ANITA ELECTRONIC PRESS KIT - Anita Garibaldi - Movie

Mother of War LLC. 1/11 [email protected] www.anitathemovie.com

http://www.anitathemovie.com/

mailto:[email protected]

Mother of War, LLC

Directed byRICK SNYDER

ANITAStarring

STEPHEN BALDWINLETICIA SABATELLA

Estimated 120 minutesNot Yet Rated by the MPAA

Shooting on Location in Sardinia, ItalyProduction CompanyChicago, ILJoe OrlandinoT: 773-325-9690C: [email protected]





TAG LINE: Mother. Wife. Revolutionary.

LOG LINE

Brazilian revolutionary Anita Garibaldi joins husband Giuseppe as they fight for independence in 19th century Italy, where they meet American journalist-activist Margaret Fuller and together change the course of history.

SHORT SYNOPSIS

Rome. 1849. Brazilian freedom fighter Anita Garibaldi joins her husband Giuseppe Garibaldi in Italy’s early struggles for independence. She is confronted by American journalist Margaret Fuller in a battered city under siege. Both women are forced to question the emotional toll of their life choices amid the fall of the Roman Republic.

ABOUT ANITA

ANITA is a love story and a human story that explores Brazilian revolutionary Anita Garibaldi’s crucial encounter with American journalist Margaret Fuller, who contrary to her editor’s orders, chronicled Anita’s battles against oppression. The raw and naturalistic indie film probes the interior motivations of historic figures determined to fight for a cause, including Anita’s freedom-fighter husband Giuseppe Garibaldi. Anita, a woman of action, and Margaret Fuller, a woman of letters, asserted themselves at a time when women had limited options in life. Ultimately, Anita and Margaret Fuller – who married an Italian patriot and covered the unrest of the 1849 Roman Republic -- were women of action who put their lives at risk.

Anita and Giuseppe Garibaldi fell in love at a time of revolutionary fervor. Anita, who began taming wild horses at a young age, left her first husband for the charismatic privateer Garibaldi in her native Brazil. Together, they fought to protect the gauchos against unjust taxation. She taught Garibaldi the guerrilla warfare tactics he would later use against the French and Austrian armies that occupied Italy in the 19th century. In Italy, they amassed a revolutionary army that fought on Rome’s Janiculum Hill. And, despite the challenges and failures of the 1849 conflict, their efforts inspired Italy’s larger fight for unification. ANITA is not about hero worship. It examines the determination and ambivalence of historic figures engaged in complicated acts of sacrifice for a cause that may or may not have been a triumph for humanity.




PRODUCTION STORY

ANITA, starring Stephen Baldwin and Leticia Sabatella, is the first feature film written by former longtime Chicago theater critic Lucia Mauro (Chicago Tribune, Chicago Public Radio) and directed by Rick Snyder, an acclaimed ensemble member of Chicago’s storied Steppenwolf Theatre since 1983. It’s a Chicago-born production and a collaboration among artists from the U.S., Brazil and Italy. Filming is targeted for Spring 2014 in Sardinia, Italy.

Screenwriter Lucia Mauro was inspired to write a movie chronicling the short but significant life of Anita Garibaldi after discovering the Brazilian revolutionary’s equestrian monument/tomb – in which she’s cradling an infant and brandishing a pistol – on Rome’s Janiculum Hill.

The iconic painting, Revolution, is an original commissioned oil on canvas for ANITA by American figurative artist Bruno Surdo. He explores the human form, with inspiration from the Renaissance masters, to create provocative works centered on the human condition and known for their subtle yet rich allegorical imagery and emotion.

DIRECTOR'S NOTE

“Our film will focus intimately on the acting, as I believe all films should, and on the emotional depth and insights that actors can bring, and that I can nurture. It is a film about specific moments in history, and I aim to take us there as best as I can with light and color. But, the people and the characters were real people with real problems and challenges. In this, nothing changes.”

