A feature film will be shot entirely in the Edmundston region

Mar 6, 2024

A combination of circumstances, years of hard work, ups and downs, led Anya Warin and Sébastien Furio to settle in the Edmundston region. Region which was also chosen as the focal point for the filming of a feature film entitled “Lena and the Paper Doll”, telling the story of a woman with amnesia after the mysterious death of her violent mother.

A long-term project

This project began 8 years ago, on a completely different continent, in Belgium, when Anya met Sébastien. As bonds are forged, she tells him about the painful past she experienced with her mother. Following this revelation, Sébastien offers to help her write her story in order to denounce this social fact and to help adult victims of parental violence.

Following the writing process of the script, the couple encountered many pitfalls. False promises from production houses, a certain global pandemic, floods in Belgium and an incredible batch of relocations. With the help and support of American actor, Lee Arenberg (Pintel - Pirates of the Caribbean), the film is finally considered by an American company based in L.A. Buffalo8 Productions - BondIt Media Capital agrees to work with them in 2023, fully supporting the human values ​​of the film.

Giving back to the community

Anya and Sébastien's family have been living in Edmundston since 2022, and have fallen under the charm of the city. “We were very well received, we immediately saw the potential that the region offered, and we wanted to participate in its social, cultural and economic development. Anya and I contacted public officials from the City of Edmundston and the Arts Centre to present the project. Today, the film is being produced and filming is planned to start here, in June of 2024,” explains Sébastien Furio, screenwriter and director.

Many locations were targeted for regional filming and a casting process made it possible to find extras who will have a place in the film. Well established in Edmundston, the couple now wishes to develop an audiovisual production company here, and intends to hire staff from the region to carry out this project. They will also continue to rely on local partnerships to help victims of violence.

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CONTACT: Marie-Claude Ménard, Events Coordinator, Development Department, 506.739.2125