Here’s How MVCC Helped Save an Important Movie Scene Filmed in Central New York

Mohawk Valley Community College played a very important role in the upcoming holiday blockbuster, "The Christmas Letter."

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That's a Wrap!

"The Christmas Letter," which stars legends like Chevy Chase and Randy Quaid, completed its final day of filming in the Mohawk Valley.

Read More: Legendary Hollywood Actor Starring in Central New York Movie

The movie, which is almost exclusively filmed in Central New York, tells the story of an average guy trying to outdo his much-wealthier friend's lavish lifestyle by taking his family on a year filled with wild adventures.

However, one scene required a pretty important prop that was proving to be a little hard to find. An airplane was needed to film several scenes on Wednesday and producers apparently struggled to procure one.

That is until Mohawk Valley Community College's very own Walt Constantini rose to the occasion. He is the college's Aviation Training Center's program director and he just so happened to have the keys to a branded MVCC jet.

Yes, MVCC has its own plane because it is part of the state's only college-based aviation maintenance program, which is among just a handful offered nationwide.

That plane rolled onto Griffiss Park in Rome and the movie was able to film its final CNY-based scenes. Actors Regina Schneider and Angus Benfield, who play Deb and Joe Benfield, were seen boarding the jet.

The movie is slated to premiere later this year and there is a movement to have a big release event here in Central New York.

More about "The Christmas Letter"

The movie stars Australian actor Lance Bonza as Clive Hammersmith, who chatted with local news outlet WKTV about his experience filming in the Mohawk Valley.

The Aussie had a lot to say about the kindness and welcoming spirits of the locals because of how willing they were to help make the movie a success. He believes that spirit helped get "us over the line."

However, the film did run into some hiccups when it comes to what Central New York winters are best known for - weird and wild weather. Bonza said the fluctuating forecast caused some headaches, but it did produce a few magical moments, as well.

He hinted that there will be some scenes where real snow is falling, noting that there were moments when flurries fell at just the right moment.

It was also revealed that his children were cast to play his character's kids in the movie - making filming of "The Christmas Letter" a true family affair.

In all, he echoed what other cast and crew have been saying about this magical holiday film  - that he hopes it goes onto become a classic that people can't help but watch again and again.

You can find more updates about "The Christmas Letter" on its official Facebook page.