Production and distribution executive Vanessa Shapiro launches Nicely Entertainment

During her tenure at Gaumont, Shapiro served as an Executive Producer on Amazon Prime’s upcoming original series El Presidente (8x’60), as well as a slate of ten holiday movies, including Merry Christmas Match (Hallmark) and A Date by Christmas Eve (Lifetime).

The company officially debuts its 2020 movie slate featuring romance and holiday movies and a young adult drama series. In addition to Nicely’s initial seven movie slate, the company is also in development on three new television series which will be announced later this year.

‘2020 is starting as a challenging year with COVID-19 shutting down production around the world. At Nicely Entertainment, we feel privileged that we were able to lock production on our first two movies in February prior to the lockdown’, commented Shapiro.  ‘We are thankful to be able to develop and produce TV Series and movies with well-established talent and production companies worldwide, and we are looking forward to delivering quality content to our trusted partners’. 

As completed and ready for delivery, the firm presents A Very Charming Christmas Town (1x’90) a Nicely Entertainment and The Ninth House Films co-production romance about a city girl and travel blogger (Natalie Hall, Pretty Little Liars) and her host, a local chocolate shop owner (Jon Prescott, Christmas in the City), amidst the twinkling lights of the romantic Danish village of Solvang. And in Christmas Inn Farmstead (1x’90), love unexpectedly blossoms between two realtors who must spend time together right before Christmas as they compete to sell the Inn. Produced by Love Christmas Films, the movie stars Lexi Giovagnoli (All Hallows Eve) and Travis Burns (Neighbours).

In pre-production and scheduled to shoot in tropical North Queensland, Australia, in June 2020, is Romance in Sapphire Cove (1x’90), a Nicely Entertainment and The Steve Jaggi Company (Rip Tide, Back of the Net) co-production. Casting is underway for this romance movie that tells the story of a successful big-city lawyer sent to the tropical island of Sapphire Cove to convince a client to take over the family company—in the process, she reconnects with her childhood roots and her first love. 

Additionally, company is representing for global pre-sales the new Australian YA series Dive Club (12x’22), commissioned by Network 10 Australia and produced by The Steve Jaggi Company. Series follows a feisty group of teen divers who race to find their best friend when she disappears after a storm hits their small coastal town, Cape Mercy, bringing the town's deepest secrets to the surface.

Effective immediately, Nicely Entertainment has appointed Laura Hoffman as SVP, Sales and Operations, to oversee international sales and business administration/operations. Hoffman was previously working with Shapiro at Marvista Entertainment and, most recently at Gaumont, for a combined total of 10 years together and brings with her close to 20 years of experience in the distribution business.