Sudbury-shot ‘Untitled Home Invasion Romance’ to have global debut at Cinéfest

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The City of Greater Sudbury will play a role in one of the films set to debut Thursday at Cinefest Sudbury International Film Festival.

The setting for Untitled Home Invasion Romance is the Adirondacks in upstate New York.

“Sudbury and upstate New York have very similar locations, very similar topography. So, it was the perfect fit to film it here,” said David Anselmo, president of Production at Hideaway Pictures, the movie’s producer.

The film is the directorial debut for Jason Biggs, known for his role in the American Pie movie franchise.

He also stars in the dark comedy about a struggling actor who hatches a plan to win his estranged wife back by faking a robbery with the help of his acting friend. The plan goes awry while the couple is at the family’s lake house.

“It plays out like a really bad movie,” Anselmo said, explaining the movie’s title and how it connects to the scenario planned out by the characters.

The movie was shot in Sudbury during the summer of 2024, with about 80 percent of the cast and crew from Northern Ontario.

‘Important’ to screen the movie in Sudbury

Given those connections, Anselmo felt it was important for the movie to have its world debut at Cinéfest.

“It was really important for me to have this movie screen here so that crew can enjoy, and the industry here can enjoy the fruits of our labour – and the locals,” he said.

“I’m overly supportive of Cinéfest and when they asked to want to screen this, I said this is the only place I really wanted to have the world premiere.”

“I’m really happy that we get to show this movie for the first time in our hometown and celebrate it with all the people from the community who have really supported the film industry over the years.”

“People have been excited and just working so hard to make our industry not just successful, so it’s creating jobs and things like that,” said Patrick O’Hearn, Cinéfest’s executive director.

“That’s all important. But we want to be building world-class content here.”

Anselmo said many of the northern cast and crew who worked on the film will be at the screening on Sept. 18.

According to festival staff, there are only a few rush tickets left for the Thursday night gala movie.

The Untitled Home Invasion Romance gala is sponsored by Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC), which provided funding to the movie.

“Without the NOHFC helping us out over the years to build this industry and make it really cost effective to film movies in northern Ontario we wouldn’t be here,” Anselmo said.

“We wouldn’t have the 500 or 600 crew members that live, work and are employed in the industry and get to live at home.”

He estimates the film production industry has spent a billion dollars in Ontario over the years because of NOHFC incentives attracting investors.

Anselmo said Untitled Home Invasion Romance should have its theatrical release to general audiences in late 2025 or early in 2026.