July 24, 2011

Director Bruno Pischiutta and Producer Daria Trifu have agreed to an exclusive interview with Journalist Carola Bidlo of UNICA to announce that a five year partnership contract between the City of Brasov (Mayor George Scripcaru) and the Brasov Film Center (their private enterprise) has been signed!

George Scripcaru is known to be a supporter of the arts and he has always been dedicated to endorsing programs and ventures that bring positive developments in the city.

UNICA is Romania’s top women monthly magazine.

The contract has been signed on July 20 between George Scripcaru and Daria Trifu, founding member of the Brasov Film Center.

Here are the basic terms of the 6 page document: Brasov Film Center has free access to using the full premises of the Dramatic Theater (the main hall has 800 seats) in the month of July as location of the Brasov International Film Festival & Film Market. Brasov Film Center has also free access to using the Small Hall of the Theater (40 seats) between the months of April and June as location of the Film Workshops.

The Dramatic Theater is a monumental building located just a few minutes from Sfatului Square (the city’s main Square in the historical center). It is currently undergoing major renovations that will be completed in Spring 2012.

The City is providing Brasov Film Center with their local marketing and media channels as well as permits, security, other facilities, access to placing P&A throughout the city on city billboards and TV screens and access to screening of classic films (open air & free for the public) in Sfatului Square every evening throughout the course of the Film Festival.

The Brasov Film Center (Film Festival and Film Workshops) is a private enterprise and it is the sole investor in all ventures and activities described above and sole owner of all profits thereby generated. The Brasov Film Center, its ventures and programs do not benefit in any way from any type of direct investment and/or monetary contribution from the City of Brasov.

This partnership confirms Pischiutta and Trifu’s long term commitment to Transilvanian talent, as well as to transforming the city of Brasov into an international film production center.

Furthermore, it is now clear that Brasov – the second largest city in Romania – has become the base of their business expansion in Europe. Most of their European business operations will be run and managed out of the headquarters of the Brasov Film Center. The Center will commence its activity in spring 2012, upon completion of renovation of the historical building that has already been chosen.

HERE IS THE ARTICLE OUT IN THE AUGUST ISSUE OF UNICA MAGAZINE:
(its English translation follows)

DARIA TRIFU Opens the first Film Centre in Brasov

She is a film producer in Toronto, actress, publisher and editor-in-chief of DARIA! magazine. Together with the Italian director Bruno Pischiutta, the young woman returned to her hometown, Brasov, to film a documentary about the city at the foot of the mountains, to shoot the feature film ABUSED IN AMERICA and to create film workshops for those who dream of Hollywood!

Daria and Bruno are like Stela and Arsinel (a famous Romanian comedian couple). Two professionals who make a good team on the set, and after 10 minutes spent with them you get incredible stories, jokes and funny situations of Bruno, told by the director in English, with a typical Italian humour! I met them in Brasov, downtown, and what was supposed to be a short interview with Daria, about her life in Toronto and about the two productions she is shooting in Brasov, turned into long hours of discussions and a lesson about the pleasure of drinking espresso, from director Bruno Pischiutta.

The two film personalities are special people, calm and friendly… two people who fell in love with Brasov, who in 2012 will bring it on the big screen. “I want to show Brasov to the whole world. It is a wonderful city, worth visiting by tourists from the farthest corners of the world” says Daria. “We chose Brasov because it doesn’t look like any other place we’ve seen so far… and it lives every holiday with much intensity. Yesterday we saw the Junii, then traditional dancing… some wonderful traditional costumes, and people all over the place. The DOP managed to catch a few frames for the documentary”, tells Bruno. The director is the more passionate part of the team. Either he speaks about the art of film-making, about the parties on Venice Beach, California, or how much I would love Steven Spielberg if I met him, he does it with a serious intonation and he gesticulates as if he was on a theatre stage. Daria instead is gentle, she looks permanently into your eyes when she tells you something and she is so sure about what she wants from life, that you wish to drink the same tea she’s drinking. She is 30, she lives in Toronto since she was 17, she has been making films for ten years, and in her free time she is involved in social activities. She flew to Africa to get documented about the practice of the Trokosi worship, through which women become sexual slaves and are offered as sacrifice, and so came out her first film, PUNCTURED HOPE. The film was directed by Bruno Pischiutta and nominated in 2009 by The Political Film Society (Hollywood) in two categories: “Best Film Expose“ and “Best Film on Human Rights“. They have been in Romania for five months, they have already started the shooting for the documentary, and by the end of the year they will be calling: Attention, filming! For ABUSED IN AMERICA, too!

