Directors Joe and Anthony Russo, lifelong ISDA members who were recently deemed “titans” of Hollywood by Variety magazine, are committed to preserving their Italian American heritage.
They, along with their father, ISDA National President Basil Russo, founded the Russo Brothers Italian American Film Forum in 2017 to fund projects that explore and depict the Italian American experience for the benefit of today’s generations, and tomorrow’s.
To date, 48 films have been produced through the Film Forum.
View the winning film projects here.
Many have been screened at film festivals throughout the U.S. and Italy, and several have collected major awards.
Last year’s winning Film Forum project, “Potentially Dangerous” — which brings to light the indignation and abuse suffered by Italian Americans during WWII, when they were labeled Enemy Aliens — will begin airing on PBS stations in January.
The 2022 Film Forum winner went to Alessia Crucitelli for “Leaving the Factory.”
The period piece recounts the tragedy of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in NYC in 1911, which claimed the lives of 146 Italian and Jewish immigrant women and girls, but brought a bellwether of change that ushered in reforms and galvanized the nation’s organized labor movement.
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The two runner-up films this year included “Rossi & Company” by Agata De Santis, and “Defending the Peninsula” by Charles Vincent Sabba.
View the Leaving the Factory trailer here:
Congratulations to all the winners, finalists and participants of the Russo Brothers Italian American Film Forum over the last six years! And to all of tomorrow’s filmmakers and storytellers, see you in 2023.
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