ABOUT THE CAST

Stephen Baldwin – Giuseppe GaribaldiU.S., Known for: The Usual Suspects, The Young Riders, Born on the Fourth of Julyhttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000286/One of the more colorful Baldwin brothers, Stephen Baldwin started out as a gritty heartthrob in The Young Riders in the late 1980s and early 1990s. His breakout role, as a psychotic career criminal in Bryan Singer’s double-Oscar-winning 1995 thriller The Usual Suspects, cemented his impressive acting range. Over the years, Mr. Baldwin has taken on slacker, comedic and Celebrity Apprentice roles, together with characters confronting painful ethical dilemmas. For the first time, he will portray a larger-than-life 19th century Italian historic figure, Giuseppe Garibaldi – Italy’s Hero of Two Worlds. It’s a welcome acting challenge that will marry Mr. Baldwin’s expertise at conveying the comedy, drama, charisma, unbearable grief and ego of this flawed but noble patriot.




http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000286/

Leticia Sabatella -- Anita GaribaldiBrazil, Known for: Sangue Bom, India – A Love Story, Desejo Proibidohttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0754542/Brazilian leading lady Leticia Sabatella makes her American debut as the film’s fierce title gaucho freedom fighter. She was born just north of her character’s revered yet unforgiving Rio Grande do Sul horse country. A real-life activist, long associated with Brazil’s Landless Workers Movement, Ms. Sabatella embodies Anita’s irrepressible sense of justice. But she also loves a compelling romance and has starred in numerous Brazilian films, most notably O Xando de Baker Street and Nao por Acaso – highlighting her ability to completely transform herself into disparate characters. Ms. Sabatella is a fixture on Brazilian television, including her most recent celebrated soap opera, Sangue Bom.

Paolo Bonacelli – Maurizio CastelliniItaly, Known for: Midnight Express, Johnny Stecchino, The Americanhttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0093678/English-speaking audiences first encountered prolific Italian actor Paolo Bonacelli in the brutal 1978 Turkish prison thriller, Midnight Express (with a screenplay by Oliver Stone), in which he portrayed treacherous inmate Rifki. More recently, he served as the empathetic priest in The American, starring George Clooney. In his native Italy, Mr. Bonacelli is a respected stage actor and is revered for his unforgettable turns in two diametrically opposed films: as the perverse Duke de Blandis in Pier Paolo Pasolini’s scandalous 1979 Salò, and as coke-snorting mob lawyer Zio in Roberto Benigni’s 1992 cult comedy, Johnny Stecchino. In ANITA, Mr. Bonacelli plays Maurizio Castellini, Garibaldi’s loyal wealthy ally.

Carol Lawrence – Donna RosaU.S., Known for: West Side Story, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Valley of the Dollshttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0492655/Triple-threat actress-singer-dancer Carol Lawrence earned widespread fame and a Tony nomination as the original Maria in the 1957 Leonard Bernstein/Jerome Robbins Broadway classic, West Side Story. Other Great White Way credits include I Do! I Do! and Kiss of the Spider Woman. She received accolades for her first feature film, Sidney Lumet’s 1962 adaptation of Arthur Miller’s controversial longshoreman drama, A View from the Bridge, playing opposite Raf Vallone and Maureen Stapleton. Ms. Lawrence enjoyed a long and illustrious television career, including roles in Murder, She Wrote; The Love Boat; Sex and the City; General Hospital; and the iconic General Foods’ International Coffees commercials of the 1970s. As Garibaldi’s disapproving mother in ANITA, Ms. Lawrence will return to the big screen in a major comeback role that also pays tribute to her Italian roots.







