FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE)— "Between Borders," a feature film with Fort Wayne producers, premieres in more than 800 theaters across the U.S. on Jan. 26. The movie is based on a true story. It follows the Petrosyan family as they flee from violence in Azerbaijan, seek refuge in Eastern Europe, and ultimately find a home in northeast Indiana. Lonnie and Isaac Norris are executive producer and producer, respectively. Lonnie said in the 1990s, he and his family did mission work in Russia, where he had met the Petrosyans. Lonnie said the two families connected. When one of the Petrosyan children pursued higher education in Indiana, the whole family wound up moving to America and found a place in Fort Wayne, especially in the church community. "This film was 30 years in the making because we've known this family for 30 years," Isaac said. "The youngest daughter that worked at Pathway Community Church is my best friend." Isaac said he's proud that a film of this scale could be created by a Fort Wayne production company. "There's actually four people that worked on the film that all graduated from Leo High School," . "I love that there's a local tie and I hope that it's something that we can continue to build on to establish Fort Wayne as a place that we do make more movies." Filming took place in Romania and took about three weeks. As a producer, Isaac's responsibilities included making sure any challenges or problems didn't affect the production, as well as any contracts, location booking, and travel arrangements for the crew. Isaac said what he wants people to take away from this movie is empathy for others. "There's some great themes in this film about faith, about family, about survival," Isaac said. "But, as people watch this movie, I'd love for them to think about having empathy for others that are coming from different circumstances than our own." "Between Borders" is playing at the Regal Coldwater Crossing in Fort Wayne from Jan. 26-28.