"Five Nights in Maine" - Starring David Oyelowo to Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival

Augusta, Maine - A Maine-made film, "Five Nights in Maine" will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. The film, which stars David Oyelowo ("Selma" and "The Butler"), tells the story of a young African-American man, reeling from the tragic loss of his wife, who travels to rural Maine at the invitation of his estranged mother-in-law who is herself confronting guilt and grief over her daughter's death.

The film also stars two-time Oscar winner Dianne Wiest ("Bullets Over Broadway"), Oscar-nominated actress Rosie Perez ("Fearless"), and co-stars Teyonah Parris ("Mad Men") and Hani Furstenberg ("The Loneliest Planet").

Described as "an intimate feature film about love, loss, and compassion", "Five Nights in Maine" was written and directed by Maris Curran, and filmed in Phippsburg, Brunswick, and South Portland during October 2014.

"The director grew up visiting Pemaquid. She grew up in Philly and was always struck by the contrasting environments and continues to feel a draw to the natural beauty of Maine," said Carly Hugo, one of the producers of the film, along with Matt Parker, Curran and Oyelowo. "I have family from Portland, so I knew the region well, and it's one of the things that originally attracted me to the project. Maine is breathtakingly beautiful, and it's not a landscape that you often see on film."

The selection of FIVE NIGHTS IN MAINE by the Toronto Film Festival is good news for film-making in Maine, and will help to showcase the advantages offered by the state's beauty and relatively affordable production costs, and active and welcoming film community. Maine also offers tax incentives of up to 17 percent, and requires only a $75,000 minimum spend.

"We were committed to filming in Maine and using Maine crew members as much as possible," said Hugo. "We weren't sure initially if we would be able to find the talent pool we needed, but we discovered there is an amazing professional community in Maine, as good as any we could have brought with us. And the local community embraced us and was so supportive. It was amazing. We put the whole crew up in summer rentals, and everyone bonded over big lobster dinners."

Karen Carberry Warhola, director of the Maine Film Office, says it's these types of experiences that led Movie-Maker Magazine to select Portland, Maine, as one of the "Top Five Towns - Best Places to Live and Work as a moviemaker 2015."

"The interest in Maine as a filming location is high and filming here is on the rise," said Carberry Warhola. "We're happy to have hosted this prestigious film with such an accomplished cast."