‘Blessings in Disguise’ is next Buffalo-made film to premiere on TV, streaming
By Toni Ruberto
(Image above: Young Buffalo actress Nell Bichler is pictured in a scene with Kathy Patterson from “Blessings in Disguise.” Photo courtesy Great American Media)
Buffalo won’t have to wait until Christmas to see itself in another television movie.
“Blessings in Disguise” from Great American Media will premiere Friday (March 27) on Great American Pure Flix (streaming) and at 8 p.m. March 28 on Great American Family channel (broadcast TV) and GFAM+ (app). Encore presentations on GAF include March 29 at 2 a.m., 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
It is the ninth Buffalo-made movie from GAM to premiere since the company announced a two-year partnership with Great Point Buffalo film studio last July. At the time, GAM founder and CEO Bill Abbott expected to make up to two dozen movies and original series by utilizing the studio’s multiple sound stages and locations throughout Western New York. The first eight films were all Christmas movies that premiered in November and December, 2025.
This story was originally published on Toni Ruberto’s Watching Forever site.
Visit there for more of her writings about movies.
Four more films have made locally since then including “Blessings in Disguise.” The others will premiere later this year:
- “Love Under the Christmas Tree” was shot here in December with Katie Leclerc and Jeremy Guilbaut.
- In February, “Meet Me Between the Margins” filmed with Merritt Patterson in a romance based on the novel by Melissa Ferguson.
- “The Trouble with Mistletoe” with Jillian Murray, Anthony Carvello and Josie DiVincenzo has just wrapped.
While “Blessings in Disguise” will premiere before Easter, it does not have a seasonal theme. It is, however, the first film under GAM’s new “Golden Thread” storytelling where faith is shown to be a staple of daily life.
In “Blessings in Disguise,” Shae Robins plays Katie, a big-city fashion designer who returns home seeking inspiration for a dress collection that could lead to her big break. She finds her creativity again through her mother and memories spent alongside her late grandmother in her seamstress shop. She also reconnects with her first love Luke (played by Casey Elliott), who also is in need of encouragement to follow his creative dreams.
Robins and Elliott are fan favorites for their previous co-starring roles in Great American’s “Destined at Christmas” (2022) and “Destined 2: Christmas Once More” (2023).
Buffalo settings, cast and crew
Buffalo locations used in “Blessings in Disguise” include Great Point studios on Niagara Street, which served as several settings including Katie’s New York City apartment, Luke’s workshop and an event space.
The charming seamstress shop, a major focus of the film, was created inside a historic Connecticut Street building.
Scenes set inside a church and community center were filmed at The Church of the Nativity in Tonawanda.
The impressive fabric store showcasing hundreds – if not thousands – of bolts of fabrics also is local, although it is a wholesaler with online sales to the public.
Local casting is by Casting Buffalo and includes Nell Bichler playing the young Katie and Jeanine Smyth Maier as Marlene.
As per the other Buffalo-made GAM films, the crew is largely local with many working on multiple, if not all of these films. Local crew on “Blessings in Disguise” includes Erica Frase (location manager), Mandy Hebblethwaite (camera operator), Julien Louis (first assistant director), Sarah Mehani (best boy electric), Rafael Mencia (assistant best boy electric), Melanie Morgan (script supervisor), Sam Qualiana (production coordinator), Nancy J. Parisi (gallery stills photographer), Holly Pilato-Scharnweber (costume designer), Matthew Quinn (director of photography), John Renna (set production assistant) and Mike Thompson (first assistant camera).
Previous Buffalo-made GAM films
Here are the titles in the first round of filming that premiered over the holidays: “Christmas of Giving,” “Christmas on Every Page,” “The Christmas Spark,” “There’s No Place Like Christmas,” “The Christmas Inn,” “Have We Met This Christmas?” ”Mario Lopez Presenting Chasing Christmas.” Also part of that slate was “A Royal Christmas Tail,” the latest Buffalo-made holiday movie by independent filmmaker Fred Olen Ray.
Toni Ruberto writes about the Buffalo film community. Contact her at truberto716@gmail.com.
