicagoland TV News Segment covering the original Lifetime Broadcast (3 min)
Cable Access coverage of the Chicago theatrical premiere by Nights Out Chicago (6.5 min)
Cable Access interview with director Jerry Vasilatos from Mise-En-Scene (9 min)
Behind the Scenes Slideshow and radio interview from WLUP Chicago (14 min)
Original Lifetime Promos (1 min)
First and Revised Third Draft Screenplay Slideshows
Storyboard Slideshow
Genre: Holiday/Drama
Resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0
Subtitles: English SDH, French, German, Spanish, Greek, Russian
Run Time: 48 min
Unrated
1993
