“I see thousands of children every Christmas season, and the look in their eyes when they realize I can sign with them is something I'll never forget.”
— Texas Highways
In the October 2024 issue of Texas Highways, journalist Carol Christian profiled Charles Graves under the headline “The Gift of New Braunfels’ Deaf Santa Claus.” The feature traces how a quiet, fourth-generation Deaf Texan from New Braunfels — a longtime night residential educator at the Texas School for the Deaf — became the first Deaf graduate of the International University of Santa Claus and is now traveling the country in red.
The story turns on a chance encounter. In 2021, co-director Anthony Mowl was taking his Deaf daughter to a holiday event organized by the Texas School for the Deaf. Standing in the lobby was a Santa in full red and white, signing patiently with children. “He instantly took my daughter’s and my heart away,” Mowl tells Christian. “It was just a memory I’ll never forget.”
Mowl, who works in marketing and video production in Austin, kept thinking about it. He thought Graves deserved a bigger reach. In early 2022, he connected with Los Angeles–based filmmaker Ben Shelton — director of Netflix’s Candy Jar and the TV series Impress Me. After Mowl showed him photos and videos of Graves, Shelton was hooked. “Charles Graves is the reason why this movie came together,” Shelton tells Christian. “He is a beautiful person inside and out.”
The piece quotes Graves directly on what’s at stake for Deaf families: “I see thousands of children every Christmas season, and the look in their eyes when they realize I can sign with them is something I’ll never forget.” The article previews the film’s world premiere at the 31st Austin Film Festival on October 26 at Rollins Theatre at the Long Center, with a second screening October 30 at Galaxy Theatre 6.
Read the full article on Texas Highways (opens in new window)
