One of the story elements in the new UPtv holiday film “Festival of Trees” is that all the ornaments on a Christmas tree have been hand designed to feature things that a person loves the most in the world. Star Josie Davis didn’t hesitate when asked what two items she would feature in an ornament for herself. “The first thing that comes to mind are my two cats,” Davis says. As if on cue, one of her cats jumps on top of her computer’s printer and must be shooed away. She adds that the other element would be a pink heart because love is so important. Love is traditionally all that is important in a holiday film but the film starring Davis along with Kate Miner, Greg Perrow and Jojo Regina – set to debut at 7 p.m. Nov. 24 on UPtv – offers more. It is a story of family, creativity, corporate espionage, holiday traditions and sick children. There is even time left for a little romance. The annual Festival of Trees is a fundraiser for a children’s hospital. Davis plays the self-assured, snooty designer who has dominated the competition for best tree design over the years. She describes the character as “not being the nicest person or humble.” The festival puts her in direct competition with Jacquie Miller (Miner) who is an interior designer desperate to catch a break. Miller quickly learns that the best designs are ones that come from the heart. Davis started her acting career at the age of 3 and has been working in TV and film since 1987 when she was on the situation comedy “Charles in Charge.” The actress/screenwriter/producer/podcaster has rolled up a long list of credits that include “Beverly Hills, 90210,” “Titans,” “NCIS,” “CSI: Miami” and “Burn Notice.” Although she had been told repeatedly that she should be in a holiday movie, “Festival of Trees” is the first time Davis has starred in such a production. “It was a great character to play and so much fun,” Davis says. “It was also what was created. It is my job to take what’s on the page and then create from that.” One of the best aspects of the role was getting to work with the two actors who play the assistants to her character. Davis wanted to make sure that the relationship between her and them came across as existing in a whole world outside the holiday story. That meant when they walked into a scene there was already an energy for their working relationship that the audience would recognize immediately. Davis is certain that’s why the scenes with them worked so well. “We weren’t acting because we were already behaving like we were already existing in our relationship,” Davis says. The glamorous grinch she plays and her doting assistance helped elevate the film above the standard holiday film for Davis. She was happy the production dealt with so much about what it means to be a good person and what’s really important in life. She was also happy that the film features a lot of humor because that added to making this a very different film than the standard holiday fare. Her attention to acting details come from her training. She was only a teenager when Davis started studying with Paul E. Richards at the Actors Studio. Davis auditioned to be part of the Actors Studio a few years later and became one of only two performers selected to join that year. Having all that backstory in place was even more important because the shooting schedule for these kinds of films tends to be very short. Davis is always willing to try new ways to play a scene, but she is equally happy to work at a quick pace when the production schedule is tight. “I am accustomed to it. I know my stuff. I know what I’m doing. I bring it and we shoot fast,” Davis says. “I love it as long as I am on that level of knowing we are moving quickly I can do it in one take.” “Festival of Trees” is the first holiday film for Davis, but she does have one credit on her resume that took the Christmas world to a new – and crazy – level. She guest starred in an episode of “Two and a Half Men” where she takes over the house with Christmas decorations and celebrations that reached the scary level in intensity. She credits “Two and a Half Men” creator Chuck Lorre for writing such a brilliant character for her. “It was one of those episodes that was such a large episode that people thought I was going to be a series regular,” Davis says. “I was in every scene.” The latest look at Christmas can be seen on UPtv, a cable TV network that offers family-friendly entertainment, including movies, series and specials.