Lucia Jimenez – GloriaSpain, Known for: Ben Hur, Silencio Roto, The Kovak Boxhttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0422998/On-the-rise Spanish actress Lucia Jimenez is being seen in wider markets, most notably the acclaimed 2010 BBC television mini-series, Ben Hur, and 2006 psychological thriller, The Kovak Box, opposite Timothy Hutton. She has appeared in countless Spanish films – ranging from contemporary romances to political dramas and period pieces, including the captivating 2001 Silencio Roto, set among guerrilla resistance fighters during Spain’s Franco regime. In ANITA, Ms. Jimenez will portray freedom fighter, and the heroine’s best girlhood friend, Gloria.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

Chicago-based director Rick Snyder has been a widely praised Steppenwolf Theatre ensemble member/actor/director since 1983, and his diverse stage credits (more than 50 roles) include The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Man from Nebraska, the Tony-winning The Grapes of Wrath, and Tracy Letts’ Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning August: Osage County. Also as an actor, he has appeared in numerous big screen hits, including U.S. Marshalls, The Net, and The Human Stain. An in-demand theater director, Mr. Snyder has helmed Yasmina Reza’s Art at Steppenwolf Theatre, God of Carnage at Goodman Theatre, as well as new stagings of plays by Tracy Letts and Neil LaBute.

ABOUT THE SCREENWRITER

Lucia Mauro of Chicago has been a longtime award-winning theater/dance critic & arts/culture writer (Chicago Tribune, Chicago Magazine, Chicago Public Radio, In Theatre Magazine), with close ties to artists in all aspects of the live performing arts and film. She is the author of a series of books in the performing arts for McGraw-Hill and is a frequent culture speaker, radio personality, and featured guest on PBS’ Artbeat and in numerous documentaries, including HMS Media’s Emmy-winning The Chicago Dance Project and Every Dancer Has a Story. Ms. Mauro is also a bilingual (English and Italian) Italy cultural historian and has written extensively on the country’s 20 multilayered regions and published two books of photography, Frieze Frame I: Textures & Colors of Italy and Frieze Frame II: Textures & Colors of Italy. She was voted one of 100 Women Making a Difference by Today’s Chicago Woman magazine and awarded the Impresa Award by the Women’s Division of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans and the Leonardo da Vinci Award of Excellence by the Order Sons of Italy in America.





ABOUT THE PRODUCERS

Joe Orlandino, executive producer from the U.S., began his journey after producing award-winning pre-MTV music videos, Joe realized one of the keys to creative success was promotion and distribution. He chose to shift his career into marketing and advertising. He climbed the corporate ladder for nearly fifteen years before launching a multilingual online motorcycle trading facility in 1992. During this time, he learned the critical skills of financing and fundraising. He kept his interest in media production alive and, over time, became a proficient self-taught creative producer. Working at a boutique advertising house, he helped develop numerous successful ad campaigns. And, apart from producing ANITA, he also writes stage and screenplays.

Robert Abramoff, co-producer from the U.S., is known for: Red Scorpion, Midnight Clear, Broken CityRobert Abramoff of Los Angeles has been ensconced in moviemaking – as a producer, writer and attorney -- since the 1980s. He hit it big with the 1988 action-adventure The Red Scorpion starring Dolph Lundgren, and went on to produce big and small screen movies, series and specials in the genres of thriller, horror, comedy and romance. They include Midnight Clear, Detention, Broken City, Hometown Legend, Jon Lovitz Presents, Pauly Shore & Friends, and Laugh Out Loud Comedy Festival.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Giulio Pietromarchi from Italy, is known for: Non pensarci, Al cuore si comanda, Passato prossimo Highly visible, multi-award-winning director of photography Giulio Pietromarchi is based in Rome and has worked on some of Italy’s most popular and respected feature and documentary films, including many for RAI Cinema and RAI TV. They encompass L’amore non basta (starring Giovanna Mezzogiorno), Luis Prieto’s Il signore della truffa, Aurelio Grimaldi’s L’ultimo re, Lorenzo Vignolo’s Tutti all’attacco, and the American comedy Stiffs (starring Danny Aiello and Lesley Ann Warren). Mr. Pietromarchi is a meticulous artist, with a striking but unobtrusive sense of light and shadows. For ANITA, his vision is one of suggestive earth tones and candlelight.

