On May 31st, Italian-French director/producer Ginevra Elkann’s “I Told You So” saw its U.S. premiere at the 23rd edition of Open Roads: New Italian Cinema. Taking place at Lincoln Center in New York, audiences were in for a treat as they immersed themselves through a sweltering Roman heatwave, exposing its characters to the heights of their struggles and addictions.

The film boasts an ensemble cast that authentically takes you to the edge, but not without a few genuine chuckles along the way…sometimes, because of their extremes and, other times, because they remind us so much of ourselves.

It’s a highly effective dramedy, because we relate to these “sinners” instead of simply pitying them.

Elkann spoke with NOIAFT’s founder/president Taylor Taglianetti about the creative process in conjuring up her delightful and poignant second feature.

I have many questions for you because, I mean this very sincerely, this was my favorite film I’ve seen in the last year.

Really?

It was so refreshing to me. I haven’t seen a movie like this in a really, really long time. So thank you for making it. I want to jump right in and talk about the cinematography and mood of your film. I’m not sure if you heard of all of the wildfires from Canada that made their way here to New York last year…

Yeah, of course! Uncanny…

When I was watching your movie…it reminded me of what that felt like, in all the best ways, even though it was definitely a very scary day here. I Told You So captured a suffocating and almost apocalyptic feeling for me very authentically. In any case, I read that you used references from cities to create that atmosphere, but did you have visual references from films themselves that you were also going after?

So the first thing was…how do I create heat? How do I have an audience feel the heat? And so I looked at all of these images, especially from Asia, and that gave me the idea of heat, but humid heat. Heat with haze and fog, and how do you represent that? And paintings. And I’ve always loved fog as a visual. It’s something that I feel there’s so much poetry there…in what you see and what you don’t, and it’s magic in some ways. And certainly one of my favorite films is Amarcord by Fellini. And there is a big fog scene where the characters get lost in the fog. So definitely that must have had a very big impact on me.

This is not a thematic reference necessarily, but I was also thinking of Do The Right Thing. How the heat brings out new tensions in the characters…

Mm-hmm, yes, of course.

So did you have all of these characters and storylines in mind from the beginning, or were there some that you were throwing in as you were going?

It really evolved because we started writing a little bit before the Pandemic with Chiara Barzini and Ilaria Bernardini, and then we got into lockdown. And so we wrote the film on Zoom as we were all closed into different worlds. And that impacted a lot of our storytelling and what we’re seeing and what was in our imagination at that point. It really evolved a lot organically.

But it must have been daunting having all these storylines. Did you find it daunting? What is so excellent about this film is that not one of the characters gets lost. I’m curious if that was a fear that you had…having so many different characters?

Yeah, I’m so attached to all these characters and I love them so much that sometimes I feel like, “Oh, I wish I could have done a whole movie on Pupa and Gianna.” I could have made even four movies.

Hey I wouldn’t mind it, big fan of them! I am all for you making several sequels actually.

Even the prequel to what happened to them. And it was interesting also working with the actors…it was a lot of work for them because they had to immerse themselves into these incredibly intense characters. And once they were those characters, there was a level of freedom that they didn’t want to leave them. So every one of them was like, “Can I have an extra scene? Can we stay a bit longer with this?”

Did you let them, to a degree?

The production wouldn’t, ha! I would have happily.

Did it start at all with the priest (played by Danny Huston) being the connector of everyone or was that part of the evolution?

It came through, yes, and clearly we wanted someone to be the connector to everyone. Gianna is also a very strong character because she exists very strongly in two storylines. She takes space in the story of [her daughter] Mila [a young girl struggling with an eating disorder]. And Mila’s story, when we wrote it, was actually a much bigger story. Because there was an extra character in that story…it was a whole other movie in itself. Anyway, the priest is the connector of this film, also to some degree because I was brought up in a very religious family.

I was definitely curious while watching if you were religious.

No.

I figured from the content.

But I still have that imagination. It stuck with me…The Bible.

It’s all storytelling…the “first” stories.

It’s a story about the end of the world, and the end of the world that is brought onto man because they’re sinners. This is the big story. It’s in any Old Testament story where there’s the destruction of Noah and the Ark or whatever story you go into, this death narrative. And so I thought this was very subconscious, but then addicts are like sinners. They’re the new version. They’re not stigmatized. There’s no moral judgment on them. But it’s the same idea, it’s just changed with our world.

