A crowd gathers outside the Holland Theatre in Bellefontaine for a special showing of Union County on Sunday afternoon, May 17. The movie delves into the local opioid problem and, in fact, features several local residents who have participated in the Adult Recovery Court program.

Actor Will Poulter poses with a white Cadillac in downtown Bellefontaine Sunday. The car has a significant role in Union County, a new movie filmed in Logan County during the spring of 2025. Poulter played Cody, a drug addict going through the adult recovery court program.

Lance Schmidt, executive director at the Holland Theatre, hugs therapist Annette Deao, who plays herself in the movie Union County. Deao and, from left, star Will Poulter, director Adam Meeks and Logan County Common Pleas Judge Kevin P. Braig participated in a panel discussion following a showing of the film Sunday.

Annette Deao, center, poses with Adam Meeks, left, and actor Will Poulter before a presentation of Union County at the Holland Theatre. The film, written and directed by Meeks, tackles the opioid epidemic by telling the story of a drug addict, played by Poulter, who chooses to go through the Adult Recovery Court program in Bellefontaine.

Deao, a therapist with the program, plays herself. The movie premiered at Sundance Film Festival in January to positive reviews and a standing ovation. That praise has extended to Deao for her sensitive and heartwarming portrayal. 

Keep an eye out for a more in-depth feature story about Deao, her work with the Logan County Adult Recovery Court and her experiences performing in this feature film, which will be in theaters in August. Union County also returns to the screen at the Holland Theatre during the Dutch Tilt Film Festival, which takes place July 24-25.