Maudie

Set in rural Nova Scotia, Maudie follows Maud Lewis as she navigates physical challenges and limited opportunities to pursue a life shaped by creativity. After becoming a housekeeper for a reclusive fish peddler, she begins to transform her surroundings through her distinctive and colorful paintings. The film explores the evolving relationship between the two central characters, balancing moments of hardship with tenderness and growth. Through its intimate storytelling, Maudie captures the power of art as a form of expression and independence, as well as the ways in which perseverance and imagination can reshape even the most constrained circumstances. The film premiered at the 2016 Telluride Film Festival and was also featured at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it gained international attention. It went on to screen at numerous festivals worldwide and received several awards and nominations, particularly recognizing Hawkins’s performance and the film’s direction.

Filming locations:
Although set in Nova Scotia, Maudie was primarily filmed in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Locations around St. John’s and nearby coastal areas were used to recreate the rural landscape of Maud Lewis’s life, with careful attention paid to authenticity and atmosphere. The production also recreated the interior of Maud’s small house in detail, reflecting the vibrant, hand-painted environment that became central to her artistic legacy.

NOTE: This season we are doing Staff’s Pick programming for film. Watch for selections from Paul Mahder, Jonathan Wind, and Erin Partridge.