Unbeknownst to most residents, Bradford may have just been the scene of daring heist — but the sort that calls more for popcorn than police.
Known for starring in the film Christmas with a View and the digital series TRIGGERED, as well as roles on Good Witch, The Indian Detective and even Schitt’s Creek, actor and Bradford native Scott Cavalheiro along with cast and crew, were in town this week filming the crime thriller Plan C, which is Cavalheiro’s directorial debut on a feature film.
The film follows siblings Clare and Danny who find themselves fugitives after a heist gone wrong, sending them on the journey of a lifetime.
“That robbery will at some point save their lives, so they’re on the run against a ticking clock to make that happen,” Cavalheiro said.
When asked why he chose to film about one-third of the scenes in Bradford, the director quickly shows his hometown pride, by exclaiming that the he was “born and raised” here.
In order to portray a lakeside border town, he already had in mind certain locations, including the Sun Simcoe Marina on Toll Road and the ‘Four Corners’ in the historic downtown — both of which were used to film scenes.
Filming in Bradford is something Cavalheiro recalled doing many times in his youth, creating films for school projects or with friends just for fun, sometimes in areas near his childhood home off Northgate Drive and sometimes right downtown in front of the iconic Village Inn.
“Coming back to do it on a bigger scale just felt right and it’s also kinda humbling,” he said. “It’s a dream to be able to come back to your home town and do the thing that you always wanted to do.”
While he said it would take all day for him to relate all of his best memories of Bradford, Cavalheiro noted that it was a combination of support from friends, family and teachers that gave him the motivation to join the arts after graduating from Holy Trinity Catholic High School in the mid 2000s.
Currently living in Toronto, Cavalheiro said he still visits family in town and each time he does, he’s “pleasantly surprised” by how the town has “grown and matured” since he lived here.
Unfortunately, a very busy filming schedule means he’s unsure if he will have the time or energy to enjoy Carrot Fest this weekend, but he emphasized the importance of being able to share the town with his wife Claire Cavalheiro, who is both the leading actress and also co-producer with Scott.
“It’s even more of an enjoyable experience because I get to do it with my wife, because not a lot of people get to live, work and have a family with their partners,” he said. “It’s really nice to spend some more time here and do that with her.”
Scott has been an actor for about 15 years and said much of that time was spent with Claire as the couple helped each other with auditions and preparations, and he expected Plan C to offer a similar experience.
“But it’s completely different. We’re super involved, super hands on and far more creative,” he said.
The actor’s transition into the director’s role started during the COVID-19 pandemic, when like many people, shutdowns led him to go back to school, completing the master’s level program for writing at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Adding that on top of his professional experience acting and his editing experience from making films in his youth, it gave him the confidence to naturally progress to become a director.
“I’d always had the idea that I wanted to do it,” he said. “It just sort of made sense to segue into story telling on a large size or spectrum.”
While Scott had already directed a couple shorts, his first opportunity to direct a feature film came as a creative solution to a near industry-wide problem.
He recalled last year he and Claire were working on a film they wrote together, when the SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strikes hit, causing them to lose their star among other issues.
With that project shelved for the time being the couple started thinking about what else they could do, and Scott said he suggested Plan C, but wasn’t sure who they could get to direct it.
“Claire just pointed at me and she said ‘You’re doing it,’” he said.
While initially intimidated to direct such a large project, Scott said it’s been an “incredible experience,” in which he’s “learning so much everyday.”
When asked if he would consider filming in Bradford again, Scott responded with an enthusiastic “of course!”
He described the experience as “really good,” and noted that the town has been “super helpful,” in addition to having other resources like good spaces to house crew and great locations.
“If I can make something work, if something feels right, I absolutely would do it again,” he said.
It’s unknown exactly how long it will take to complete the film, but Scott is aiming to have it ready for submissions to the 2025 film festival season, meaning it could be screened at the Cannes Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, South by Southwest, and hopefully closer to home at the Toronto International Film Festival.
For more information about Scott Cavalheiro and the story of how he almost became a neuroscientist instead of an actor, visit scottcavalheiro.com.
