Following NYC premiere at VisionFest
NYC, Cinema Libre Studio Acquires
‘Official Centerpiece’ film, ALTO
starring American Idol’s Diana DeGarmo and
Annabella Sciorra in an LGBT ‘family’ film
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Cast and crew
from ALTO on red carpet during the film’s VF15 premiere
(photo by Derek Soto
– Sinestra Studios)
New York, May 16, 2015:
Following its New York City premiere at VisionFest 15, Cinema Libre
Studio has acquired ALTO,
a ground breaking independent film that turns the mob comedy on its ear
by introducing a lesbian love story that seeks to bridge differences and unite
families. Written and directed by transgender filmmaker Mikki del Monico, the film stars American Idol’s Diana DeGarmo and features her vocals in original music.
ALTO is a quirky love story set in the midst of an
unanticipated run-in with the New York Mafia, its comedic elements making it accessible as a story about family
as much as about personal growth. Improbable love, the mob, and family
traditions gone awry pave the way for laughter in this character-rich story
that explores how the most surprising discoveries often come when we least
expect it, in the midst of murder plots, federal investigations, and …oh yeah,
lasagna!
The film was
produced by Toni D’Antonio and Shake the Tree Productions.
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From
left to right:
Producer Toni D’Antonio, Writer-Director Mikki del Monico, and Executive
Producer Ellora DeCarlo
It features
Diana DeGarmo as “Frankie del Vecchio,” Melanie
Minichino (Sopranos, Law & Order)
as her sister with Annabella Sciorra (The
Hand That Rocks The Cradle, Cop Land) and David Valcin (Person of Interest, New Year’s Eve) as
their parents. Natalie Knepp plays “Nicolette” (The Last 5 Years, Orange Is The New Black) the mobster’s daughter,
a modern day femme fatale.
DeGarmo first
caught America’s attention by earning the runner-up position on American Idol’s third season, a platform
she used to launch a successful music and theatre career, including the Tony
award-winning revival of Hair.
She is currently wrapping up a national tour as the Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat. Alto
features original music performed by DeGarmo with vocals added by her husband
Ace Young, also an American Idol alumnus, and the chart topping girl-group
Antigone Rising.
The unique
take on this Romeo-and-Juliet family comedy was
conceived, written, and directed by del Monico. “I know what it’s like to step
outside the everyday world and play by my own set of rules. The path to making
this film involved my coming out as transgender, something I’d felt completely
unprepared to discuss for many years. I have a great family, but I wasn’t
prepared for their acceptance. I’d tied myself in knots because I didn’t
want to hurt them. Instead they gave me the gift of any great family:
their love.”
The film was
unveiled publicly for the first time in New York on May 15, as the ‘Official
Centerpiece Screening’ at VisionFest 15:
The Other Festival (aka VF15), which celebrated its 15th annual
run with this special anniversary edition.
Organized and curated by the Domani Vision Film Society, a non-profit
arts and culture organization dedicated to “bringing you tomorrow’s visionaries
today,” VF15 continued its tradition of ‘promoting domestic filmmaking’ by
presenting works made exclusively by some of the most talented U.S. based indie
filmmakers on the film festival circuit today.
VF15 also
introduced a sidebar, art component this year with Musical Vision, a photo exhibit featuring live concert performance
images captured by New York photographer, Mark Doyle. The festival selected 41
films, originating from 12 states, for this year’s line-up, with 32 of the
films vying for the prestigious IVAs, the Independent Vision Awards. ALTO is one of the films up for
multiple award categories, with 4 nominations:
Outstanding Achievement in Production, Outstanding Actor – Lead Female
Role (Natalie Knepp), the Jack Nance Breakthrough Performance Award (Diana
DeGarmo), and Production Design. In
light of its two consecutive ‘sold out’ screenings at VF15, ALTO
is also a front-runner for the festival’s first-ever Audience Award. IVA winners will be announced during an
Awards Ceremony on Sunday, May 17, 2015 at 8:45 p.m. in the TC2 screening venue
of Tribeca Cinemas.
Cinema Libre Studio, the Los Angeles based distribution company
known for distributing a wide array of social-issue documentaries and
provocative films by passionate filmmakers has acquired worldwide rights.
Says Richard Castro, COO and VP of Acquisitions, “Our company
is proud to shine a light on films and filmmakers with unconventional
perspectives. Mikki has made a fun film that not only serves up a fresh
take on the traditional mob story, but champions the LGBT community while doing
so. That’s a win-win-win in our book."
Learn more about the film:
About Cinema Libre:
Headquartered in Los Angeles, the Cinema Libre team has released
over one hundred films including the Sundance Audience Award‐Winning FUEL, THE
END OF POVERTY?, Rachid Bouchareb’s LONDON RIVER and Oliver Stone’s SOUTH OF
THE BORDER. The studio is developing John Perkins’ best‐selling memoirs,
CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN, into a major motion picture and is
currently releasing CAN’T STAND LOSING YOU: SURVIVING THE POLICE and DAYS OF
GRACE (DIAS DE GRACIA). For more information and updates, please visit: www.cinemalibrestudio.com| Updates | Facebook | Twitter .
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