Petaluma-filmed ‘A California Christmas: City Lights’ to premiere on Netflix in December

Fans of the locally filmed 2020 hit “A California Christmas” will soon be able to find out what happened to some of their favorite characters when its sequel debuts on Netflix in December.

“A California Christmas: City Lights” will start showing Dec. 16, one of more than 20 holiday-themed offerings by the streaming service, according to Netflix.

The first movie was about Joseph, a wealthy businessman who pretends to be a farmhand in order to trick Callie, a Petaluma rancher, into selling her family’s property. They eventually fall in love. A Press Democrat article deemed it “a love story with a decidedly ‘Hallmark Holiday Movie’ feel to it.”

The sequel follows Callie and Joseph (played by real-life married couple Lauren and Josh Swickard) one year into their relationship. According to the movie’s IMDb page, the couple now owns a dairy farm and winery. The plot thickens when Joseph is called to the city for business and family reasons.

“A California Christmas” was a huge success for Netflix and ranked No. 1 in the United States for a week following its December release, according to Variety.

Both movies, produced by Petaluma native Ali Afshar, were filmed in the Sonoma County city. The sequel stars Afshar and real-life married couple

“A California Christmas: City Lights” was shot in July. Petaluma residents saw Afshar and his crew filming scenes at such familiar spots as Hermann Sons Hall on Western Avenue, Bliss Bridal on Petaluma Boulevard North and Keller Street CoWork.

Afshar has shot several other movies in the area, including “Born A Champion,” starring Dennis Quaid, “Roped” and “The Stand at Paxton County.”