“A botched robbery leads down a destructive path for a police officer, an amateur photographer and a strung-out mall Santa as they all converge in one explosive and deadly night.”

With a cast that also includes Eric Close (Nashville, Without A Trace), Adrian Paul (Highlander) and Mary-Margaret Humes (Criminal Minds, Dawson’s Creek), Sara Castro’s next project, “Christmas Eve” is sure to be one of the most talked about independent films of 2017. The film reunites the beautiful actress with director Richard Friedman, who worked with Castro on the critically acclaimed “Halfway To Hell”.

In “Christmas Eve”, Castro plays the role of Kasey Edwards, a mother trying to manage her husband’s alcohol recovery while caring for her sick daughter.

Castro has also earned praise herself for her powerful work in the film, “The Shift” aa well as the genre-defying, award-winning horror/sci-fi, “The Dark Tapes”.

Although “Christmas Eve” won’t be released until next year, I recently spoke with Castro about the film and more in this exclusive new interview.

How did “Christmas Eve” come about for you?

I had the pleasure of working with Richard Friedman again on this project. Richard has a lot of experience as a director and is always putting together interesting things. But it wasn’t a role that was just given to me. I liked the fact that I had to work for it and earn it. It makes you want to work even harder so you can show them they made the right decision.

What was it about the script that piqued your interest?

It was having the chance to work with Richard again, the story and the role. The fact that it had such good names attached to it was another factor because you learn so much from them. Eric Close (who plays my husband, Randall) has been in a lot of series and just finished Nashville. It’s always cool getting to work with great people. It validates why you do what you do.

How would you describe the story of “Christmas Eve”?

It’s a story about a robbery that leads down a destructive path for a police officer who’s reconnecting with his estranged mother. That leads to another story about an amateur photographer and his vindictive fiancé. From there, it connects to a strung-out, mall Santa. He’s my character’s husband and is a recovering alcoholic who’s having a hard time keeping a job. My daughter is very sick and needs assistance, so we really need the money. I’m a nervous wreck trying to make sure the stress isn’t getting to him but at the same time I have my own demons.

What else can you tell me about your character, Kasey?

Kasey is the strong one in the family and has been through a lot with her daughter being sick. She’s trying to keep everything together and under control.

Is there a certain way you like to prepare for a role or scene?

I always try to put together a backstory for my character: where she came from and what’s led her to this point in time.

What do you enjoy most about the creative process?

I love the process of discovery and surprising myself as well as giving the director different takes. That’s the most fun and beautiful part of the process. It can be a bit nerve wracking when you just throw yourself into a scene but you’ll always be pleasantly surprised and find things you never expected. The unpredictability makes it fun.

Are there any other projects you’re working on?

I recently attended another of “The Dark Tapes”. Michael McQuown (Director) has told me that he has plans to do a spin off of it. I believe we’ll be shooting that in February.

What are you most looking forward to about the 2017?

I’m really excited for 2017 and with the help of my team feel I’m getting closer and closer to my goals. The momentum is going so well and it’s only going to get better!