As filmmakers, we want to take the viewer on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure into the heart of Casa Verdi to meet its most fascinating residents, hear their stories of tragedy and triumphs, of love lost and love won and paint spellbinding portraits in film. Many have work they have yet to complete, others spend their hours mentoring, pouring out their knowledge and passion on students who could become the future stars of opera, ballet or music. Regardless, all of their diverse, fascinating stories will enrich our own lives, getting us in touch with our own humanity as only exquisitely crafted art can. The film itself will strive to meet Verdi’s own standard – and ours – of elevating humanity through storytelling.Yvonne Russo, Director/Producer
YVONNE RUSSO – DIRECTOR/PRODUCER/WRITER
Award-winning filmmaker is the director of VIVA VERDI!, a feature documentary that she is also writing and producing. She is currently serving as director/producer of RING OF FIRE: The Life of Annie Mae Aquash, a true-crime docu-series currently in production, produced by Amy Kaufman and Caroline Waterlow with Jake Gyllenhaal’s, Nine Stories. Most recently, she directed, produced and wrote the PBS animated short, MINNIE’S WAR BONNET. A producer on KELLY’S BAR, an indie feature with Casey Affleck’s Sea Change Media, Russo worked as Production Advisor on WOMAN WALKS AHEAD, starring Jessica Chastain, and as Production Liaison/Advisor on HBO Mini-Series, Lewis And Clark. She served as producer on Gale Anne Hurd’s feature documentary, TRUE WHISPERERS: THE STORY OF THE NAVAJO CODE TALKERS, and on the feature film, NATURALLY NATIVE; she was Co-Producer on THE RESCUERS: Heroes of the Holocaust. Russo worked for 15 years on a diverse slate of domestic and international television and film projects for such companies as HBO, National Geographic Channel,Discovery/TLC, and the CBS/Smithsonian Channel. She has a television development deal with Handmade Films to adapt the 1989 cult classic film, POWWOW HIGHWAY, based on a novel by David Seals, and has been contracted by Warner Media and Bad Robot as an executive producer on a new untitled television series in development. A member of the Academy of Television and Sciences, she is also a member of the Producers Guild of America where she formerly served on the Board of Governors. A Board Member of NYWIFT, Russo divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, and is a member of the Sicangu Lakota Tribal Nation.
CHRISTINE LA MONTE – PRODUCER/EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/WRITER
Producer/director/writer and former film marketing executive at Universal, Disney and Orion, is serving as producer/executive producer and writer on VIVA VERDI! She is the founder and president of La Monte Productions, where current projects in post production include feature documentaries FIGLI DEL FIUME (CHILDREN OF THE RIVER), that she is executive producing, as well as, PAUSED: Life Under C-19 with the Creative Compass Collective (CCC); in development is JUSTICE DEFERRED, a feature film based on Len Williams’ critically acclaimed legal thriller. She produced the award-winning short film, DANDELION DHARMA; the Gary Goldstein scripted play, “Three Grooms & A Bride,” and the syndicated television talk show, “Marilu” starring Marilu Henner. Her directing credits include the Screen Actors Guild’s “A Heart United” with Sharon Lawrence and Jo Beth Williams, and “The Angina Monologues” with Brenda Strong and Eric Close. La Monte spent over 6 years at the public relations/ marketing firm, Rogers & Cowan, as Executive Vice President of the Motion Picture Group; as an international strategic marketer, she worked at legendary Italian studio, CineCittá in Rome, and served as Marketing Executive, at TV 3 New Zealand, while living in Auckland. She is a Contributing Editor of Musée Magazine, an avant-garde photography magazine. A long-time member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences where she serves as a member of the Executive Committee of the Student Academy Awards, La Monte is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and the Alliance of Women Directors. She is a past faculty member of New York’s School of Visual Arts where she initiated the Dusty Awards, an annual festival of student short films/awards ceremony currently in its 27th year, and is on the Board of Advisors of SEEfest, the South Eastern Europe Film Festival, as well as PEN America’s Los Angeles Committee. La Monte divides her time between Los Angeles and Rome with her author husband, Len Williams.
