THE SCREENPLAY
FROM AWAY
A murder divides a small Maine community, exposing the fault lines between addiction, justice, and the truth.
FROM PAGE TO SCREEN
A story reimagined for film.
From Away is based on the novel Addiction on Trial: Tragedy in Downeast Maine by Dr. Steven Kassels. While presenting at the University of Amsterdam’s School of Communication Research, Dr. Kassels was encouraged to adapt the novel for film as a way to broaden its potential for social impact.
The screenplay was written by filmmaker and screenwriter Joe Raffa, working with Kassels to adapt the novel's compelling true-to-life characters, medical insight, and courtroom drama for the screen.
The story is informed by Kassels' decades of experience in Emergency Medicine and Addiction Medicine, as well as his work as an expert witness in drug-related criminal trials. That firsthand perspective grounds the fictional story in the realities of addiction, medicine, and the criminal justice system.
Interested in From Away?
THE PROJECT