WINCHESTER — After several weeks of filming in Brazil, the cast and crew of the motion picture "The Heart Breaker" were filming scenes Monday evening in Winchester Center.

The feature length romantic comedy from Sunshine Film and Television stars Winchester native Todd Rotondi and Brazilian movie star Giovanna Antonelli, and Winchester native Alec Ward wrote the screenplay.

Last night a "romantic dinner" between Rotondi and Antonelli was filmed at Catch Restaurant, 34 Church St. In addition, some exterior shots that included Rotondi's 1960 Thunderbird were filmed on Church Street.

The movie is directed by Roberto Carminati, who became friends with Ward while the two attended Emerson College. Carminati has produced, co-written and directed the Brazilian films "A Fronteira" ("On the Border," 2003) and "Seguranca Nacional" ("National Security," 2007).

Chris Parsons, chef and owner of Catch Restaurant, said he was happy to be able to help out the production of the film, especially because of the local connection of both Rotondi and Ward.

Ward, 32, and Rotondi, 34, are both graduates of Winchester High School, but they did not know each other until only recently when Ward spoke about casting for his script with a fellow actor Steve Ranelli, who runs Ranelli's Auto Body Shop in Woburn.

Ranelli was working on Rotondi's Thunderbird at the time and when he heard from his old friend Ward about needing a "leading man who did not come with a Brad Pitt price tag," he suggested the two get together. Now both Ranelli and car have a parts in the motion picture.

All four of the principals, including the enchanting Antonelli, are looking for "The Heart Breaker" to be a step toward success in the American film market.

The story is that Rotondi's character Sebastian is a professional heart breaker. When a man gets dumped by the woman he loves, he call Sebastian, a heart throb, who makes girls giggle and women weak, to come in and even the score. But he never counted on Antonelli.

Filming is set to continue in the Boston area, with the possibility of more scenes set in Winchester.