BUXTON — During the first week of the new year, with a midwinter chill finally descended upon the small towns of Maine, the space inside the Saco River Grange Hall in Buxton was almost preternaturally calm. Dana Packard and Jennifer Nichole Porter, a longtime Buxton couple, expelled plumes of steam from their mouths as they spoke; the only other sounds were the tink-tink of pipes being warmed, and the slow, steady creak of the building as it settled into its foundation.

What a change eight months can make. Packard and Porter, who run a theater company called The Originals out of the grange hall, recalled a time last April when the building was a flurry of activity, with actors, cinematographers, grips and other technicians scurrying to complete the principal filming on “40 West,” a feature film shot almost entirely inside the hall’s spacious confines.

Now, the movie is poised to make its Maine premiere, and will do so at the Nickelodeon Cinemas in Portland on Jan. 19, with screenings at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Porter, who wrote the screenplay, composed the score and co-stars in the film, and Packard, who directed it, are excited to be able to showcase their work in their home state, particularly since the movie has been garnering positive attention elsewhere: “40 West” has already debuted in a run of festival events in the United States and Europe, starting with the Gotham Screen International Film Festival in New York City, and has won or been nominated for a total of 11 awards, winning recognition as Best Feature Film at the Vegas Independent Film Festival in Las Vegas, Nev.

While touring the festival circuit in support of the film has been a bit of a whirlwind, Porter and Packard said they have been thrilled by the film’s reception. After months of work preparing for the 16-day shoot in April and May of 2010, followed by months of editing and post-production, Porter said it was a relief to be met with positive attention from critics and the independent film community.

“Switzerland was particularly fun,” she said of the festival event there. “I couldn’t have paid the audience to react more the way I wanted them to. As a writer, that was very gratifying.”

It took about a month, said Porter, to write the first draft of the screenplay. Few changes were made from the first draft to the second, the benefit of lively characters whose personalities dictated events.

“What would you do if you had to depend on someone who had done something bad to you in the past? That was the initial concept,” said Porter. “The three main characters came to life and just started talking to each other.”

Packard, who also directed the feature film “Mr. Barrington” ”“ also written by Porter ”“ said that there was considerable respect for the writing among the actors and crew, so much so that only one line was changed during the course of filming.

“The approach I try to take is to do the best I can to think of what her vision was when she was writing the script,” said Packard. “She’s a total artist: She sees a movie in her head as she’s writing it. My goal is to try my best to actualize that vision.”

In terms of directorial style, Packard said he favors a non-intrusive approach to filmmaking; working with cinematographer Ian McGlocklin-Sinclair, Packard strove to create shots that, instead of drawing attention to themselves, served only to underscore the actors’ dialogue. It was Packard’s wish to not adopt an ostentatious style, as well as to show respect for Porter’s script.

“We see things very much the same way anyway,” said Packard. “The characters are etched out in their dialogue, the way they speak. Sometimes with actors, they’ll want to change the dialogue. These actors cherished these words.”

Packard and Porter were allowed to be picky with the actors they chose to give characters life; while some were chosen from among actors they had known through their work together on stage, the duo put in a call to the Screen Actors Guild in Boston, informing the organization of the impending auditions. In all, about 40 men and 40 women auditioned for the film’s primary roles, and while that allowed Packard and Porter to construct a cast with a uniform level of quality, they were also lucky enough to score something of a coup.

Making a cameo appearance in the film, and playing an important role, is Wayne Newton.

Yes, that Wayne Newton.

According to Packard, the Las Vegas icon shares an agent with a prominent actor who has already agreed to a role in another of Porter’s as-yet-unfilmed scripts. Newton, wanting to branch out into acting, decided to take on the movie’s most mysterious, and villainous, role.

“He came for three days, and shot for two,” said Packard. “He’s an excellent actor. Very old-school. And luckily, he’s also very down to earth.”

That quality fit right in with the mood on the set, which, in its levity, represented a stark contrast to the tone of the movie: Dark, brooding, contemplative and violent. Set largely in a seedy Texas motel in the wee hours of the morning, the film virtually pops with grit and grime. While there is no official rating from the Motion Picture Association of America, Packard and Porter equate “40 West” with an R-rated movie, largely because of violence and adult language. While they encourage independent film enthusiasts to purchase tickets at the box office or online, they do so with a warning: Don’t bring the little ones.

That said, the filmmaking pair look forward to opening night at the Nickelodeon. While it’s nice to garner attention from all corners of the world, they said, Maine is home: And the Saco River Grange Hall, now quiet, is only resting in hibernation, waiting for the next play, the next film.

Packard and Porter can’t wait.

“This will be the first chance for a lot of people who worked on the film to actually see it,” said Packard. “It’s going to be special.”

— Staff Writer Jeff Lagasse can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 319 or jlagasse@journaltribune.com.