RON SIMONS – PRODUCER/EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Five-time Tony Award-nominated and four- time Tony Award-winning producer, is CEO of SimonSays Entertainment, and an executive producer/producer of VIVA VERDI! Broadway credits include the winning box-office hit Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations, as well as the Tony-winning productions of Jitney, Porgy & Bess, A Gentleman’s Guide and Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike. Additional Broadway credits include The Gin Game, Hughie, A Street Car Named Desire, as well as the Off-Broadway hit Turn Me Loose. Simons is the highest African-American Tony Award winning producer of all time, cementing him as the leading Broadway producer working today bringing diversity to the stage. As CEO of SimonSays Entertainment, he leads the strategic planning and development of theatre, film and television projects including the critically acclaimed Sundance films NIGHT CATCHES US (starring Kerry Washington, Anthony Mackie and Wendell Pierce), GUN HILL ROAD (starring Esai Morales and Judy Reyes), BLUE CAPRICE (starring Isaiah Washington and Tequan Richmond) and MOTHER OF GEORGE (starring Danai Gurira) — three of which premiered in competition. His first documentary 25 TO LIFE, premiered at the American Black Film Festival where it won Best Documentary. Simons is a recipient of the Heritage Award from Columbia College’s Black Alumni Council, 150 Distinguished Alumni Award from University of Washington, and is a Johnson & Johnson Leadership Award Fellow, IFP Cannes’ Producers’ Network Fellow and a Sundance Producers’ Summit Fellow. A member of the Producers Guild of America, he was recently honored as the Emerging Producer of the Year by the National Black Theatre Festival.
JAMES TUMMINIA – EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
James Tumminia, multi-hyphenate producer/actor/director/writer, is the 2019 Emmy-nominated producer of LOVE GILDA. He co-founded with Alessandro Spallino, Italus Films, a newly formed US/Italy joint venture, with features and short films in pre-production. Tumminia’s producing credits include the award-winning feature documentary, LOVE, GILDA; the award-winning feature, VIOLET, starring Carlos Bardem, and directed by Luiso Berdejo; ALL SHE WROTE, starring Gary Dourdan; SOMEBODY’S MOTHER, directed by Gabriela Tollman, and THREE DAYS IN AUGUST, starring Barry Bostwick. His short film producing credits include, RAIN, directed by Alessandro Spallino; in addition to producing, he also directed and co-wrote the 2014 award-winning short, MY CHRISTMAS WISH. Tumminia’s television producing credits include Gilda Radner’s Greatest Moments for ABC, Abbott & Costello Meet Jerry Seinfeld for NBC and Bob Hope’s last special, Laughing with the Presidentsfor NBC. He was head of production at GPA Entertainment, and has consulted at Disney+, Disney Channel, and ABC Studios, among others. His acting credits include, RESIDENT EVIL, ANGELS & DEMONS, Criminal Minds, Melissa & Joey, and The Shield. A twenty-year member of the Producer’s Guild, Tumminia is Chair of the Guild’s Documentary Committee and serves on the Guild’s International and Independent Film Producers Committees. A member of the Television Academy since 1993, and SAG-AFTRA since 1991, the Los Angeles-based Tumminia, divides his time between Los Angels, New York, and Rome.
REGINA K. SCULLY – EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Regina K. Scully is the Founder and CEO of Artemis Rising Foundation, an organization dedicated to transforming our culture through media, arts, and education. She has produced over 200 documentary films focused on some of the most pressing social justice issues of our time—gender-parity, the achievement gap, and trauma recovery. Scully is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning and Academy-nominated producer. Her films include Miss Representation (2010), The Invisible War (2012), Anita: Speaking Truth To Power (2013), FED UP (2014), The Hunting Ground (2015), Newtown (2016), Eagle Huntress (2016), Dolores (2017), One Of Us (2017), Won’t You Be My Neighbor (2018), The Biggest Little Farm (2019), The Great Hack (2019), This Changes Everything (2019), and Fantastic Funghi (2020). Scully is the Founding Sponsor of the Athena Film Festival (NYC), which highlights women in filmmaking. She is also the co-founder of Making Waves, a public charter school in Northern California, serving low-income students to develop the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to pursue a life of opportunity and purpose.
