Jeff Beesley Directed Five Hallmark Movies This Fall and Winter. Here’s Every One.
If you’ve noticed the same name in the credits over and over this season, you’re not imagining it. Jeff Beesley directed four movies in Hallmark’s Countdown to Christmas 2026 lineup, plus The Spirit of Halloween, which closes out Fall Into Love on October 10.
That’s five movies in eleven weeks. Here’s every one, and why we think he’s one of the most interesting directors working at Hallmark.
Jeff Beesley’s 2026 Hallmark Movies
The Spirit of Halloween
Saturday, October 10 at 8/7c
Meghan Ory and Kevin McGarry star in a Halloween twist on A Christmas Carol. A bridal designer who hates Halloween gets visited by three spirits over one night.
‘Tis the Season for Setups
Friday, October 16 at 8/7c
The movie that opens Countdown to Christmas 2026. Amanda Schull, Victor Webster and Barbara Niven star in a matchmaking comedy set at a ski resort.
Adopting St. Nick
Saturday, October 31 at 8/7c
Amy Groening and Michael Rady star. A hardware store owner’s daughter is paired with a retirement community resident who looks a lot like Santa.
Noelle Nomads
Sunday, December 13 at 8/7c
Benjamin Ayres and Torrey DeVitto star. A doctor and his daughter get stranded at a campground on the way to a Hawaiian vacation.
Save the Date for Christmas
Sunday, December 20 at 8/7c
The final new movie of the season. Jonathan Bennett and Italia Ricci play best friends who swear off weddings, then immediately attend one.
Opening night and closing night, both directed by the same person. That doesn’t feel like a coincidence.
What Jeff Beesley Says About His Five-Movie Season (Exclusive Quote)
We asked Beesley about directing five Hallmark movies in a single fall and winter. Here’s what he told us:
“After all these years making movies with Hallmark, I still love the challenge of finding something fresh and specific in every story. Getting to direct five films this year gave me the chance to move between very different characters, tones and worlds, while working with some truly exceptional people. I’m enormously proud of these five movies, and I’m excited that audiences are finally about to meet them.
A huge thank you as well to the wonderful executives at Hallmark and to the producers on the ground who work tirelessly alongside me to bring these movies to life. I couldn’t do what I do without their trust, support and collaboration — I’m incredibly grateful to all of them.”
Different characters, tones and worlds is a fair description of the slate. A Halloween ghost story, a ski resort matchmaking comedy, a retirement community Christmas, a campground romance and a wedding week. Five movies, five completely different setups.
Why Beesley Movies Feel Different
Before Hallmark, Beesley directed Canadian comedy, including Corner Gas and Little Mosque on the Prairie. When we talked with him in 2024, he told us that background shapes everything he does now.
“I’m primarily a comedy director, that’s my background. And so I try to bring that level of levity to all these projects, trying to mine the humor wherever I can. And I think that the movies are better because of it.”
He also told us that even straightforward scripts get reworked on set. He described Miracle in Bethlehem as a very straightforward script until he and Benjamin Ayres got hold of the material and, as he put it, morphed it into what it became.
That’s worth remembering for Noelle Nomads, because Ayres is back working with him again this December.
The Beesley Players
If you feel like you keep seeing the same faces in his movies, you’re right. He has a regular troupe of actors, largely built in Winnipeg, and he’s open about it.
“I’m just a loyal person,” he told us, comparing it to directors like Wes Anderson and Robert Altman, who “seem to like have their favorites.”
He also told us he loves ensembles: “It’s kind of my favorite, actually. I love movies with lots of characters.”
Here’s the detail that gets us. Back in 2024, he mentioned Amy Groening as someone he’d worked with since early in both their careers, saying he was thrilled to see her starring in her own movie. Two years later, she’s leading Adopting St. Nick, and he’s directing.
He also directed Amanda Schull in Project Christmas Wish, and now she’s opening the entire Countdown to Christmas season in his movie.
He Keeps His Crew Together
Most Hallmark directors work with whoever’s available. Beesley has built a consistent team in Winnipeg, including cinematographer Paul Suderman and editor Chad Trombley, who he told us he’d made around 110 movies with.
“I think that’s been a big part of the success of these movies, that we’ve kept our core creative team together.”
That matters more than it sounds. Hallmark productions run on a strict schedule, which he described to us as roughly three weeks of prep, three weeks of shooting and three weeks of post, on comparable budgets across the board. A crew that knows each other gets more out of those three weeks.
Complete List of Hallmark Movies Directed by Jeff Beesley
2026
- The Spirit of Halloween (Fall Into Love)
- ‘Tis the Season for Setups (Countdown to Christmas)
- Adopting St. Nick (Countdown to Christmas)
- Noelle Nomads (Countdown to Christmas)
- Save the Date for Christmas (Countdown to Christmas)
2025
2024
- Haunted Wedding
- A Carol for Two
- Christmas on Call
- Following Yonder Star
2023
- Miracle in Bethlehem, PA.
- The Santa Summit
- Never Been Chris’d
- Made for Each Other
2022
- A Christmas Cookie Catastrophe
- Pumpkin Everything
- Just One Kiss
2021
- A Kiss Before Christmas
- Love Strikes Twice
- To Catch a Spy
- Snowkissed
2020
- Project Christmas Wish
2019
The Christmas Club
Holiday Date
Outside Hallmark, he directed The Hammer with Reba McEntire, which he told us was Lifetime’s number one movie of the year.
Listen to Our Full Interview
We talked with Jeff Beesley about comedy, casting, live music on set and what it’s actually like to direct several Hallmark movies a year.
Jeff Beesley FAQ
How many Hallmark movies did Jeff Beesley direct in 2026? Five this fall and winter: The Spirit of Halloween, plus four Countdown to Christmas movies.
Which Countdown to Christmas 2026 movies did he direct? ‘Tis the Season for Setups, Adopting St. Nick, Noelle Nomads and Save the Date for Christmas.
What else has he directed for Hallmark? The Santa Summit, Haunted Wedding, A Carol for Two, Following Yonder Star, Christmas on Call, Miracle in Bethlehem, Project Christmas Wish and The Christmas Club, among others.
What did he direct before Hallmark? Canadian comedy series including Corner Gas and Little Mosque on the Prairie.
Where can I follow him? He’s on Instagram and he has a website with his reel and filmography.
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We’re Your New Hallmark Besties
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