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Title:
Bella.
Rating: PG-13.
Film Companies: Metanoia Films, One Media Group, Lionsgate.
Cast: Eduardo Verastegui (Chasing Papi, Meet Me in Miami), Tammy
Blanchard (The Good Shepherd, Sybil), Manny Perez (Washington Heights, 100 Centre
Street, Third Watch), Ali Landry (Eve, Beautiful).
Crew: Eustace Wolfington, Steve McEvety, Marcy Wolfington, Ana
Wolfington (Executive Producer), Sean Wolfington (Executive Producer, Producer),
Eduardo Verastegui, Leo Severino, Denise Pinckley (Producers), Alejandro Monteverde
(Producer, Director), Andrew Catalago (Diretor of Photography), Fernando Villena
(Editor), Stephan Altman (Music Composer).
Synopsis: Manny is the business brains behind a new restaurant,
Jose the genius chef. One day when Manny fires Nina, a waitress, Jose simply up
and leaves with her - believing that her needs are more important than those of
the restaurant. The film beautifully follows their blossoming relationship and the
revelation that Nina is pregnant with an unwanted child and Jose has a dark secret
in his past.
Review: Metanoia Films has managed to release on a $4.3 million
bidget a beautiful film which encourages and challenges. While the talent is relatively
inexperienced compared to many of the competing productions, the abilities of these
young individuals shines through and allows the film to succeed. The film discusses
mature topics - abortion, extra-marital sex, manslaughter - in a mature way that
makes it inappropriate for young childre but appropriate for all other age groups.
It manages to hit on each of these topics and their reality without requiring gratuitous
sex, language, or violence to carry its point - in fact, there is relatively none
of any of these. If you haven't seen Bella - go see it now!
Notes: This film was funded by the Verastegui family - two brothers
and their wives. It appears to have been a joint dreamchild between themselves and
several others including Eduardo Verastegui and Alejandro Monteverde. The depth
of love and passion shines through. The film has won the People's Choice Award at
the Toronto Film Festival, the Crystal Heart Award at the Heartland Film Festival,
and was an Official Selection at the Los Angeles, Miami, Santa Barbara and New York
Latino Film Festivals, the San Diego Film Festival, the Austin SXSW Film Festival,
and the Dallas Film Festival.
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