Now the ending. I don’t know if you go on Letterboxd but I’ve been reading and there are so many different interpretations of the ending. In your words, what does the ending mean? SPOILER ALERT

The audience says whatever it is. That’s what it’s for. We are entering the fog. The fog means that I actually do not have an answer. Because I don’t know where we are going. So what’s after that fog? I don’t know. And so is it that apocalypse? Are they in a purgatory? Where are they? And by the end, you have the sun and then it’s a light bulb, and then it just goes, flick! And thank god, it’s a movie. It’s like a bad dream you wake up from.

You made the film in Italy. You premiered at Toronto International Film Festival and then also brought it to California, now New York. Do you find that Italian audiences have a different response overall to the film than North American audiences?

I don’t know. I feel like people respond to it in general because it’s universal.

It is universal. It does take place in Rome though. Is there something in the film that you would say is so uniquely Roman?

There is a sense of humor that is Roman.

That’s exactly what I like about it.

So I don’t know if that translates.

Well another director could have made it a lot darker. It could have felt more tragic but I’m enjoying these characters for their sins in a weird way.

You do. And I love them for them. And they’re wonderful in all their flaws. And life is dramatic and funny. And so that was important that it comes through. And so I’ve seen this film in many different countries, and there are scenes that make people laugh always. The confession scene, for instance, is a scene that works worldwide.

What about the soundtrack? I haven’t heard you talk too much about that. How did you go about it?

Riccardo Sinigaglia…he’s an Italian musician. He did the original soundtrack. And then there’s music in the film, which is something that was also in my first film…music that doesn’t take itself too seriously. So there’s “La Bamba”, and music that everyone knows. Everyone pretends not to like, but they actually know it and like it.

It’s a guilty pleasure.

There’s also “Amore e capoeira” and there’s a song I love called “Cigarette,” which is from a Neapolitan band. So the music was very important in this film. And music is difficult.

Did you pick that music beforehand, or as you were going?

Some songs were there from the beginning. And some came after as we were editing.

Another heated topic of discussion online is about why many of the characters were wearing a lot of clothing during a heatwave.

So I’ve noticed this with myself…when you are in a state of high anxiety, you’re so inside yourself that even if you’re super hot…you’re not even able to take off your clothes.

Totally. There’s a level of self-destruction, that you put yourself in those situations where it may not even be conscious.

Especially a character like Mila who is so body conscious. She’s so uncomfortable with her body that she doesn’t, until the end, finally let go, and be in a tank top and happy.

Yeah. And she’s so beautiful.

Yeah, beautiful!

I heard her and the boy were the hardest ones to cast, right?

Because they’ve never done anything before.

How long did that take you to find them?

I found Mila (Sofia Panizzi) quite fast actually. I’ve seen many, many other girls, but she was very clearly the character for me. The boy was much longer. We had to see many, many, many boys before we found him, because I am not particularly keen on child actors. And so I was looking for a boy in school. Someone who had done nothing before and could bring in all that innocence.

He emotes a lot…he didn’t need to say anything and you would get it.

He’s physically so strong.

I was surprised that he hadn’t acted before.

I said, “Oh, he reminds me of someone.” Then I was looking and then I’m like, “Oh, he’s just exactly the same as Mia Farrow.”

Was he overwhelmed being around this star-studded cast?

Yes, he was, really.

Was he aware of who these people were?

He was aware and he was very naughty secretly. But Alba [Rohrwacher] is amazing with kids. She really sort of carried him through.

What did you learn about yourself in making the film?

Well, all these characters are a part of me. Bits and pieces. You can imagine how fucked up I am!

Ha, we all are! No one’s safe…

But it was an important film for me to make. And it’s about the darkness and the light that we have. Every film you make is great because it teaches you about your craft, and what you know, and how to handle different situations. This was for me, as a second film, this was very big… I had a big cast and lots of things to think about. I feel like the most important thing in doing this was to enjoy and have fun and be free. And I was lucky my producers gave me that freedom to make this film.

Enjoying the process isn’t always easy, especially as a director, let alone with this subject matter. What do you think is the greatest addiction in society?

