SACO — Writer and Director Billy Hanson came back home to Maine to film “Bone Cold,” and he’s back again this weekend for a special preview in Saco.

In “Bone Cold,” after a mission goes wrong in the Ukraine, a pair of snipers are stalked by an unhuman creature as they try to escape the area. The movie a blend of action, thriller and horror.

“It’s a movie that walks between genres quite a bit,” said Hanson. “It’s a pretty hefty story.”

Hanson was born in Presque Isle, and lived in several locations in Maine. He moved to Los Angeles in 2007, but decided to come back to his home state in 2019 to film “Bone Cold.”

While Maine doesn’t have the incentives for filmmakers that other states have, the state has a lot to offer when it comes to making movies.

“Maine is so picturesque,” said Hanson, adding that there are a lot of different environments that can serve as backdrops - woods, ocean beaches, lakes and mountains in all four seasons, as well as urban areas like Portland. Parts of “Bone Cold” were filmed in Parsonsfield, Saco and Portland.

Hanson found his home state very welcoming to him and his crew, and people went out of their way to be helpful. One of the set locations was a cabin in the middle of the woods, and a local snowmobile club shuttled the crew and the equipment out to the location. Without the club’s help, filming in that location would never have happened.

“My crew, who is mostly from LA, was overwhelmed by the support (in Maine),” he said. “They weren’t used to that.”

Hanson also doing a radio interview, where he put out a request for extras.

“Before I even got to my car, I had dozens of emails,” he said.

“Bone Cold” will be released on digital, DVD, and Blu-ray on June 13. Folks here in Maine can catch the film on the big screen a few days early in one of three showings at Apple Cinemas in Saco: Saturday, June 10 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, June 11 at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The screenings are sponsored by the Maine Film Office and will be followed by a question and answer session with members of the film’s cast and crew. Tickets are limited and can be purchased online.

“I want to share the film with the community that helped make it happen,” said Hanson. “And I want to make sure Mainers know that their help and support was – and still is – greatly appreciated.”

“Bone Cold” is Hanson’s first feature film. The movie stars Jonathan Stoddard, Matt Munroe, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jennifer Khoe, Shaan Sharma and Elise Greene. It was produced by Hanson’s company, Dirigo Entertainment and distributed by Well Go USA.

“We congratulate Billy Hanson and appreciate his commitment to Maine’s film industry by producing Bone Cold here in Maine,” said Heather Johnson, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development in a written statement. “Productions like this are a boost to Maine’s economy.”

Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at newsdesk@sacobaynews.com.