SIMONE PERO – CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Emmy-nominated producer of THE TALE, and president/founder of For Impact Productions, a social impact film production company, is Co-Executive Producer of VIVA VERDI! Distributed world-wide by HBO Films and nominated for 25 awards, THE TALE starring Laura Dern, premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Under Pero’s leadership as producer, the film was lauded for its global social impact campaign reaching over 200 organizations and universities around the world, including at the United Nations in New York and Geneva. Pero’s portfolio embraces visionary film projects impacting society, culture, and humanity. She served as an executive producer on The New York Times Critic’s Pick documentary, THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING, featuring Meryl Streep, Geena Davis and Shonda Rhimes which premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. Pero produced the award-winning documentary, BODY & SOUL: DIANA & KATHY, broadcast on PBS, and served as impact campaign strategist for the Emmy-nominated CNN Films’ ESCAPE FIRE: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare. Her current projects include the political drama LILLY, and multipart documentary “Untitled Women of Wall Street.” Pero was Vice President for Corporate Communications at MTV, Director of Communication and Marketing at Rainbow Media/ Cablevision(now AMC Networks) and has consulted for HBO, among others. She is on faculty at the Stony Brook University Killer Films MFA in Film program, and is currently serving as the Advisory Board Chair of New York Women in Film & Television, and Board Member of Women in Film & Television International.
FEDERICO RODELLI – Co-Producer/Additional Editor/B-Unit Cameraman
Director, producer, editor, cinematographer, and writer, is an award-winning filmmaker based in Rome, Italy and co-producer/cinematographer/co-editor of VIVA VERDI! He has written, directed and produced, FIGLI DEL FIUME (CHILDREN OF THE PO,) a feature documentary currently in post, which follows three men in search of meaning as they explore ancestral waters along the banks of Italy’s Po River. Recently, Rodelli served as director of a series of fashion short films and web commercial campaigns for Areaitalia, an Italian ad agency. He is also in development with the agency on SAINT FRANCIS, THE CHURCH THAT BECAME A PRISON, a documentary celebrating the restoration and recovery of a medieval church in Parma, Italy which, in the 19th century, was transformed into a prison under the Napoleonic invasion. Additional works include serving as director of Freemantle Media’s “Take Me Out” which aired in 28 countries. L’ALTRO CIBO (SOUL FOOD) Rodelli’s short film, which he directed, produced and wrote, was presented out of competition at the Milano Film Festival in September 2012, and selected in the CILECT Prize 2013, and part of the CILECT Panorama, Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival 2013. Additional short films include, KARINA, THE PORTRAIT, MINE, and EMERALD JEWEL WASP. Documentaries that he has directed include HELP EXPRESS: ROMANIA, ST, MARTINO GOES FAR and SIGNS, which was chosen in 2013 and 2017, to represent Milano Scuola di Cinema e Televisione at “The Italian Cinema Seen From Milan.” Rodelli worked as 2nd Assistant Director on feature film, LINEA GOTICA, directed by Stefano Giulidori, and produced by Gagarin srl, Milan and MGamp, Rome. His music work includes serving as director/director of cinematography on Francesco Venturini’s Volere e Potere; Misfatto’s Heleonor, and Rosencruz. He has worked in television serving as director of Class CNBC TV, and as editor/cameraman at Teleducato, local TV in Parma.
