11 Hallmark Holiday Movies With Latinx Leads To Watch En La Sala This Thanksgiving

Photo Courtesy Lifetime

There’s a reason Hallmark holiday movies are so popular. They’re filled with holiday cheer, light-hearted romance and a guaranteed happy ending. And networks like Hallmark and Lifetime churn out so many holiday movies each year, it seems like there’s always something on when you change the channel. 

The only problem is, these holiday movies are in dire need of more diversity. Luckily, these feel-good networks are starting to pivot away from the tired old white Christmas storylines to center more people of color narratives and characters in their movies. 

So, if you’re looking for a nice, cozy Hallmark movie that delivers the warm-fuzzies while also including more Latinos, we’ve got your back. Here is a list of 11 Hallmark (-ish) holiday movies to tune into this year.

Note: we consider “Hallmark movie” a catchall term for any feel-good, cable TV Christmas movie, which is the reason for our inclusion of other networks like Lifetime or Freeform.

Holiday in Santa Fe

This one is the rare made-for-TV Christmas movie where both lead actors are Latinx. Starring Mario Lopez and Mexican actress Emeraude Toubia, “Holiday in Santa Fe” follows a greeting card executive (Toubia) who flies in to Santa Fe to acquire a small family business. But when she begins to fall in love with the business owner (Lopez) the acquisition becomes a bit more complicated. And Latinos weren’t only in front of the camera for this one — the script was written by Cristela Alonzo. Watch this on December 10 on Lifetime.

An Ice Wine Christmas

A Christmas movie for wine-lovers, “An Ice Wine Christmas” stars Roselyn Sanchez as a sommelier who returns home to attend the local wine festival. While she’s there, she discovers that a new “wine expert” has come to town and has big plans for the local winery, which Sanchez’s character is firmly against. This movie is available on Lifetime Movie Club app or rent it for just $2.99 on Amazon.

Gingerbread Miracle

The story revolves around a freelance lawyer trying to save her beloved local bakery — Casillas Panadería — from closing. As she rushes to keep the store open, she ends up falling for the owner’s son, played by Brazilian-American actor Jon Ecker. This one premiers on December 5 on Hallmark.

Christmas CEO

Marisol Nichols play the CEO of a small toy company who gets a once in a lifetime opportunity to merge with a large toy company. The only problem? She needs her ex-business partner’s signature to seal the deal. You can imagine what happens next… This movie will premiere on Friday, November 26 on the Hallmark Channel.

A Picture Perfect Holiday

“A Picture Perfect Holiday” follows a fashion photographer (played by Panamanian-American actress Tatyana Ali) as she falls in love with a wildlife photographer during a Christmas Photography retreat. This movie is available on the Lifetime Movie Club app or rent it for just $2.99 on Amazon.

Maps and Mistletoe

Now this is exactly the type of cheesy Christmas movie we love to see! Bizarre storyline? Check. Family-friendly fun? Check. Tons of Christmas cheer? Double check. Humberly González plays a cartographer seeking out the help of a North Pole explorer so she can draw a “novelty map” of the North Pole. And of course, they fall in love during the process. This one will premiere on December 13 on Lifetime.

Sugar Plum Twist

“Sugar Plum Twist” follows the story of a professional ballerina who returns home during the holidays to revamp her local Nutcracker ballet to include more Latin flavor. In the process, she falls in love with a local hunk (played by Boricua actor, Ektor Rivera). This premieres December 2 on the Hallmark channel.

Oldies, but Goodies

These movies may not be totally new, but they’re worth a revisit if you’re in the mood for extra holiday fun.

Taking a Shot at Love

Alexa Vega stars as a professional dancer (what is it with these movies and professional dancers?) who uses her ballet skills to help a down-and-out hockey player get back into the game. You can purchase this movie on YouTube for $7.99.

12 Gifts of the Christmas Cupid

This “Christmas Carol” reimagining has Cubana Christina Milian acting as a grouchy publicist who is visited by the ghosts of boyfriends past. It also stars Chad Michael Murray and Ashley Benson! You can stream this for free anytime with a Hulu subscription.

Christmas on the Range

A woman tries to keep the family ranch afloat while falling for the handsome son of the neighboring rival family, played by Nicholas Gonzalez. You can rent this one on Amazon Prime for just $3.99.

Feliz NaviDAD

Mario Lopez (the reigning Latino lead for corny Christmas movies) plays a lonely single dad who agrees to “practice date” a woman he matched with on a dating app while he’s visiting from out of town. I wonder if they fall in love by the end? You can watch “Feliz NaviDAD” on the Lifetime Movie Club app or buy it for just $0.99 on Amazon.