90 minutes of Brasov!

For one hour and a half, the documentary Daria and Bruno are filming in Brasov, will showcase the beauty of the city from different perspectives: art, music, culture, tradition and history. In the documentary, there will be short interviews with the most important people of Brasov.  “The documentary is being produced by Adhara Properties, founded in 2003 by Daria, and it will be distributed nationally and internationally in cinemas, on TV and DVDs” says Bruno Pischiutta.

The shootings of ABUSED IN AMERICA start

The second project Daria and Bruno are working on is a social film, tackling the issue of the child abuse in the USA. It is written and directed by Bruno Pischiutta, and the shootings are going to take place in Brasov. “90 actors from all over the world will perform in this feature film… they are from the USA, Canada, different countries in Europe, India, and even South Africa. The casting was made via the internet, because we live in the technology century and we can afford the luxury to choose young talents from everywhere, without them having to fly hundreds of km for a meeting with us” says the director. The feature film will be produced by Adhara Properties and released by Toronto Pictures.

The Dramatic Theatre will host the film workshops!

Daria signed a five year agreement with the City Hall of Brasov and she benefits from the support of the city to open the first film center in the spring of 2012. The school classes will be free! “We want to give a chance to everybody who is gifted and wants to get in the film world, to learn acting, screenwriting, film directing and film production”, says Daria. The classes will last around five months and 35 applicants will be selected. To be up to date with the latest news about the film center’s evolution and the date for application, get on rollywood.org starting on September 1st.

THE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL FROM BRASOV will be organized by Daria Trifu in July 2012 at the Dramatic Theatre “Sica Alexandrescu”

Daria! Magazine – THE THIRD NUMBER!

It is an exclusivist magazine, which is not addressed to just everybody but instead it is edited especially for those from the film industry, media managers and television people. DARIA! is the first magazine in the world having a black cover with “Daria!” written in small size white letters right in the center.  Above is the inside cover ! The editorial of the Premiere Issue is to be found on dariamagazine.com.

PHOTO CAPTIONS: 1. In Africa, on the set of PUNCTURED HOPE; 2. Daria, with one of the guests at the release party of DARIA! magazine in Monte Carlo; 3. The editor Carola Bidlo together with Bruno and Daria; 4. Together with Bruno at the NASDAQ interview, New York; 5. Rehearsals for PUNCTURED HOPE; 6. After the interview for the radio ABC, New York; 7. In Brasov with her newest fan, Lupa

Find more videos like this on Toronto Pictures

DESCRIPTION: The motion picture, PUNCTURED HOPE, was filmed in West Africa and it looks at a tradition (TROKOSI) practiced in parts of Ghanas Volta region in which a young virgin girl is given as a sacrifice for wrongs done by a family member. The film was in theaters in Los Angeles from November 2009 to January 2010 and it qualified for nomination consideration at the Academy Awards®. The film was also nominated by the Political Film Society (Hollywood) for two awards: “Best Expose” and “Best Film on Human Rights” of 2009.

