“You know, it’s Christmas here too. It’s Christmas everywhere.”

Share this story:

Here and Everywhere

What can we do when the thing we long for feels far away from where we are?

Theo wants nothing more than to get home to his family to celebrate Christmas among the people and traditions he loves, but when his bus breaks down late on Christmas Eve he realizes that this holiday won’t look anything like the one he planned. He has a choice to make: let the moment be ruined or look for a little bit of Christmas in the least likely of places. From among the other stranded passengers, Theo finds a few who help him assemble a makeshift Christmas right where they are. While it may not be the celebration any of them hoped for, it just might be exactly the one that some of them need.

During a season that promises peace, hope, and joy, it’s common to feel a sense of tension when our high hopes don't align with the reality we experience. Whether it's the perfect family gathering we imagine, the ideal gifts we wish to receive, or a broken world we long to see fixed, the gap between our expectations and reality can leave us feeling disappointed. Here and Everywhere encourages us to be a part of bringing our hopes to the here and now, looking not just toward a destination, but embracing the journey, surprises, and people who travel this life alongside us.

  • Advent
    Anticipation
    Christmas
    Compassion
    Connection
    Disappointment
    Discouragement
    Expectation
    Hope
    Incarnation
    Kindness
    Togetherness

  • Jeremiah 29:11
    Psalm 27:13-14
    Psalm 34:18
    Matthew 1
    Matthew 6:10
    Matthew 6:34
    Matthew 25:37-40
    Luke 2
    Luke 17:20-21
    John 1
    Galatians 6:9
    1 Peter 1:3-4

Credits

Written & Directed by Nick Benoit
Cinematography & Editing by Matthew Roth
Produced by Heather Froslid

STARRING
Michael Blakely as Theo
Katherine Bellantone as Sam
Judith Tobi Eisenberg as Ruth
Jerrie Rivera as Carlos
Steve Pavlik as Frank
Rami Abushhab as Husband
Sana Rehman as Wife
Racheal J White as Mona
Also starring Martin Davis, Portia West, Jason Henry, Cliff Dunigan, and Esu Ebeigbe

1st Assistant Camera Nathan Stevens
Gaffer Pierce Ellner
Gaffer Zayne Van Heerden
Key Grip EJ Huntemann
Grip Peter Kim
Sound Engineer Peter Nienhuis
Sound Engineer Matthew Tucker
Extras Casting Herny Solomon
Hair & Makeup DeShawn Bowman
BTS Videographer Peter Kim

Music & Score by TJ Hill
Sound Design and Mix by Ryan Pribyl of Level Audio, Inc.

Production Assistance by Payton Collins, Herny Solomon, and DeShawn Bowman

Additional Cast: Michael Awe, Julie Beal, Denise Berwick, Peter Berwick, Chris Bitoy, Adam Boczar, Toni Brady, Jack Burr, Charles Connors, Gary DeVar, Bonnie Dodson, Anticio Duke, Blake Fowler, Sandy Gulliver, Nancy Hays, Mahtab Hejazi, Mara Hoyt, Almarie Lumbad, Jim McCune, Jeffrey Scott Miller, Dimitar Nikolov, Keneisha Richards, Kimberly Rogers, Shelley Schwartz, Jeanne Scurek, Yajaira Velez

Light Twinkler Paul Johnson

Special thanks to Lucky Charter and Tours for their generosity and unending patience, and to Willow Creek Community Church for the use of the facility and grounds.