Well, we’re addicted to our lifestyle. So we are all addicted to everything, and to consume. We consume, consume, consume. Drink a coffee, and food. Everything on a constant level. We don’t know how to stay with ourselves constantly. Our phones, we’re constantly on our phone getting a little dopamine hit.

How do you think we address it? As a filmmaker, you have to be a sensitive person in tune with the world…I know this is a big question, but on a broad level, where do we start?

Well, we have to accept that this is what we’ve become. You’re not going to not have a phone and you can take advantage of that, too. People are lonely, people are out of communities, people are detached. So it’s very important to me, and I try to do this with my kids a lot, is to be very physical and to make sure they’re part of a community and to make sure they are close to nature and capable of communicating. As a society, we tend to be very controlling, on top of kids. For me, my biggest thing is my kids. How are they going to grow up in this world, and what does it mean, and how do I make sure they know about their emotions and they can handle sadness and they can handle the reality without having to become an addict?

Because if you know that fear and sadness exists, and you can accept those feelings and be in them instead of running away, and just say… “Okay, I’m going to harness this and I’m going to feel my sadness, I’m going to feel my fear. And it’s an emotion, it’s going to pass.” And very often, we don’t know that because we don’t give it that time.

It’s so true. I appreciate your honesty and approach. Also you were saying in the Toronto Q&A about how some people are redeemable and some just are not…and that’s part of accepting the world. That some people will always remain the same.

It’s a choice. And you might choose that you prefer to go down another route and you can’t save everyone.

How much of the film was ad libbed?

Not so much.

Interesting. Was it important to you that they didn’t go off script?

No, I don’t care actually. Because what I do is I create a space and I create a very strong character with the actors. They know very strongly who they are so that they can go and do whatever they want within that circumstance. If they want to say something different…I’m not attached to the word. So they can change the way things are worded or what they’re saying to me…what counts is the intention. Then again, sometimes not, because sometimes when you’re doing something funny, then the wording is much more precise.

It’s like the difference between facts and the truth. You don’t always need the facts but you need the truth, the heart of the matter, the essence.

It’s the core.

What are you doing next?

Well, I’m making a film on the Brontë family. I’m writing it now. It’s very interesting. And to make a film in costume and to tell the story of these amazing writers. It’s about the process of creativity and…they had a dad who was a priest, so there’s religion, and there’s also addiction.

Back at it!

When am I going to get out of this? It seems to be really on my mind… It’s clearly something I’m interested in. But my dream is really to make a romantic comedy.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Open Roads: New Italian Cinema is the only screening series to offer North American audiences a diverse and extensive lineup of contemporary Italian films. This year’s edition unveils a broad and diverse selection of Italy’s most exciting films, all North American, U.S., or New York premieres, with appearances and discussions by several of the filmmakers.

Special thank you to Sally Fischer Public Relations for arranging this interview.

Best known for her leading role as Elena Greco in the hit HBO show, My Brilliant Friend, Margherita Mazzucco takes on Saint Clare of Assisi in her film debut, Chiara.

Directed by Susanna Nicchiarelli, the film is an inventive depiction of the 13th-century saint who, at 18 years old and upon hearing St. Francis preach, runs away from her wealthy family to become a nun.

On the occasion of the 22nd edition of Open Roads: New Italian Cinema, Mazzucco spoke with NOIAFT’s founder/president Taylor Taglianetti about her latest project.

Are you in New York for the first time?

Yeah, it’s my first time.

Wow! What have you done so far?

Not much. I came yesterday, so I just did a walk in Central Park and then I saw Fifth Avenue near the hotel. And this morning, I grabbed a coffee and I went to Times Square, but not much.

Was it everything you had imagined?

Yeah…like a movie.

Let’s talk about this movie. But first, I must say, I think My Brilliant Friend is the best show on television and you are one of the most talented actresses on television…so, it is truly so fantastic to have this opportunity to chat with you. As for Chiara, it’s quite an intriguing film. I read in an interview that you said that you’re not much of a believer. I’m curious if having that objective perspective helped in the role?

I don’t think so. The director is also not a believer and I believe that religion is not the central part of the movie. More so spirituality, I think. The work of Clare [Chiara in Italian] and Francesco was very human. To me, it’s a human story, making it universal.

I completely agree with you. Although this film is your first role after My Brilliant Friend and second role in your career, you seem to be drawn to characters who are fearless women. Is that just because the projects present themselves? Or are these characters that naturally appeal to you?

