How do I use imagenew if the file name contains spaces

I am trying to use the Codlfusion function imageNew. It works for me if the filename does not contain any spaces. If it does I get an error. For example:

<cfset thisImageside=imageNew("/path_to_file/filename.jpg")>

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works but

<cfset thisImageside=imageNew("/path_to_file/file name with space.jpg")>

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gives me an error, I get an Access denied error. I have tried using urlEncodeFormat for the file name but then I get the error that the file does not exist.

If anyone can shed some light regarding this problem I would very much appreciate it.