The Russo Brothers Italian American Film Forum
Last weekend, my short film Leaving the Factory won Best Film at the Russo Brothers Italian American Film Forum in Washington DC. It still feel very surreal to me.
5 years ago, when I was just finishing high school, I was told not to waste my time with unachievable dreams. I was told that I would’ve not lasted long in another country, speaking another language, living in another culture. I was told to stay where I was and learn to be happy. But now, I am so happy I said “fuck that” and I still followed my dreams.
First and foremost, I want to thank NIAF, AGBO, ISDA and the Russo family for this award. As an Italian immigrant in the United States, having the support of such an important Italian community means the world to me and have pushed me to keep always going.
I want to thank Alberto Zambelli who designed all the costumes from Italy and Dixie who manufactured all of them. Their support was just unbelievable and the film would have not looked the same without them. With that I want to thank my parents, who have never stopped supporting me and coordinated all the Italian crew.
I am incredibly grateful for the crew and Santa Monica College who stuck with the project during pandemic-related setback after setback. I am very proud of their ingenuity, creativity, and dedication, along with all the talented people who came on board in the few months leading up to production
Lastly, I want to thank all the brave women that came before me, my grandmothers, my aunts, my mum; thanks for teaching me how to be strong, how to believe in myself and not giving up on my dreams.
This movie is dedicated to every woman in the world who opened the path and making me free. To all those women who fought for our rights, and for all the ones who still are fighting. There is a lot of things we still have to change, but if i’m free to follow my dreams, if i’m free to be a filmmaker, if I am free to express myself is thanks to all of them.
Check out my instagram post here and the stories in the highlight folder NIAF to learn more about this incredible experience!
Leaving the Factory Crew and Cast
(and all those people without whom this movie would not exits)
Written and Directed by
Alessia Cruci
Starring
Roberta Sparta
Anne Bedian
Roberta De Santis
Produced By
Andrew James Levay & Catharine Dada
Executive Producer
Salvador Carrasco
Co-Producers
Keslow Camera
Hollywood Foreign Press Association
The Russo Brothers Italian American Film Forum
Cast
Marina Roberta Sparta
Freeda Anne Bedian
Gina Roberta De Santis
Sophia Maddie Shallan
Berthe Leigh Golden
James Chris Mortensen
William Beau Mortensen
Charles Rick Ryan
Frank ChristpherParker
Giovanni Marco Schiazza
Raffaello Levi Bernhardt
Leonardo Ian Sharkey
Michelangelo Michael Sharkey
Guard #1 Geordy Sharkey
Guard #2 Dennis Sandoval
Guard #3 Logan Laroque
Factory Workers
(In Memoriam)
Francesca Caputo Emma Hernandez
Fannie Hollander Natalie Cotter
Mary Herman Julianne Homokay
Nettie Leibowitz Keiva Bradley
Albina Caruso Covi Loveridge Brannan
Lucia Maltese Laine Messier
Isabella Tortoreli Sierra Warner
Annie L'Abbate Taylor Bacco
Rosie Saphiro Cecille Forsyth Rios
Nettie Driansky Ava Hall
SMC Production Coordinator
Drew Davis
SMC Production Supervisor
Simone Bartesaghi
Co-Executive Producers
Kevin Maxwell
Carmen Andres
Co-Producers
Alessia Cruci
Therese "Tag" Goulet
Lucas A. Ferrara
Johaira Michelle DiLauro
Laurence Noquet
RainVII Pictures
Next Generation Indie Film Awards
Salvastian Pictures
Associated Producers
Jonathan Mendez
Kelley Daniel
Production Team
Tatiana Antropova
Justin Winick
First Assistant Director
Patricia Cardim
Second Assistant Director
Logan Laroque
Jose Garcia
Casting Director
Catharine Dada
Script Supervisor
Jack Dabney
Covid Compliance Officer
Catharine Dada
Studio Teacher
Lisa Johnson
Cinematography
Isabella Longi
Cinematography Supervisor
Vishal Solanki
Camera A Operator
Khrystyna Shevchenko
1st Assistant Camera
Max Eddin
2nd Assistant Camera
John Susoeff
Camera B Operator
VitalyChvak
1st Assistant Camera
Jacob Victorica
2nd Assistant Camera
Cole Davis
Gaffer
Rustem Ablyamitov
Key Grip
Chris Plain
Best Boys
Henry Kholamain
Ryan Hall
Dolly Grip
Loren Blazek
Grips
Ana Reda
Nicholas Cortez
Marcos Noriega
Anjeza Gentry
Camera PAs
Ryan Huizar
Rachel Lam Yin Tung
Jib Operator
Joseph Walsh
Production Designers
Noah Kodeki
Laurence Noquet
Production Design Supervisor
Anne Herlihy
Set Dressers
Johaira Michelle DiLauro
Janelle Chivonne
Costume Designer
Alberto Zambelli
Costumes Made By
Dixie
Shipments provided by
Mida Michelacci Danilo
Italian Coordinator
53.0 di Manuela Falorni
Wardrobe
Betsy Siegel
Johaira Michelle DiLauro
MakeUp Artist
Drew Engel
Graphic Designer
Nick Acuna
Catering
Impeccable Taste
Production Sound
Brad Bryan
Boom Operatopr
Cierra Pashwan
Sound Mixer
Kaitlyn Marcial
Edited By
Andrew James Levay
Technical Consultant
Joelle Brianne Graham
Colorist
David Bernstein
Post Production Services
Roundabout Entertainment
Re-Recording Mixer
Tony Solis
Supervising Sound Editors
Jason Freeman
Lorenzo Gutierrez
Stage Engineer
Aaron Gray
Studio Account Executive
Jeannette Zepeda
Additional ADR
Jaime Andres Salazar
VFX Supervisors
Kartikye Gupta
Hemant Gupta
Pyrotechnics
Franklin Ponce
Katelyn Gelhart
Composer
Michael McLean
Solo Violin
Andrea Sanderson
Music Recordist
Brad Cobb
Mixtape
Violin Michael Siess
Misha Vayman
Cello Juan-Salvador Carrasco
Piano Nathan Ben-Yehuda
Pre-Production Team
Irfan Artuna, Ezra Balcha, Jessica Damron, Sharooz Farmanbodari, Azeez Gabsi, Linda Grande-Ruiz, Maya Gray, Jose Gutierrez, Masato Koyma, Yalem M. Amanuel, Eric Matthys, Austin Morse, Carole Murphy, David N. Zamarripa, Samuel Romo, Adam Rowlingson,
AM Sanchez
Thank You
Cassandra Carrasco, Gordon R. Macleod Jr., Mike Longi, Joy Reynolds, Bob Baker, Tiziana Falorni, Marzio Falorni, Frank Perna, Thomas Bell, Debra Wacks, Robert Del Bosque, Matthias Schneider, Carmen Dabney, Vanessa Lengies, Abishek Chandrasekar, Zachary Habart, Carol Maynes, Alex Maynes, Ari Somerfield, Lea Rouillier, Alessandro Crucitelli, Ivana Mura, Asia Falorni, Pierina Santerini, Clara Martinuzzi, Sebastian Carrasco, Alci Rengifo, Walt Louoe, Barbara Dunphy, Louis Longi
Special Thanks
Stephan Dada, Andrea Sanderson, Robert & Carrie Levay, Riccardo Crucitelli, Cinzia Maccarini, Giratempo Firenze, National Italian American Fundation, Italian Sons and Daughters of America, AGBO, Gabriella Milerti & The Russo Brothers