ABOUT THE ART DIRECTOR

Dimitri Capuani, from Italy, is known for: Rome (HBO series), Gangs of New York, Casanova Rome-based art director Dimitri Capuani worked closely alongside his renowned mentor, the multi-Oscar-winning Italian production designer Dante Ferretti (Hugo, Sweeney




Todd, The Aviator), on Martin Scorsese’s 2002 Gangs of New York. Mr. Capuani, an in-demand perfectionist, has lent his art direction expertise to famous Italian, American and British films and TV series, including Artemisia, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Casanova, and the HBO mini-series Rome. For ANITA, he envisions merging the naturally weathered textures of on-location buildings in Sardinia with evocative and believable set dressing for a realistic feel.

TOP 10 FAQs

1. Who is Leticia Sabatella?Brazilian actress Leticia Sabatella, who is making her American debut as Brazilian revolutionary Anita Garibaldi, is herself a committed activist closely associated with Brazil’s Landless Workers’ Movement, a land reform initiative to combat rural poverty by advocating for sustainable land.

2. How is Stephen Baldwin re-emerging?In tackling the complex role of Giuseppe Garibaldi, Stephen Baldwin – known for his contemporary tough guy roles and reality TV appearances -- has a rare opportunity to portray a larger-than-life historic figure in a period piece set in 19th century Italy… a more in-depth harking back to his early Westerns.

3. What unique vision does the Director bring?This may be his film directorial debut, but ANITA director Rick Snyder is no stranger to the big screen, and he’s got hefty acting chops to boot. A longtime ensemble member of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre, he appeared in the movies U.S. Marshalls, The Net, The Human Stain. He also was in the original cast of Tracy Letts’ 2008 Pulitzer- and Tony-winning drama, August: Osage County. He has directed plays by theater heavy hitters Yasmina Reza and Neil LaBute.

4. Which other veterans join the Cast?Two of the Chicago-based actors in supporting roles are David Pasquesi (whose more recent movie credits include Woody Allen’s To Rome with Love and opposite Tom Hanks in Angels & Demons). A Chicago comedy-improv personality, Pasquesi will lend his versatility to the character of the duplicitous King Charles Albert. Christian Stolte, best known as the lovable couch philosopher Mouch on NBC TV’s hit series, Chicago Fire, plays American sailor John Griggs, one of Garibaldi’s loyal freedom fighters.

5. Who else is making a comeback?Carol Lawrence, the original Maria in the Broadway blockbuster West Side Story, appeared in classic TV shows The Love Boat and Sex and the City and later the iconic International Coffees commercials from the 1970s. She’s making a comeback – and honoring her Italian roots – as Donna Rosa, Giuseppe Garibaldi’s disapproving mother.




6. Who are the core Supporters of ANITA?The grassroots ANITA film team has managed to secure, through its own organic Italy network, support of the descendants of Anita and Giuseppe Garibaldi; locations throughout the northwestern part of the Italian island of Sardinia (to double as South America and Italy); period boats; horses and wranglers; reenactment groups. The trio of screenwriter Lucia Mauro, director Rick Snyder and executive producer Joe Orlandino are acting as casting agents and securing an international cast and crew.

7. What is the back-story of the Screenwriter?Over her career as a Chicago theater critic/arts and culture reporter, screenwriter Lucia Mauro reviewed, interviewed and wrote about some of the Windy City’s most notable breakout talent (before they became famous):Tina Fey (Hamlet: The Musical, Second City’s Dratch & Fey Show)Nick Offerman (Pegasus Players’ The Kentucky Cycle, Defiant Theatre’s Ubu Raw)Michael Shannon (A Red Orchid Theatre’s Persecution of Arnold Petch, The Killer)Tracy Letts (Steppenwolf Theatre’s Man from Nebraska, A Red Orchid Theatre’s Bug)SNL’s Cecily Strong (as a child actor)

8. What is the iconic Painting depicting Anita?The ANITA producers commissioned award-winning American figurative artist Bruno Surdo to create the website homepage image of Anita. The original oil on canvas, titled Revolution, portrays Anita as an undaunted but relatable figure for change. Surdo, whose work is immediate yet timeless, is considered a modern-day Caravaggio for his compelling use of light and shadow. His triptych, Tragedy, Memory, Honor, an homage to the victims of 9/11, has toured the country and includes debris from Ground Zero.