I enjoyed playing this character and I am lucky to play two very strong female characters, that raised themselves. I am very happy and I am choosing these roles. They also bring out of me things that I didn’t know about myself, which I enjoy.

What sorts of things?

The bravery, I think, and the strength. I used to think that I was very calm, very shy. But I’m not really like this. And this character helped me to figure that out.

It’s interesting you say that because when I watched this movie, I thought you had this reserved strength that I also observed in My Brilliant Friend. I’m not sure how to describe it except that it doesn’t call attention to itself in a traditional sense. But you have a strong presence, even in the most quiet moments. In having that consistency, if you will, it made me feel like I was visiting an old friend in this movie. I missed watching you on screen! Your characters have an aura that makes you a protector, in a sense, and makes people gravitate towards you. And I feel like this must be a natural quality within you since it carries over. Do you feel that?

I remember two things. One…the director of the third season of My Brilliant Friend, told me: “You don’t expect from pretty girls bad things. So you seem like an angel, but you are a diva.” And also, the director of Chiara, she told me, “You have this magnetism around you.” And Chiara is like that so she was able to bring other girls towards her. I think that maybe I do have this.

You emote in such a way that I feel I don’t need subtitles. Perhaps this is also because you are a natural – you didn’t have any previous acting experience before My Brilliant Friend. Because of this, is your preparation not traditional? Also you’re preparing for a film and not a series, which is much different.

I have coaches. Before My Brilliant Friend, I did five months of rehearsal and for Chiara, I did around two weeks of rehearsal because I was just finishing the third season of My Brilliant Friend. Two days later, I was on Chiara. I like working with coaches and also directors.

What did you think you wanted to do before going into acting?

I didn’t know. Maybe I wanted to be a chef or an architect.

Wow…well, they’re both artists in a way, right? So that’s so interesting. Do you have someone you look up to in the culinary or architect space?

As a little girl, I really enjoyed Ratatouille. So I wanted to be a chef. So Ratatouille is my hero.

Ha, that’s so neat! What did you think of the musical aspects in the film? Are you someone who has a passion for music?

Yes, I was very scared of that part because I had to sing and I don’t know how to sing! I was also scared of how the musical aspects would work out in the movie but when I watched it, I thought they turned out perfect. The music is so beautiful. The songs were even magical, I think, and that’s why it was perfect.

So you had to learn how to act for My Brilliant Friend…then learn how to sing for this?

Yes!

That’s a lot! In such a short amount of time, too.

Yes, thank you. But also dance! We had to learn how to dance and that was fun. But to sing, I was very scared. So in fact, they didn’t put my voice in the movie because it was not right!

That’s too funny. So do you think American audiences are going to take away something different from this film than Italian audiences have?

I don’t know. I hope that this story reaches a lot of people because it’s a very beautiful story. I didn’t know the story and I live in Santa Chiara in Naples. So it’s strange. We all know in Italy, the city of San Francisco [in the U.S.], because we studied it in school. But I hope that with this film, she speaks to people. And I think that girls and boys can be inspired by her especially since she was only 18. She did this incredible thing for the time. I think that it’s important for teenagers to watch this film.

I think so. Now I’m curious, how do men, specifically teenage boys, react to your roles? Men have strong reactions to powerful and tough women…a reality they can’t always digest.

I remember that I was at university and there was this boy that told me: “You watched into my soul with your eyes!” So I think that maybe some of them can be intimidated!

I was going to ask. I figured they would be intimidated.

I don’t know why, but I think so!

I understand what he’s saying. But I think it’s a compliment. To connect is a skill, to connect that intensely is a power. By the way, I read that you love rom coms.

Yes, I do.

Do you have aspirations to be in a rom-com?

Yeah, I hope so! I really like rom-coms from the 90s, early 2000s. I don’t know if rom-coms now are on that level.

Which ones do you like?

I really like, I don’t know it in English. “You’ve got an email?” Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks?

Oh, You’ve Got Mail! Yes. Oh, yeah… I love that movie!

Yeah, I love Meg Ryan. And, 10 Days to Hate You?

10 Things I Hate About You with Heath Ledger, right? I was surprised how much I enjoyed that movie.

Yes. But also that movie with Matthew McConaughey.

Oh, yeah. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

Yes. Yes.

Interesting…so those movies are popular in Italy?

