Baton Rouge native Daniel Lewis didn’t start out in the film industry. He’s not a bigwig transplant from California of New York. Rather, he is a film producer that happened upon his passion for the theatrical through an unassuming career in finance. After a few years working on film budgets and a few more working on different types of films with Active Entertainment, Lewis caught his stride on set for Christmas on the Bayou, a made-for-TV holiday movie that was shot in Lafayette.

“The minute we did Christmas on the Bayou, I knew it was the type of film and the direction I wanted to go,” he says.

And as he continues to work on Louisiana-based projects for future Christmas seasons, Lewis explains that while the South doesn’t have the winter wonderland aspect, it has something much better.

“These are stories about coming home and second chances,” Lewis explains, “and those things suit Louisiana well.”

Read the full story in inRegister’s December issue, on newsstands now. And watch for Lewis’ festive films on Lifetime this season.