9. How big is the Anita legacy?ANITA is more than a film -- it’s a female empowerment movement. The producers are encouraging young girls around the world to establish Anita fan clubs – the Anitistas – and are providing them with red-and-black T-shirts featuring the ANITA logo (similar to the well-known Che Guevara T-shirts). Part of the ANITA crowdfunding proceeds are going toward scholarships for teenagers to participate in the all-female Sisters Under Sail program aboard the Tall Ship Unicorn.

10. How can the mid-1800's setting be fulfilled?Italian production designer Emita Frigato received the Davide di Donatello Award (Italy’s equivalent of the Oscar) for Noi credevamo, Mario Martone’s epic 2010 film exploring the unification of Italy from different perspectives. Her colleague, Elisabetta Antico (also of Noi credevamo), is designing the costumes, with attention to the intricate embroidery of gaucho dress and will work with the renowned seamstresses on location in Sardinia to recreate the extraordinary needlework.




Credits

ATLAS MEDIA GROUP, LLCPresents

A MOTHER OF WAR, LLCProduction

Directed byRICK SNYDER

STEPHEN BALDWIN LETICIA SABATELLA

ORIGINAL STORY & SCREENPLAY by LUCIA MAUROProduced by JOE ORLANDINO

Executive Producer JOE ORLANDINOCo-Producer ROBERT ABRAMOFF

Director of Photography GIULIO PIETROMARCHIArt Director DIMITRI CAPUANI

Production Designer EMITA FRIGATOSound Designer MATTEO OLIVARI

Costume Designer ELISABETTA ANTICO

Line Producer PHILLIP KOCHProduction Storyboard Artist GARY RAMSEY

Visual Artist BRUNO SURDOConsultants/Legal Advisers COSTANTE GARIBALDI., Avv.

SANDRA CHIARLONE., Avv.TOM LEAVENSandJERRY GLOVER

Accountant ELENA LODDOProduction Assistant JESSICA ORLANDINO

POST PRODUCTIONPost Production Coordinator DINO MARC PASCARELLI

CASTGiuseppe Garibaldi STEPHEN BALDWIN

Anita Garibaldi LETICIA SABATELLADonna Rosa CAROL LAWRENCE

Maurizio Castellini PAOLO BONACELLIGloria LUCIA JIMENEZ

John Griggs CHRISTIAN STOLTE




King Charles Albert DAVID PASQUESI General Jose Soares STANY COPPET

Luigi Rossetti GIULIANO OPPESAndres Aguiar ANTHONY FLEMING III

Friar Ugo Bassi RICHARD COTOVSKYBento RICARDO GUTIERREZ

Giambattista Cuneo JAMES JOSEPHRaoul Medina IVAN GIAMBIRTONE

Henrique GIANFRANCO CUDRANOFrench Captain VINCENT PAPA

Soldier KEITH ERIC DAVIS

Filmed on location in Sardinia, Italy.

This project was made possible by the film incentives of the Sardinian Film Commission and support of fans and friends of ANITA through the process of crowdfunding.

Inspired by history, the characters and incidents portrayed and the names herein are mostly fictitious and any similarity to the name, character or history of any actual persons

living or dead is completely coincidental and unintentional except for those for whom have been permitted by remaining relatives in honor of their legacy and heritage.

Property of Mother Of War, LLC.




ANITA ELECTRONIC PRESS KIT - Anita Garibaldi - Movie

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