Amazon Prime adds television series filmed in Lakes Region

By Ed Pierce

Justin Fortin’s dream of having his television drama filmed in Maine and using an all-New England cast to finally reach a much larger audience has come true. Amazon is currently airing the first season of “Hearts of New England” and will also add the second season of the series sometime this summer.

A television series filmed at locations in and around the
Lakes Region of Maine is now airing on Amazon Prime.
Shown in a scene from Season 1 of the 'Hearts of New
England' series are, from left, Caitlynn McCauley, Justin
Fortin and Kris Salvi. COURTESY PHOTO 

Fortin hopes that eventually Amazon will show all five planned seasons for the series that he created in 2018 and has been filmed at locations around Sebago Lake, including at beaches in both Windham and Raymond and scenes at various Lakes Region locations such as at the Windham Barber Shop on Roosevelt Trail and at other places in Maine.

“People across Maine have been very good at letting us film at their locations, especially at restaurants,” Fortin said. “We’ve been fortunate to be able to do that in the Lakes Region and in Auburn and Oxford.”

An actor, model, writer, and producer, Fortin owns Maine Event Films, and said that many of 70 to 80 cast members and production crew for the television series was found through local theater groups.

“Many of the actors are people who’ve done theater and community plays before,” he said. “But in filming year-round as we do for this series, a lot of people have jobs and it’s tough to get them during the week. We try to film whenever we can and accommodate their schedules.”

According to Fortin, the “Hearts of New England” series has been very popular with Maine viewers since its inception, originally airing on Great Falls TV, which can be found when subscribing to Maine Event Films on You Tube. But that audience will grow substantially as more viewers watch the series on Amazon Prime, which is nationwide.

Married and the father of five children, Fortin was born in Lewiston and attended high school in Poland. He started acting professionally in 2016 after auditioning and landing a role in the film “Paper City Burnout” and came up with the idea to create “Hearts of New England” several years later. He’s also had leading roles in several other films and has directed a vampire film called “My Co-Worker is a Vampire.”

He currently is employed as a benefits specialist at Unum and films “Hearts of New England” when he can fit it into his busy schedule.

Whatever he’s doing with the television series though is working and it has connected with audiences, picking up 119 IMDB awards so far and the production has been honored as a selection for film and television festivals in more than 50 different countries and in many different U.S. states.

“We plan on having the world premiere for the third season of ‘Hearts of New England’ next March in Windham at Smitty’s Cinema,” Fortin said. “They have hosted the premieres of the first and second seasons there previously and the reception we’ve received there has been great.”

So far, a total of four complete seasons of the series have been filmed, but only two have aired on You Tube. Episodes for Season Five of “Hearts of New England” are currently in the process of filming.

As far as being added to the Amazon Prime lineup goes, Fortin said that he’s thrilled to have the Maine series to be included among the shows that the network airs.

“It’s certainly a much larger audience for ‘Hearts of New England’ and something we’re very grateful for,” he said. “They’ve made it so viewers can watch the entire first season in one setting without commercials.”

By mid-July, the second season of the series is expected to air on Amazon Prime with subsequent seasons to be added eventually and available for viewers and subscribers throughout the U.S. and Canada.

“Hearts of New England” is about a military veteran, played by Fortin, who comes home to Maine trying to find peace from war but shortly after his arrival back home, he’s reminded that his father is connected to the mob. He’s also caught in a love triangle between characters played by Caitlynn McCauley and Kris Salvi, and it seems like his quest for peace in his life turns out to be a never-ending war. <

Windham High School joins Dempsey Challenge cancer initiative

Actor Patrick Dempsey, the creator of the 'Dempsey
Challenge,' hosted a Zoom meeting on Sept. 24 with 
Windham High School juniors to thank them for
raising the most money of any class for the initiative 
during homecoming week activities at the school. All
told, WHS students raised $1,715 for the program, which
assists cancer patients across the state and virtually.
PHOTO BY ED PIERCE    

By Ed Pierce

When done right, a school helps shape the character and the future of students by motivating them to show respect and to care for others. This premise was at the heart of Windham High School’s homecoming initiative in which students aimed to improve the lives of local cancer patients by raising money for the Dempsey Challenge.

Last week, the WHS freshmen, sophomore, junior and senior classes staged a competition to see which one could raise the most to support the annual fundraiser created by Maine native and actor Patrick Dempsey, who tragically lost his mother Amanda to cancer in 2014 and created treatment centers to help others overcome the disease.

According to Philip Rossetti, WHS Assistant Principal, the school chose to participate in the Dempsey Challenge as a homecoming activity to connect with the community.

“In the past we have done a food drive or change wars to support local food pantries. We have several staff and students that have been impacted by cancer and the Dempsey Center has been a great support to many in the RSU community,” Rossetti said. “Rod Nadeau, a counselor in the Katahdin Program, approached us about the opportunity to participate as a school in the Dempsey Challenge. Administration reached out to Pete Small, teacher and coach at WHS, who also helps coordinate homecoming activities to see if this would be a great fit for our school.”

He said that both Nadeau and Small have been active participants for several years in the Dempsey Challenge, which is traditionally held on the last weekend in September and features a separate run and a bike run for participants.

“When looking at the proposed timeline this meshed well with our homecoming events and is an organization that has and continues to support so many within the RSU,” Rossetti said.

Across the state, more than 2,000 individuals took part in the 2021 Dempsey Challenge event which raised a new record of $1.3 million to support cancer centers in Lewiston and South Portland.