Yeah, they are!

What about them do you like so much? It’s funny because I feel like rom-coms are making such a big revival because of streaming. I think that’s also what was exciting to me about My Brilliant Friend. It’s HBO’s first non-English language show and that type of storytelling is so much more accessible because of streaming. It also allows HBO to take a chance on that type of material for a worldwide audience. And I think it is Netflix that truly revitalized the rom-com. Rom-coms may not do well in theaters, but streamers know how to capitalize on the genre. Do you think streaming affects the projects that you pick? I also know how much you like going to the theater.

Yeah, I do. And all of my friends do. We have our theater in Naples, our small theater in the neighborhood. So I went there since I was little. With streaming, I think it’s very important in how I choose projects. Also I think the writing is changing because of streaming. You have to be able to please the taste of a lot of people. Be mindful of what the characters do and say.

What is next for you?

I don’t know yet. I’m searching. I want to choose something beautiful because I did these two characters that are very beautiful, very strong, and I want to continue to do this. I want to choose carefully. I haven’t found something on that level. So I’m waiting.

You probably need a little bit of a break, too!

Yeah, yeah. I took this year as a break because I started acting at 15 and I’m 20 now, so I needed this break.

Do you enjoy doing all the press and things like that or?

It’s not my favorite part, but it’s part of my job, so it’s okay.

At least you get to do it in New York this time!

Right, yes!

Well, I know you’re not a fan of selfies, but I hope that’s a part of the job because I would just love a selfie with you.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Open Roads: New Italian Cinema is the only screening series to offer North American audiences a diverse and extensive lineup of contemporary Italian films. This year’s edition again strikes a balance between emerging talents and esteemed veterans, commercial and independent fare, comedies, gripping dramas which reflect today’s social themes as well as the historical issues of the past.   

Special thank you to Sally Fischer Public Relations for arranging this interview and to Emily Bernard for transcribing.

Ray Romano speaks with NOIAFT founder Taylor Taglianetti at the 2022 Tribeca Festival premiere of his directorial debut, “Somewhere in Queens.”

About the Film:

As the prospect of athletic scholarships becomes more likely for his basketball star son “Sticks” (Jacob Ward), Leo Russo (Ray Romano) secretly meddles in teen social dynamics to make sure his child stays happy and continues playing well. But keeping secrets from his observant wife Angela (Laurie Metcalf) and extended Italian-American family proves more difficult than expected.

About Ray Romano:

New York native Ray Romano’s career in stand-up comedy led to his hit CBS series Everybody Loves Raymond. His film roles include the Academy Award®-nominated The Big Sick, Bad Education, with Hugh Jackman, Paddleton, with Mark Duplass, and Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award®-nominated The Irishman, with Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.

CAST & CREDITS:

DIRECTOR: Ray Romano

PRODUCER: Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa, Ray Romano, Mark Stegemann

SCREENWRITER: Ray Romano, Mark Stegemann

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Maceo Bishop

EDITOR: Robert Nassau

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Chris Stinson, Amy Greene

CO-PRODUCER: Ally Romano

CAST: Ray Romano, Laurie Metcalf, Tony Lo Bianco, Sebastian Maniscalco, Jennifer Esposito, Jacob Ward, Sadie Stanley, Dierdre Friel, Jon Manfrellotti.

CONNECT with NOIAFT:

SUBSCRIBE for more exclusive NOIAFT content: https://bit.ly/2LfCGyh

Visit the NOIAFT WEBSITE: https://noiaft.org

Like NOIAFT on FACEBOOK: https://bit.ly/2NHq19h

Follow NOIAFT on INSTAGRAM: https://bit.ly/2G1N8W3

About NOIAFT: The National Organization of Italian Americans in Film and Television (NOIAFT) aims to connect and empower Italian Americans to achieve their artistic goals.

Tony Lo Bianco speaks with NOIAFT founder Taylor Taglianetti at the 2022 Tribeca Festival premiere of Ray Romano’s directorial debut, “Somewhere in Queens.”

About the Film:

As the prospect of athletic scholarships becomes more likely for his basketball star son “Sticks” (Jacob Ward), Leo Russo (Ray Romano) secretly meddles in teen social dynamics to make sure his child stays happy and continues playing well. But keeping secrets from his observant wife Angela (Laurie Metcalf) and extended Italian-American family proves more difficult than expected.