Director, Co-Writer, Executive Producer, Producer BRUNO PISCHIUTTA
Producer, Executive Producer DARIA TRIFU

TORONTO PICTURES’ SITE:
http://torontopictures.ning.com

YOUTUBE:
http://www.youtube.com/TorontoPictures
Username on YouTube: TorontoPictures

TWITTER:
http://twitter.com/TorPix
Username on Twitter: TorPix

READ MORE ABOUT OUR FILMS AND OUR COMPANY, TORONTO PICTURES, AND INVITE YOUR FRIENDS TO JOIN US AT: http://www.torontopictures.com

VISIT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL: http://www.youtube.com/TorontoPictures

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/TorPix

HERE ARE SOME LINKS TO EXPLORE MORE:

VIDEO

‘AFRICA JOURNAL’ TV PROGRAM ABOUT “PUNCTURED HOPE” BY REUTERS (6 minutes):
http://www.a24media.com/index.php/component/content/article/96-culture/1106-punctured-hope?directory=646

REUTERS INTERVIEWS (clips):
http://www.itnsource.com/shotlist//RTV/2009/11/13/RTV2188309/

THAT CHANNEL TORONTO ‘JAY TV’ DECEMBER 4 SHOW (1 hour):
http://thatradio.podhoster.com/index.php?sid=1160&m=12&y=2009

TOUKI MONTREAL INTERVIEW (4 minutes):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na2kuwBSOX0

PRESS

UNIVERSUL ROMANESC:
http://www.universulromanesc.net/index.php/divertisment/vedete/242-filmul-punctured-hope-se-impune-la-hollywood-.html

ROMANIAN GLOBAL NEWS ARTICLE:
http://www.rgnpress.ro/content/view/41507/1/#Scene_1

BRASOV NEWS:
http://www.stiribrasov.ro/2010/02/punctured-hope-se-impune-la-hollywood-ca-avangarda-pentru-actualul-sezon-al-premiilor/#more-4926

JAMATI MAGAZINE:
http://www.jamati.com/online/film/punctured-hope-cinema-and-consciousness/

MOVIE COMMENTARY:
http://monilazo.blogspot.com/2010/01/movie-commentary-punctured-hope.html

POLITICAL FILM SOCIETY:
http://www.polfilms.com/puncturedhope.html

HUMAN RIGHTS EXAMINER:
http://www.examiner.com/x-10438-Human-Rights-Examiner~y2009m12d24-Punctured-Hope-true-story-Academy-Award-contender-opens-in-LA

TOLERANCE.CA:
http://www.tolerance.ca/Article.aspx?ID=65626&L=en

VERTICAL NEWS:
http://www.verticalnews.com/articles/2992892.html

SHADOW AND ACT:
http://www.shadowandact.com/?p=9153

KHADY CRONIQUES:
http://khady.durala.com/2009/09/punctured-hope-cinema-et-conscience.html

NINE MERIDIANS:
http://www.ninemeridians.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/connections-august-09.pdf

KLARTALE NORWAY:
http://www.klartale.no/verden/article372.zrm

AUDIO

HEALTHREVOLUTION WITH BONNIE MECHELLE (1 hour):
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thehealthrevolution/2009/10/31/toronto-pictures-presents-a-story-about-trokosi-an

ONLINEWITHANDREA WITH ANDREA GARRISON (2 hours):
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/onlinewithandrea/2009/08/18/punctured-hope-a-bruno-pischiutta-film

LET’S TALK ABOUT IT WITH DR. CHERYL BRYANTBRUCE (1 hour):
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lets_talk_about_it/2009/12/21/whered-the-ho-ho-ho-in-the-holidays-go-and-how-do-

The screening will take place at the Laemmle’s Sunset 5 theater on Tuesday, November 10 at 7:30 PM (8000 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood).

Invited to attend are members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association® and members of the Broadcast Film Critics Association.

RSVP (1) 647-296-3459 or (corporate@filmail.com).

The Awards qualifying run of public screenings for PUNCTURED HOPE will take place in Los Angeles at the Encino Laemmle Theater – Town Center 5 between November 13 to 19 (17200 Ventura Blvd., Encino).