FEDERICO CONFORTI – Editor
Federico Conforti is best known for his work on the acclaimed Italian film THEY CALL ME JEEG, which won seven David di Donatello awards (Italian Academy Awards) in 2016, including “Best Editing.” His work spans several genres and formats, from features and shorts to episodic, both documentary and scripted. He’s currently cutting his 8th feature film, GOLD DIGGERS (Camaleo Cinema). Conforti’s award-winning editing also includes the 2020 Emmy-nominated and 2021 Webby Award-winning ALMOST FAMOUS series (New York Times Op-Docs, Breakwater Studios). CALL ME BLOOD aka BLOOD RIDER, won the 2021 Webby Award for “Best Branded Documentary”; DEFYING GRAVITY (All3 Media, Google) was nominated for a 2021 Sports Emmy for “Outstanding Edited Sports Series”. He also won the 2020 “People’s Voice – Best Editing” Webby Award for THAT’S MY JAZZ (Breakwater Studios). Recently Conforti edited SHATTERED (Lionsgate, Construction Film, Silver Reel), a feature directed by Luis Prieto and starring John Malkovich, Frank Grillo, Cameron Monaghan, Sasha Luss, and Lilly Krug. Notable episodic work includes the anthology sci-fi series DIMENSION 404 (Lionsgate, Hulu Originals) and crime drama series THE OATH (Sony Crackle). Born in Livorno, Italy, the LA-based Conforti is a member of the Motion Picture Editors Guild (IATSE Local #700).
VERONICA BRADY – ARCHIVAL PRODUCER
Award-winning director, producer and archivist, has had a varied career in theatre, TV and film that includes directing over 100 plays, and helming three theatre companies as Artistic Director. In addition, she has worked on various television shows and numerous documentary and feature film productions. Her most recent film work as archival producer includes the documentaries: TINY SHOULDERS: RETHINKING BARBIE, a Hulu Documentary; LOVE 99 shown at the Napa Valley Film Festival; NOT CAROL; JOHNNY STRANGE: BORN TO FLY; ETHEL,an Emmy-nominated/Television Critic Award-winning documentary produced for HBO; EVERY FIFTEEN MINUTES, a Telly Award-winning short film; GRANDPA, DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?, an Emmy-winning and Television Critic Award-winning HBO documentary; and Patrick Dempsey: Racing Le Mans, a 5 episode series produced for Discovery/Velocity. Los Angeles-based Brady, has received an Emmy, numerous TV awards and Ovation and LA Weekly recognition for her theatre work.
JACEK LASKUS – DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
A native of Poland, cinematographer Jacek Laskus’, ASC, PSC, extensive film and television credits include films lensed around the world. He started his career in New York City filming numerous music videos and SNL shorts for award winning directors, Zbigniew Rbyczynski and Jonathan Demme. Laskus relocated to Los Angeles in the 90’s, and shot his first Hollywood feature SQUARE DANCE, starring Winona Ryder and Rob Lowe for director Daniel Petrie Sr.; the film opened the 1987 Sundance film Festival. He was recruited by Robert Altman to shoot THE CAINE MUTINY COURT MARSHALL, starring Eric Bogosian and Brad Davis. The film earned him the ASC nomination for Outstanding Cinematography. In 1996, Laskus received his second ASC nomination for GARDEN OF REDEMPTION, a WWII drama directed by Thomas Michael Donnelly. His work on COLORS STRAIGHT UP, a documentary directed by Michele Ohayon, was recognized when the film was nominated for an Academy Award in 1998. Among his other credits are Bill Sherwood’s seminal, PARTING GLANCES, which was screened in competition at the Sundance Film Festival in 1986, and FRANKIE AND JOHNNY ARE MARRIED, by Director Michael Pressman in 2002. In addition, he has worked with directors Carl Franklin and Michael Tolkin.
NICHOLAS PIKE – COMPOSER
Nicholas Pike, Emmy award-winning British composer, is a multi-hyphenate music arranger, conductor and engineer with wide stylistic range and facile command of both orchestral and electronic composition which range from conducting the London Symphony Orchestra’s recording of his suite based on Athol Fugard’s play “Master Harold and the Boys” to scoring Michael Jackson’s epic videos “Ghost” and “You Rock My World.” His work in film spans from Disney’s BLANK CHECK, CAPTAIN RON, and the animated THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER, to the darker world of Warner Brothers’ FEARDOTCOM and Stephen King’s SLEEPWALKERS. As a film composer, Pike is known for Stephen King’s mini-series thriller “The Shining.” He was the first- daytime talk show live band for NBC’s The Bonnie Hunt Show, for which he also composed the show’s theme song. In the documentary world he has scored HBO’s BAGHDAD ER and IN TAHRIR, for which he won the 2013 Outstanding Music and Sound Emmy. Other documentaries include FOR THE LOVE OF SPOCK in 2016, and the Native American epic, 100 YEARS, for which he also composed and produced the Academy short listed song “On Ghost Ridge”, performed by Yuna. Other awards include the Elmer Bernstein Award for his score to LOVE OBJECT at the Woodstock Film Festival, and the Best Music Award from the Sitges Cinema Fantastic Festival for his score to the film, CRITTERS 2. Most recently, LA-based Pike, who has a non-exclusive publishing deal with BMG, scored the music for several projects including Bonnie Hunt’s Apple series, Amber Brown; the thriller, MODEL HOUSE; and the independent film ALBATROSS.
