(April 19, 2017 – Toronto, ON) Following the opening of Aisling Walsh’s Maudie in Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver and Halifax, Atlantic-Canadians took to social media this past weekend, lamenting that the moving drama about Nova Scotia folk artist Maud Lewis (Sally Hawkins) and fish peddler Everett Lewis (Ethan Hawke) was not premiering in their hometowns.
After receiving more than a thousand shares from its Facebook page alone from fans wanting to see the Canada-Ireland co-production, Mongrel Media has announced that it is adding additional screenings beginning April 21 across Atlantic Canada, including theatres in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.
“Maudie is a gem of a film and it is very gratifying to see that Canadian audiences
are seeking out this film in droves,”said Hussain Amarshi, President of Mongrel Media and one of the film’s executive producers. “Maud Lewis is one of this country’s unsung heroes and it is a
“We are delighted that so many of our guests share our excitement for Maudie and we are proud to work with Mongrel Media to bring it to as many communities as possible, particularly those in Atlantic Canada where the story really resonates,” said Pat Marshall, Vice President, Communications and Investor Relations, Cineplex.
On April 21, Maudie will expand across Canada from four to a total of 30 screens, including screenings in Nova Scotia (Bridgewater, Dartmouth, Lower Sackville, New Glasgow, New Minas, Yarmouth, Sydney), New Brunswick (Dieppe, Fredericton, Miramichi, Saint John), Prince Edward Island (Charlottetown, Summerside) and Newfoundland (St. John’s), as well as Montreal, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Victoria.
Based on a true story, the film recounts the unlikely romance between Everett Lewis and his fragile but feisty housekeeper Maud Lewis who begins covering the walls of his tiny house with paintings. Maud becomes a well-known folk artist whose work even reaches the Nixon White House – this, despite the fact that she has gnarled hands due to juvenile arthritis. Today her paintings fetch up to $20,000, and the “painted house” has been preserved and was so small it is now displayed in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.
Maudie was shot in Newfoundland, where historic locations resemble Nova Scotia from the 1930s through 1960s, when the story takes place. It has been sold worldwide, with Sony Classics opening Maudie in the United States on June 16.
Also see: Northernstars Reviews Maudie.