That total includes $1,715 raised by Windham High students with the junior class raising $560, the sophomores $475, the freshmen $355, and the seniors $325.

For their winning efforts, members of the WHS junior class participated in surprise Zoom call with Dempsey himself on Friday, Sept. 24.

Dempsey said he was grateful Windham High students agreed to help with the challenge and said he plans on visiting the school soon and thanking the students personally for their efforts to help others. He praised the junior class for raising the most money overall.

“I certainly can’t thank you enough,” Dempsey said. “You’ve set the tone now in the school and it’s such a remarkable thing to want to help those impacted by cancer by saying we support you.”

Students in the junior class told Dempsey that their parents also got involved in the fundraising effort and that boosted them to collecting the most for the Dempsey Challenge during the week of homecoming activities at the school.

“We’re grateful you did that,” Dempsey said. “I’m just part of a very small team at the Dempsey Center and actions like this create stronger vibrations for everybody associated with what we do.”

He said that the Dempsey Center makes life better for people managing the impact of cancer with locations in Lewiston, South Portland, and through a new third virtual location called Dempsey Connects. Dempsey said all services are provided at no cost and include treatment, counseling, consultations, support groups, grief and bereavement sessions, specialized service for youth, massage, reiki and acupuncture.

“As soon as I can work it into my schedule, I’ll be at Windham High School to thank everyone,” Dempsey said. “Doing something like this is the most satisfying thing in the world and we are grateful for the help.” <  

Young Windham actor and his father selected by George Clooney for roles in ‘The Tender Bar’

By Lorraine Glowczak

Windham actor Lincoln Rulman, 10, has
a speaking role in the film 'The Tender
Bar,' a coming of age drama directed by
George Clooney to be out in a few months.
COURTESY OF STEWART SMITH
PHOTOGRAPHY  

“Both your child and his father are considered for the classroom scenes in ‘The Tender Bar’ movie. This film is directed by George Clooney and he is handpicking each person.”

This is the message Sarah Adams Rulman of Windham received about two months ago from the casting crew regarding her son, Lincoln and her husband, Chris. It was only a few days later when she received the news that the son and father duo were selected by Clooney himself to play a role in the film.

Briefly, “The Tender Bar” is an American coming-of-age drama directed by Clooney and is an adaptation of the 2005 memoir of the same name by J. R. Moehringer. The film, starring Ben Affleck and Christopher Lloyd, will be released in the coming months.

“Lincoln and Chris were super excited to be in a scene with Christopher Lloyd,” Sarah said. “He is a childhood icon for Chris, and he was really excited to sit at the same table as him. There was another kiddo sitting at the table and Christopher Llyod asked him what he knew about time travel, and Chris said, ‘1.21 gigawatts,’ and Christopher pointed to him and said, ‘that’s right.’

“When they arrived on the set Lincoln noticed a man shooting hoops in the gym, and he said to Chris, ‘dad, that’s George Clooney’ and Chris didn’t believe him until he turned around and saw that it was.”

Although a first for his father, this is not the first time Lincoln, 10, a fifth grader attending Manchester School in Windham, was selected to play in well-known films. Lincoln, along with his sisters Gracie and Libby, has acted in the most recent film of “Little Women” starring Emma Stone and Meryl Streep. He has also performed in an Apple TV+ miniseries, “Defending Jacob” starring Chris Evans (Captain America) and Michelle Dockery (Mary Crawley of Downton Abbey). 

“In ‘The Tender Bar,’ Lincoln is in a scene where he asks the teacher for something,” Sarah said. “Hopefully that will be in the film, but you never know what they decide to keep.”

Lincoln shared with his mother his favorite moments and experiences of working on the set of Clooney’s latest film.

“His favorite moment was talking to George Clooney and seeing Christopher Lloyd,” Sarah said. “Lincoln was super excited that George Clooney came over to him in between takes and read something that Lincoln had written about baseball, and he asked him what position he played and if he was a righty or lefty. Oh! And, also the money! His least favorite part was the seven COVID tests that he had to take, although they got paid $100 per test!”

Sarah said that Lincoln is now a pro at taking COVID tests and an expert at “real life” acting.

“Lincoln said re-doing scenes can be really boring because it’s the same thing over and over again. He actually dropped a fork in one scene, and they had to redo it. The movie takes place in the 1970s and 1980s, so he thought the old cars and the old clothes were really cool! He told me has to wear these weird pants with lines in them. I laughed and told him they are called corduroys.”

Now that Lincoln has a few acting experiences under his belt, he provides a few bits of guidance for other youth who may want to get in the field or make a career in the performing arts.

“His advice to young actors is to be really good on set and be professional. Also, don’t get discouraged if you don’t get a role, there is always another one,” he said.

When he is not acting, Lincoln is playing baseball, drawing and gaming. He also has just started modeling in his first photo shoot for LL Bean.

“He had a photo shoot last week for LL Bean and loved modeling,” Sarah said. “It was his first shoot and he loved that he could have fun and be himself. They had him dancing and being silly, something that is very different from being on a movie set.”

Although Lincoln seems to be doing well in the acting and modeling business, he is still a small-town boy who you will find riding his bike down to the lake to fish and swim with friends. He and his family are enjoying life as it comes and hold no expectations for the future.

“We all go with Lincoln on his endeavors and support him,” Sarah said. “You never know when this will all be over, so we are enjoying it and making the most of every opportunity. And those opportunities include everyday life experiences with family and friends.”  <