Little Lorraine is a Canadian feature film, shot and set in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Tim Doiron produced it. It world premiered at the 50th Anniversary of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
We subsequently had a chance to sit down with Tim Doiron at the Whistler Film Festival (WFF).
HNMAG: Are you originally from Fredericton?
Tim Doiron: I’m originally from Fredericton. Born and raised. My parents are from Saint John, New Brunswick. I have a bunch of family from Halifax and some from Cape Breton.
HNMAG: All over the Maritimes.
Tim Doiron: Yeah. All over. It’s crazy growing up out east because the country sort of forgets there’s stuff happening past Quebec. You get segregated and sort of forgotten about out there, but there is so much to see and do in the Maritimes.
HNMAG: How did you first get involved in Film and TV?
Tim Doiron: I went to theatre school. It was Ryerson at the time.
HNMAG: In Toronto?
Tim Doiron: In Toronto. The School is now called Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). I originally trained as an actor. That’s where I met my first business partner, from Wango Films, April Mullen. We both graduated at the same time.
HNMAG: Was April also in the acting program?
Tim Doiron: Yes, she was also in the acting program. It was a four-year intensive. It was the same thirty people every day. By the time you get out, you know if you can collaborate with them or not. After the writer’s strike in 2005, there was no acting work. We got into filmmaking by creating our own content. We made a low-budget mockumentary, Rock Paper Scissors: The Way of the Tosser. It was very successful. It launched the producing side, and over the years, the producing took over from the acting.
HNMAG: Little Lorraine has a very specific maritime connection. There are characters that you only find in the Atlantic region. Is that what drew you to the project?
Tim Doiron: One hundred percent. For a long time, I wanted to make a movie that would take me back to my East Coast roots. When Little Lorraine was presented to me, it was immediately, yes, let’s do this, no matter what it takes. Adam Baldwin was born and raised in Cape Breton. When he first heard the story, he turned it into a song. That’s how it started. From the very beginning, the roots of this story were so inherently East Coast. Andy Hines, who is also originally from Nova Scotia, adapted it with Adam into the script. Telling an East Coast story was also a big mandate for Andy. The heart of the Maritimes was ingrained right from the beginning. The regionality of it creates its strength and international appeal. The more regional it feels, the more specific the storytelling becomes. At the end of the day, it’s a story about a working class family going through struggles. How are we going to make it? How are we going to put food on the table? Most people can identify with that.
HNMAG: That’s the history of Cape Breton with the mines. It’s been a difficult struggle throughout the twentieth century.
Tim Doiron: We had a lot of locals working on set. Some of them were even miners. They would tell us stories about working in the mines and how much had changed from when the mines first opened. It really weighed on the entire community.
HNMAG: Is Stephen Amell from the Maritimes?
Tim Doiron: No, he is originally from the Toronto area. Stephen McHattie is originally from Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
HNMAG: What stuck out to you about casting Stephen Amell?
Tim Doiron: It was a combo of things. When Andy first brought the project to us, he told us he always pictured a Stephen Amell type for the lead role of Jimmy. We had worked with Robbie Amell before, thus we were able to connect directly with Stephen. It was a natural, serendipitous connection. It was a very organic, quick piece of casting. But the role of Huey… Stephen McHattie puts in a performance of a lifetime; he’s incredible, but we had the hardest time casting that role.
HNMAG: Oh yeah?
Tim Doiron: We were going through all these different people to get that role cast. Two weeks before going to camera, it suddenly dawned on us that McHattie would be perfect for the part. Thinking about it now, I couldn’t picture anyone else in that role.
HNMAG: A different surprise with this film being set and made in Canada is the incredible and hilarious Rhys Darby.
Tim Doiron: Andy wanted to subvert expectations when you got on that boat. All of a sudden, you have this New Zealand ex-pat and his crew there. We had made a movie before called Relax, I’m From the Future, where Rhys played the lead. We told him it was a smaller role and he said: “I love it, let’s do it!” Another piece of serendipitous casting.
HNMAG: Will Stephen Amell’s popularity from starring on Arrow help with US distribution?
Tim Doiron: Stephen Amell has a very dedicated fan base. As well as J. Balvin. Those things always help. I like that the film has an eclectic mix of performers. They come from different worlds, which allows them to access different audiences. It was very important that we could tell a true Maritime story through a very specific lens and have that resonate with larger, international audiences.
HNMAG: What’s your biggest takeaway?
Tim Doiron: Little Lorraine was a real labour of love. I am very proud of the movie. We were able to deliver a slice of Canadiana that hasn’t often been captured on screen. Andy and the team were able to put it together in a way that makes the film feel accessible and shareable.
Little Lorraine is based on true events from the 1980s in Cape Breton. What makes this movie so special is that it was shot and set in Cape Breton. The cast and crew would get the assistance of locals to help with the authenticity. It shows both the good and bad of Cape Breton at the time. The economic struggles and the warmth, support, and loyalty of the community. Tim Doiron had a true and unique path as well. He grew up in New Brunswick, went to the Big Smoke to become an actor, had success, but then transitioned to producing when he had to take matters into his own hands. Tim Doiron is a wonderful Canadian producer, and after you look for Little Lorraine, in a theatre near you (theatrical release begins April 17, 2026), check out the hilarious Relax, I’m From The Future.