Christmas romance film Mistletoe Ranch in cinemas with help from Bannenberg sisters

Mistletoe Ranch is the seventh romance feature for the Steve Jaggi Company and directed by Rhiannon Bannenberg (Rip Tide, Dive Club), it will be screened at Event Cinemas in Shellharbour from November 17 as well as elsewhere around the country.

Read more: Albion Park crew scores high-flying spot in Australia's Got Talent semifinal

The G-rated movie is set in the little town of "Snowy Oak" and surrounded by beautiful snow capped mountains of America, yet it was filmed on a hill in South East Queensland (Mount Tambourine to be exact).

Casual school teacher Stephanie Bannenberg was the costume designer and found it hard pressed to find wintry, American ranch-style clothing in Brisbane in the middle of summer but she made it happen.

"You need to know where to look, it's one of those things, you're at the mercy of what you can find in the stores at the time," she said.

"A lot of thought went into how we could fudge Queensland for a snowy environment. I think it's done very successfully."

Bannenberg said the art department had to pull in snow machines and fake snow so anything the cast interacted with looked like it was cold and snowy, while it was tough for the actors all being dressed in long pants and jumpers in muggy, sweltering heat.

Read more: 'Back from the brink': trio throws 11th-hour lifeline to Circus Monoxide

Cowboy boots, American-style belt buckles and cowboy hats were tricky to find but Bannenberg discovered a shining gem in the heart of the Queensland capital, called Retro Metro.

Though it had been "cleared out" by the wardrobe department making Baz Lurhman's Elvis movie, the costume queen said she was still able to source some items from the treasure trove of a shop.

For other items, like the fairy wings for the little girl character Juniper (played by Molly Wright), Bannenberg needed to use her crafty sewing skills to create something so bespoke.

"My grandmother was a really good sewer, she taught me most of the skills as a kid," Bannenberg said.

"I didn't go to schoolies when i finished year 12, I sat at home and made myself a regency wardrobe."

The seamstress has now worked on several feature films, but it was an unlikely path helped along by her big sister Rhiannon after being pulled in to make period costumes for the director's first feature Ambrosia released in 2015.

"Rhiannon had such a desire to work in film as well and Rhiannon can't sew to save her life so lucky, she's got me."

Read more: Take a look at major renovations to Event Cinemas in Shellharbour

Mistletoe Ranch will screen nationally in cinemas from November 17, including Event Cinemas Shellharbour. It's rated G and runs for 89 minutes.

The film stars Mercy Cornwall, Jordi Webber, Andrea Moor and Kimberly Jospeh - it's promoted as being "an uplifting tale of love rediscovered, that will ignite the festive spirit this holiday season".

FILM SYNOPSIS: Eight years after leaving the town of Snowy Oak, Aimée Tremblay (Mercy Cornwall) is following her dreams as assistant to an internationally-celebrated photographer. While she's initially more interested in preparing for the next big shoot than returning home for the holidays, her plans change when she learns her ex-fiancé, James Hunt (Jordi Webber), has cancelled the town's Christmas celebrations. Upon her return home, Aimée finds her childhood home vacant and the ranch in debt. As Aimée faces a choice between returning to manage the property or selling it so she can continue to pursue her dream career, she finds herself reconnecting with the ranch, the locals, and James - and facing a difficult decision about what her future holds.

For more screening locations CLICK HERE.

We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on the Illawarra Mercury website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. Sign up for a subscription here.