6 Georgia-Lensed Holiday Films That Keep the Season Bawdy and Bright

By Carol Badaracco Padgett

In Georgia, the Marietta Square makes an ideal historic hometown Christmas scene. Stone Mountain and the North Georgia mountains cover up perfectly in post-production white. Decatur hosts the carols and crew of Dolly Parton. And Tyler Perry’s Madea hits metro Atlanta like a snowstorm.

Some metro cities and rural Georgia towns draw so many holiday productions they gain an aka designation, like “Holiday Headquarters” for film-famous Dunwoody or “Hallmark Town” for historic Dahlonega.

Indie filmmakers too, such as Leanna Adams of Atlanta’s Randy Mandy Productions, get in on the action with films like “Christmas with Jerks.”

Here are six fun, fast-paced Georgia-lensed holiday films to stream—and see how many local landmarks and destinations you can spot.

1-“Dashing Through the Snow” (2025, Disney+) – A pregnant fugitive and a U.S. Marshall spend a wild Christmas Eve. Film locations include the Besharat Gallery Atlanta.

2-“Red One” (2024, Amazon MGM Studios-Amazon Prime and others) – Starring Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans, a villain kidnaps Santa Claus and a tracker is sent to find him. Locations include Atlanta, Conyers and Jekyll Island.

3-“Christmas with Jerks” (2023, Randy Mandy Productions-Amazon Prime and Tubi) – Featuring a screenplay by Atlanta-based Adams, the film follows a middle-aged child star as she escapes to her sister’s house for the holidays. Filmed on location in Atlanta using the city’s all-star film community.

4-“Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square” (2020, Netflix) – Parton is an angel who helps a bitter businesswoman walk-back a plan to turn her hometown into a mall. Locations include Decatur, Decatur Presbyterian Church and Beath-Dickey House Queen Anne Victorian mansion in Atlanta’s Inman Park.

5-“Christmas Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses” (2019, Hallmark+ and more) – A single-mom interior designer gets hired to decorate the estate of a grouchy businessman. Locations include the Marietta Square and its historic Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre, as well as Stone Mountain.

6-“A Madea Christmas” (2013, Tyler Perry Studios-Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and more) – Madea (Tyler Perry) and niece bring the holiday spirit to a small-town family member who won’t come home for Christmas. Locations include Atlanta and the historic downtown square in McDonough.