About Tony Lo Bianco:

Tony Lo Bianco has starred in the Academy Award-winning film The French Connection. He is a Tony-nominated and winner of the Outer Critics Circle Award in A View from the Bridge on Broadway. Obie Award for Yanks-3, Detroit-0, Top of the 7th and Emmy Award for his portrayal of Fiorello La Guardia in Hizzoner! In film, he has starred in The Juror, Blood Brothers, City Heat, Nixon, The Seven Ups, Honeymoon Killers and Kill the Irishman; totaling 102 films. Tony has directed one feature and 5 television shows. His Just A Common Soldier video has received over 22 million views, and has received 2 Emmys.

CAST & CREDITS:

DIRECTOR: Ray Romano

PRODUCER: Albert Berger, Ron Yerxa, Ray Romano, Mark Stegemann

SCREENWRITER: Ray Romano, Mark Stegemann

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Maceo Bishop

EDITOR: Robert Nassau

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Chris Stinson, Amy Greene

CO-PRODUCER: Ally Romano

CAST: Ray Romano, Laurie Metcalf, Tony Lo Bianco, Sebastian Maniscalco, Jennifer Esposito, Jacob Ward, Sadie Stanley, Dierdre Friel, Jon Manfrellotti.

CONNECT with NOIAFT:

SUBSCRIBE for more exclusive NOIAFT content: https://bit.ly/2LfCGyh

Visit the NOIAFT WEBSITE: https://noiaft.org

Like NOIAFT on FACEBOOK: https://bit.ly/2NHq19h

Follow NOIAFT on INSTAGRAM: https://bit.ly/2G1N8W3

About NOIAFT: The National Organization of Italian Americans in Film and Television (NOIAFT) aims to connect and empower Italian Americans to achieve their artistic goals.

Best known for playing Det. James Martinez on ABC’s NYPD Blue, two-time Emmy nominee Nick Turturro spoke with NOIAFT founder Taylor Taglianetti about his role in the new action thriller, Overrun. They also touch on the craft of comedic acting, his obsession with the Yankees, his first job as a hotel doorman, and his upcoming project with brother, John Turturro, and son, Nick-Nick.

Interview recorded on July 26th 2021. Overrun is available in the U.S. on TVOD/Digital platforms and on Blu-Ray/DVD beginning August 17th, 2021.

Overrun Synopsis: Former extraction specialist Marcus Lombardi jumps into a life of crime when his sister is revealed as an informant on underworld kingpin Ray Barren. Marcus agrees to do an impossible job for Ray to clear his and his sister’s name. Marcus is put on a collision course with Russian mobsters, dirty cops, and plenty of assassins that want to make his job even harder than it already is.

Overrun is the feature film directorial debut from filmmaker Josh Tessier (The Mandalorian, The Walking Dead: Red Machete, The Thundermans). Overrun stars Omid Zader (3 Days to Kill, Vice, Star Trek: Into Darkness), Johnny Messner (Tears of the Sun, Believers, The Whole Ten Yards), Bruce Dern (The Hateful Eight, Nebraska, The Peanut Butter Falcon), William Katt (The Greatest American Hero, Carrie, The Other Side of the Wind), Nicholas Turturro (The Longest Yard, NYPD Blue, BlacKkKlansman), Jack Griffo (Seal Team, The Thundermans, Alexa & Katie), Christopher Troy (SWAT, Knight Squad, K.C. Undercover), Haley Strode (Wendell and Vinnie, Gangster Squad, The Astronaut Wives Club), and introducing Chelsey Goldsmith.

CONNECT with NOIAFT:

SUBSCRIBE for more exclusive NOIAFT content: https://bit.ly/2LfCGyh

Visit the NOIAFT WEBSITE: https://noiaft.org

Like NOIAFT on FACEBOOK: https://bit.ly/2NHq19h

Follow NOIAFT on INSTAGRAM: https://bit.ly/2G1N8W3

About NOIAFT: The National Organization of Italian Americans in Film and Television (NOIAFT) aims to connect and empower Italian Americans to achieve their artistic goals.