JUDITH FINELL – MUSIC SUPERVISOR
A musicologist and Verdi specialist, is the president of Judith Finell MusicServices Inc., a music consulting firm in New York and Los Angeles, founded 25 years ago in New York. She has served as consultant and expert witness involving music copyright infringement, advised on artist career and project development, and a wide variety of music industry topics. Finell was honored to be the 2018 commencement speaker at UCLA’s Herb Albert School of Music. She was also interviewed by NBC/Universal for a 2018 documentary entitled “The Universality of Music,” in which she discussed the ways in which she sees music as being an international language that can bridge cultural barriers that spoken language does not. Finell was the testifying expert for the Marvin Gaye family in the milestone “Blurred Lines” case in Federal Court. She has testified in many other notable copyright infringement trials over the past 20 years. She and her team of musicologists regularly advise HBO, Lionsgate, Grey Advertising, CBS, Warner, Disney, and Sony Pictures on musical works for their commercials, films, and television series. She also frequently advises attorneys, advertising agencies, entertainment and recording companies, publishing firms, and musicians, addressing copyright issues, including those arising from digital sampling, electronic technology and Internet musical usage. Finell was invited to teach the first course in the country on forensic musicology at UCLA. She holds an M.A. degree in musicology from the University of California at Berkeley and a B.A. from UCLA in piano performance. She has written numerous articles and a book in the area of contemporary music and copyright infringement and has appeared in trials on Court TV and before the American Intellectual Property Law Association. Finell is a trustee of the Copyright Society of the U.S.A., and has appeared as a guest lecturer at the law schools of Harvard University, UCLA, Stanford, Columbia, Vanderbilt, George Washington, NYU, and Fordham, as well as the Beverly Hills Bar Assn., LA Copyright Society, and the Association of Independent Music Publishers.
MAXIM DEREVIANKO – DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY/SECOND UNIT
An award-winning director is based in Rome, Italy. In 2018 he directed and produced the feature documentary “Cellos & Drums” for the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, following the Giovanni Sollima Ensemble in the concerts in Rome and Amsterdam. Since December 2015, Derevianko has been the official filmmaker of the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, for which he makes promotional videos, trailers and directing Multicam Streamings for all productions of both opera and ballet. He has worked with internationally renowned directors such as Sofia Coppola, Emma Dante, William Kentridge, Damiano Michieletto, Marco Bellocchio, Daniele Gatti for opera and choreographers, and dancers such as Roberto Bolle, Eleonora Abbagnato, Giuliano Peparini, Angelin Preljocaj. He has created various works for Bulgari, Fiat and Arca Enel. In 2020/2021 He directed/produced numerous documentaries for the prestigious Origen Festival Cultural, working with ballet companies such as the Paris Operà, The Staatsoper of Wien, the Zurich Ballet and NDT. Derevianko directed the sci-fi short film BODYPIECES, which garnered numerous international festival awards including Best Actor from the New York City International Film Festival; Best Film Debut, Grenzland Filmtage, Selb, Germany; Best Subject, Notorious Film Festival, Calgari, Italy; Best Audience Award, Tolfa Short Film Festival 2013, and Audience Award/Silver Camera, Videomaker Film Festival 2013, Napoli. The short was also an official selection at the Courtoujours 2014 Film Festival, Geneva, Switzerland and the Rome International Film Festival 2013. Currently he is working on the documentary “Le Creature di Prometeo/Le creature di Capucci”, following the fashion Maestro Roberto Capucci in his last creations for a show at the Spoleto Festival.