BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — In just two days, "Cabrini," a feature film shot and created in Buffalo will have a special premiere at North Park Theatre.
For 45 days in the summer of 2021, a section of Main Street was closed as hundreds in front of and behind the camera transformed Downtown Buffalo into a 19th-century set.
Many of them are Western New York natives who are extras in the film.
Buffalo Film Casting said they booked 31 principal actors and 3,200 background actors; a record for the region.
7 News' Pheben Kassahun heard more about life on set directly from two locals in the film and the producer ahead of the Cabrini's debut on the big screen.
It follows an Italian immigrant, Frances Xavier Cabrini, who left Italy to come to America in the late 1880s, New York City to be exact.
"It's a story about a woman who did things that women were not doing because the power structure was totally male-dominated and a small, Italian, dark-haired woman who barely spoke English was not somebody that anybody gave a lot of credit to," film producer Jonathan Sanger said.
Sanger told Kassahun that while Frances Cabrini was a nun, the movie is not solely based on religion.
It is more of a story about women's empowerment.
Sanger explained, "Her mission was to help them recognize their heritage and bring them up and train them, educate them, help the orphan children and ultimately, she wound up building hospitals, schools and orphanages."
A majority of the movie was filmed in Buffalo and some parts in Italy.
Sanger said he wants Western New Yorkers to keep this in mind when watching the film.
Tim Clark is the film commissioner for the Buffalo Niagara Film Office.
He said the Queen City exemplifies the great potential for period movies.
PREVIOUS STORY: Downtown Buffalo transformed into 19th Century for powerful film
"This movie took place around the 20th Century. It really was a place that doesn't exist anymore in New York City, where it only exists in different elements. Buffalo was duplicating New York City in the late 1800s and I think we did it pretty well," Clark said.
The film had about 3,200 background actors, two of whom Kassahun spoke with on Monday.
"I had two different scenes. One of them was a wealthy American, opera-goer for the concert scene. The other one was for the fire scene," film extra Victoria Hutton explained.
Film extra Curtis Arney said, "That character has a few really distinct moments where the camera is focused on myself and the character. Basically, he was a person of high society."
Hutton and Arney both told Kassahun that the filming experience exceeded their expectations based on their previous acting experiences.
"Even though it's an independent movie, it was a very expensive independent movie but you can see where every penny was used on the production of this film," Arney said.
The movie was shot over 12 weeks, not to mention the pandemic creating obstacles during filming.
PREVIOUS STORY: 19th Century era film 'Cabrini' finishes filming in Buffalo
"I think the lesson of the movie is that we all need to do more. She became the patriot saint of immigrants and we're living in a situation and a time where immigration is a huge issue world wide, and I think the movie is very contemporary. I think it's about a movie about exactly what's happening today, as much as it was a lot about what was happening at the turn of the century," Sanger said.
Sanger shared that he wanted the official release of the film to take place on March 8 because the day marks International Women's Day.