CONNECT with NOIAFT:

SUBSCRIBE for more exclusive NOIAFT content: https://bit.ly/2LfCGyh

Visit the NOIAFT WEBSITE: https://noiaft.org

Like NOIAFT on FACEBOOK: https://bit.ly/2NHq19h

Follow NOIAFT on INSTAGRAM: https://bit.ly/2G1N8W3

About NOIAFT: The National Organization of Italian Americans in Film and Television (NOIAFT) aims to connect and empower Italian Americans to achieve their artistic goals.

Justin Wilkes (President of Imagine Documentaries) and Sara Bernstein (Co-President of Imagine Documentaries) speaks with NOIAFT founder Taylor Taglianetti at the 2021 Tribeca Festival premiere of their latest producing venture, Paper & Glue.

Interview shot by Melissa Batista

Produced by Giò Crisafulli and Taylor Taglianetti

About The Film: For French visual artist JR, the world is his canvas. Taking on the moniker of a photograffeur (French for a photographer/graffiti artist), JR’s large-scale mural portraiture has adorned streets from Paris to Rio, and was memorably captured in his 2017 Academy Award®-nominated collaboration with French New Wave icon Agnès Varda, Faces Places.

With his follow up Paper & Glue, JR turns the camera on his own work, as he undertakes massive installation efforts on the US-Mexico border, inside the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, on the courtyard of a supermax prison, and more. In each location, JR captures images of residents of these unique communities and memorializes them in striking, massive, black-and-white photo installations, in the process turning some of the most provocative spaces of the world into eye-catching immersive art that challenges perspectives and unites communities.

CAST & CREDITS:

DIRECTOR: JR

PRODUCERS: Sara Bernstein, Justin Wilkes, Dallas Brennan Rexer, Marc Azoulay

COMPOSER: Adam Peters

EDITOR: Keiko Deguchi, ACE

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Jenny Raskin, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Lauren Haber, Ian Darling, Regina K. Scully, Jim Swartz, Susan Swartz, Patty Quillin, Lynne Benioff, Marc Benioff, Ian Orefice, Marco Berrebi

CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Camille Pajot, Julie Pugeat, Meredith Kaulfers, Paula Froehle, Steve Cohen, Nina & David Fialkow

POST PRODUCER: Jeremy Zerechak

LINE PRODUCER: Travis Eilerson

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About NOIAFT: The National Organization of Italian Americans in Film and Television (NOIAFT) aims to connect and empower Italian Americans to achieve their artistic goals.

NOIAFT’s Chief Entertainment Critic Giò Crisafulli spoke with Elijah Wood at the 2021 Tribeca Festival premiere of No Man of God.

Interview shot by Melissa Batista.

No Man of God Synopsis: It was a radical new approach to criminal investigations: “profiling.” Through one-on-one discussions with serial offenders, FBI researchers could go much more in-depth. FBI analyst Bill Hagmaier (Elijah Wood), emboldened by this new philosophy, sat down with famed serial killer Ted Bundy (Luke Kirby) for several interviews from 1984-1989 inside Florida State Prison, in hopes of figuring out why Bundy murdered more than 20 victims. What started out as a straightforward informational assignment gradually turned personal for Hagmaier, whose feelings about his charismatic subject grew more complicated with each conversation. Is it possible to empathize with evil?

CAST & CREDITS:

DIRECTOR: Amber Sealey (an award-winning filmmaker whose films include No Man of God, No Light & No Land Anywhere, How Does it Start, How to Cheat, and A Plus D.

PRODUCER: Daniel Noah, Lisa Whalen, Elijah Wood, Kim Sherman

SCREENWRITER: Kit Lesser

CINEMATOGRAPHER: Karina Silva

COMPOSER: Clarice Jensen

EDITOR: Patrick Nelson Barnes

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Stacy Jorgensen, Elisa Lleras, Mark Ward, Jonas Katzenstein, Maximilian Leo

CASTING BY: Danielle Aufiero, CSA, Amber Horn, CSA

SUPERVISING SOUND EDITOR: Brent Kiser

PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Michael Fitzgerald

COSTUME DESIGNER: Emily Batson

CAST: Elijah Wood, Luke Kirby, Aleksa Palladino, Robert Patrick

CONNECT with NOIAFT:

SUBSCRIBE for more exclusive NOIAFT content: https://bit.ly/2LfCGyh

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About NOIAFT: The National Organization of Italian Americans in Film and Television (NOIAFT) aims to connect and empower Italian Americans to achieve their artistic goals.