Pickups are set to be completed in early July. Post Production is underway, with early discussions with distributors already commenced.
Unfolding throughout a relentless evening, the narrative follows Max, a troubled documentary filmmaker, as he delves deep into the haunting reality that lies concealed behind the enigmatic fate of the cherished online performance artist, Lenore. With each shocking revelation he uncovers, Max finds himself teetering on the precipice of his own sanity, the weight of the truths threatening to consume him entirely.
Lead Nicholas Jaquinot, who plays troubled filmmaker Max Wren, said: “When David Ward handed me an early draft, all the way back in 2016, I was in love with Lenore. I am so honoured to have been entrusted with bringing Max Wren to life, and to have been given the chance to be part of this incredible team. I have so much love and admiration for this group, and I couldn’t be more excited for what the future holds.”
Lead Ruby Duncan, who portrays the beloved performance artist Lenore, said: “Lenore was a rare, beautiful beast that will stay with me forever. A project that drew in experts, and those who had an undeniable love for art and storytelling. It was one of the most collaborative and unique experiences of my life, and I will be forever grateful to David [Ward] for cultivating that, and to the new, lifelong friends I have made for sustaining it.”
Director / Producer / Co Writer David Ward said: “Wrapping principal photography on LENORE was an indescribable feeling, and one that I will surely never forget; cathartic, bittersweet, surreal and deeply humbling – the culmination of so many years’ worth of hard work alongside so many incredible artists that I’m lucky enough to call collaborators on this project, and I could not be more proud of what we all achieved together. As we were making LENORE and watching it unfold in front of us, I think we all felt as though we were in the midst of making something very unique, very bold & daring and completely unlike anything any of us had ever made before, and therefore it brought out the best in all of us – both in front of and behind the camera. At times, the film seemed to be shaping itself autonomously: taking on a creative life of its own that exceeded all of our expectations, and I could not be more excited by what we captured across those glorious 21 days of principal photography. The fact that any film gets made is a miracle – and if it works on any level, doubly so. Not only is LENORE finally in the can after all these years, it’s completely unlike anything we’ve ever seen before: beautiful, surreal, heartbreaking, terrifying, and incredibly urgent and pertinent. That’s a really exhilarating and positive place for all of us as we begin the process of shaping the film in the edit.”
Producer Madeline Claire French said: “Principal photography having wrapped is both an exciting time, and of course a sad time. We couldn’t have asked for a better crew and cast, everyone was extremely talented, professional and just so damn fun. This project wouldn’t have been able to happen without everyone involved and I couldn’t be prouder of what we have been able to Produce here. Having the luxury to have a set built in the wonderful Tamale Studios, for 3 weeks allowed us to capture so much in a shorter time than we first envisaged. I can’t wait to bring this cinematically beautiful story to the world.”
Producer / Assistant Director Riley Sugars said: “What this team has been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time is truly remarkable. With a gruelling schedule and the cold of winter setting in during filming, we are so grateful for the hard work and dedication of the crew. Never did we feel that the crew were here to clock in / clock out. They always brought passion, a plethora of ideas and suggestions, but most importantly, kindness to the set – even when we were all huddled around the heater. I have a quiet feeling we have something special on our hands and that is made on the love and sacrifice from our amazing team. The performances given by lead Nicholas Jaquinot as Max Wren and the fearlessness of Ruby Duncan as Lenore is something I am very excited for audiences to see. On a personal level, I am so proud of Director / Producer / Co Writer David Ward for his tenacity over 8 years to get this project to fruition and getting to witness him direct this film was an absolute pleasure. I am also beyond grateful to work with fellow Producer Madeline Claire French and know this is the start of a great collaboration.”
Majority of the filming took place at Tamale Studios, which has a studio in Northcote and one in Brunswick East – with the Brunswick East studio used predominantly during Principal Photography.
Studio owners Tom Brandon and Ali Rae said: “When David Ward came to us at Tamale Studios he had been looking for a space to shoot Lenore for years. We had just opened our Brunswick East studio and as David pitched this project to us, we became instantly enthralled and wanted to be involved in any way possible. Tamale Studios consists of Tom Brandon: A specialized SFX photographer and set builder and his partner Ali Rae: A specialist makeup artist and prosthetic fabricator. Combined, Tom and Ali have over 30 years of experience. We also have a crew of artists that work with us regularly so we instantly started pitching crew members to David, ones that we knew could help him achieve his goal, like Keren Dobia who joined as Art Director / Production Designer. Although we have never had a project of this size in any of our studios, working with the Lenore crew has been a highlight of our five years as studio owners. Everything that was created was so pristine and beautiful we could not be happier to be associated with this crew and this film.”
For more information on Tamale Studios, visit https://tamalestudios.com/
For more information, stay in tune with find the project on Instagram and Facebook at @lenorefilm