he Magog-based company Iceworks will present a film on Thursday in a “test premiere” at the Maison du cinéma. The animated film was entirely shot in the region over the past few years.

Thierry L’Hermitte, Mitsou, and Michel Courtemanche are part of the cast of the silent film, which could be distributed in France and elsewhere in Canada.

Filming began in 2023 in Magog and features real actors combined with animation. Tomorrow’s screening will help finalize and improve the film based on audience feedback, says Sylvain Viau, president and founder of the company.

RETRO. There was a big visit to the region in June 2023 for the filming of a silent movie produced by Iceworks Picture. Among the actors spotted in Stanstead and Ayer’s Cliff is French star Thierry Lhermitte, well known for his roles in Le Dîner de cons, Les Bronzés, Les Ripoux, and others.

The popular actor agreed to come film in the Estrie region at the invitation of producer Sylvain Viau, and because it is a silent film—something he is doing for the first time in his career.

Several scenes were filmed at Club de golf Dufferin Heights and at the former Collège Massawippi, as well as in Beauce.

In addition to Thierry Lhermitte, the cast of the film WEDA includes American actors Zibby Allen and Rick Hoffman, along with Quebec stars Mitsou, Michel Courtemanche, and Gaston Lepage.

Several local extras and technicians also had the opportunity to take part in the project and work alongside one of the icons of French cinema.

FILM. Absent from film sets for about ten years, Mitsou Gélinas didn’t hesitate to make some room in her very busy schedule to take on a supporting role in the silent feature film WEDA, currently being shot in the Estrie region.

Surprisingly, it was the presence of another Quebec actor that weighed most heavily in her decision. “I agreed when I found out Michel Courtemanche was also in the film. That guy is so talented. It’s an honor and a pleasure to be on the same set as him,” said the lively artist.

“And he deserves to be back in the spotlight,” she added, referring to the years when the comedian was absent from the public stage.

With a 45-year career that has seen her take on roles as an actress, singer, host, magazine director, producer, and more, Mitsou Gélinas has practically done and seen it all in Quebec’s—and even Canada’s—cultural scene.

For several months now, Magog-based producer/director Sylvain Viau and his regional team have been preparing the shoot for the feature film Weda, a silent comedy that follows the whimsical adventures of a day in the life of the environmentalist character Walter.

French actor Thierry Lhermitte, known for his roles in the comedies Le Dîner de cons and Les Bronzés, is currently in the Estrie region to film a Quebec silent movie that will also star Michel Courtemanche, Mitsou Gélinas, and Gaston Lepage.

Produced and directed by Sylvain Viau of Iceworks Pictures, this comedy—provisionally titled WEDA—follows a day in the life of an environmentalist character named Walter.

In development for nearly ten years, the feature film will be shot over a 30-day period, primarily at train stations and golf courses in the Eastern Towns