Movie Sets & Locations
The Bonavista Peninsula is home to many movie production sets filmed right here in Newfoundland. We encourage you to watch some of these films before exploring the area.
Maudie
Genre: Drama
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Starring: Sally Hawkins & Ethan Hawke
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Synopsis: the film is about the life of folk artist Maud Lewis, who painted in Nova Scotia. In the story, Maud (Hawkins) struggles with arthritis, memory of a lost child, and a family that doubts her ability, before moving in with a surly fish peddler (Hawke) as a housekeeper. Despite their differing personalities, they marry as her art gains in popularity. The film was shot in Newfoundland and Labrador, requiring a re-creation of Lewis's famously small house.
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Locations: Although the film is set in Nova Scotia, they used the town of Trinity Newfoundland to represent the little town of Digby Nova Scotia in the film.
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Random Passage
Genre: Drama
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Starring: Colm Meaney & Aoife McMahon
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Synopsis: A four-part miniseries that follows the lives and struggles of both Irish and English families that crossed the Atlantic to start a new life in Newfoundland.
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Locations: New Bonaventure - The whole set had to be built from scratch to represent the the community from the 1800's where the characters would reside. This spot was chosen because there were no telephone wires in this area. The makers wanted the set left as it were for visitors and is a must see even for those who haven't seen the mini-series.
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Visit the Random Passage Site.
The Grand Seduction
Genre: Comedy
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Starring: Brendon Gleeson, Gordon Pinsent, Taylor Kitch, Mark Critch
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Synopsis: The small harbor of Tickle Cove is in dire need of a doctor so that the town can land a contract to secure a factory which will save the town from financial ruin. Village resident Murray French (Gleeson) leads the search, and when he finds Dr. Paul Lewis (Kitsch) he employs - along with the whole town - tactics to seduce the doctor to stay permanently.
Locations: The movie was filmed throughout various parts of the Bonavista Peninsula.
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New Bonaventure: The makers of the film used this community as the area where Joe's Bar resides. They had asked that the set be taken down upon conclusion but the members of the community insisted they keep it so visitors could come and see it. It does not function as an actual bar but is still used for kitchen parties upon occasion. Visitors can view the bar either by individual pass or by joint pass with Random Passage.
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Tickle Cove: There is a scene in the movie where Gordon Pinsent emerges from the water wearing scuba gear. This happens right in front of the Tickle Cove Sea Arch. This is a must see land mark even for those not interested in the movie but are travelling along Route 235.
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Red Cliff: The cricket match from the movie was held here. The area where it was filmed is accessible by a unmarked trail and visitors may visit it at their own risk.
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Open Hall: This is where the house is located that the doctor was put up in during the film.
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Maberly: The place in the film where the doctor is seen going for a jog and gets caught in the rain and he finds his love interest taking shelter under a stage.
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The Shipping News
Genre: Drama
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Starring: Julianne Moore, Kevin Spacey, Judy Dench, Cate Blanchette
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Synopsis: The story centers around Quoyle, a newspaper reporter from upstate New York, whose father had emigrated from Newfoundland. Shortly after his parents' joint suicide, Quoyle's unfaithful and abusive wife Petal Bear leaves town with a lover and attempts to sell their daughters Bunny and Sunshine to sex traffickers. On her getaway, Petal and her lover are killed in a car accident; the young girls are located by police and returned to Quoyle. With selfish parents, an abusive brother, a cheating wife, and no stable job, Quoyle's life is falling apart. His paternal aunt, Agnis Hamm, convinces him to make a new beginning by returning to their ancestral home in Newfoundland.
Locations: New Bonaventure
The director of The Shipping News searched all over Newfoundland for the perfect place to shoot this film. As soon as he had visited the town of New Bonaventure and saw the Random Passage Set he knew he had found it. Many people ask about the house in the film and where it is located: The house was specifically built for the movie and taken down upon conclusion.
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