TORONTO – This month saw five emerging filmmakers from Puglia showcase their films in Los Angeles, namely the NFMLA Monthly Film Festival. The “NewFilmmakers Los Angeles” Film Festival runs monthly, and has been providing a platform for budding international talent for fifteen years, awarding cash grants through various programs and initiatives.
Last year alone NFMLA awarded over $115,000 in cash grants and prizes. This month the festival partnered with the Apulia Film Commission and Pugliapromozione to host the selected Pugliese filmmakers for a weeklong program, from May 30th to June 2nd. Public screenings of the five films were followed by private Industry-only screenings at NeueHouse Hollywood, which typically invite executives from major Studios and Production Houses like Sony Pictures Entertainment, Amazon Studios and Netflix, among others.
Since its inception, the non-for-profit event has screened over 4,500 films from 92 countries, all in an effort to platform what the organization calls “next-gen talent” from around the world. The Pugliese films for this month’s festival were selected as part of the InFocus Program, highlighting the region’s locales and wide ranging stories from each of the filmmakers: Albertine, Where Are You? by Maria Guidone, Lea e il Fenicottero by Antonio De Palo, San Vitu Rock by Fausto Romano, La Pescatora by Lucia Lore and Super Jesus by Vito Palumbo. The filmmakers were also provided the opportunity to meet with Industry Professionals, attend Industry panels and workshops, and give press interviews with prominent publications like MovieMaker Magazine.
The organization is a significant launching pad for Internationals looking to explore Hollywood and the American Cinema landscape. LA Based Italian Journalist Silvia Bizio thus helped kick-start the collaboration between NFMLA Executive Director Larry Laboe and Ann Maria Tosto – President of the Apulia Film Commission. “The goal of this project curated by NFMLA will give great visibility to the region of Puglia as well as provide filmmakers an incredible opportunity to expand their network in the entertainment capital of the world”, says Tosto. Adding, “Puglia is a land of Cinema, not only for the spectacular locations appreciated worldwide today, but also because it is the cradle of young talents who increasingly find opportunities to express themselves as a result of long-term support provided by the region”.
Trailers of the selected films can be viewed on YouTube, or online by searching the filmmakers on IMDb.com
Massimo Volpe is a filmmaker and freelance writer from Toronto: he writes reviews of Italian films/content on Netflix