The feature film PUNCTURED HOPE – A STORY ABOUT TROKOSI AND YOUNG GIRLS’ SLAVERY IN TODAY’S WEST AFRICA is Toronto Pictures’ entry for Awards season nomination consideration. IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0448093

Written, directed and produced by Bruno Pischiutta and produced by Daria Trifu, the film is inspired by the true story of an irrepressible survivor. She was genitally mutilated and sexually abused for years when, as a virgin girl, she was enslaved to became a victim of the Trokosi practice. The story is based on the biggest form of women slavery that exists today in the world.

The film was an official selection at the Montreal World Film Festival where it achieved critical and public success. News: http://www.editurl.com/3jv

About PUNCTURED HOPE:

PUNCTURED HOPE is the first main stream feature film (USD 5.8 M, Hollywood standard, 35 mm, 91 min., English Language, Color, Not Rated) that is based on an African story interpreted by an all African cast of professional actors and shot in Africa under the brilliant direction of internationally acclaimed and visionary Maestro Bruno Pischiutta.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/TorontoPictures

About Bruno Pischiutta: Born in Udine, Italy in 1947, Bruno Pischiutta began his film career in the late 1960s as an actor in films by Francesco Rosi, Nanni Loy and Billy Wilder. In 1975 he founded the Centro Iniziative di Azione Culturale in Rome. He made his directorial debut in 1975 with COMPAGNE NUDE, and he moved to Canada in 1983. His other films include ULTIMO INCONTRO A VENEZIA (1977), ISOLA MECCANICA (1978), THE COMOEDIA (1981), LIFE’S CHARADE (1987), MAYBE (2003).

Word Press: http://torontopictures.wordpress.com

About Toronto Pictures: Targeting a global audience, Toronto Pictures explores different cultures and addresses controversial issues of our time in dramatic format. Toronto Pictures produces Hollywood standard, 35 mm feature films that provoke thought not violence.

Website: http://torontopictures.ning.com

CONTACT: Daria Trifu

Toronto Pictures, Inc.

Email: corporate@filmail.com

Tel: (1) 647-296-3459

###

Director Bruno Pischiutta and Producer Daria Trifu on the set of PUNCTURED HOPE in Africa

Toronto, Canada (TransWorldNews) — On the occasion of his film, PUNCTURED HOPE, being announced as Toronto Pictures’ contender for the 2010 Academy Awards, Director Bruno Pischiutta has addressed the members of his private social network in a letter that breaks down the concept of his company’s CAUSE.

“Through PUNCTURED HOPE we want to help to free the slaves of the Trokosi tradition and to eliminate the barbaric practice of genital mutilation from the world.

We have other goals too.

We want that the rights of women and children are respected. We want to fight intellectual pollution, stupidity, racism and discrimination. We want to show that nonviolent film can be commercially viable and it can help to make a better world. We want to win the fight against ignorance and bigotry. We want to use film as an artistic weapon to improve the lifestyle and mentality of the viewers, to make their life better and to make them think in a positive way about major social problems that anguish our world today.

Our business identifies with our art; our art identifies with our life. We have decided, long time ago, to live a life with a CAUSE that motivates us, our art and our work. Our CAUSE is driven by high ideals and it is more important than anyone of us.

It is a new world; it is time for a new morality! It is time to put the important things first. We are working for our CAUSE through the medium of film because we are filmmakers. Film is our way to express ourselves and we are aware that our films will live after us: they will become our legacy.

PUNCTURED HOPE is a very important film and it is a product that we are proud of. In the other way, it is only one component that is part of a very complex and sophisticated agenda, it represents one moment in time when the participation of everyone who is inspired by our CAUSE is welcome”.

PUNCTURED HOPE is screening in Los Angeles at the Encino Laemmle Theater – Town Center 5 between November 13 to 19.

About Bruno Pischiutta: Born in Udine, Italy in 1947, Maestro Bruno Pischiutta began his film career in the late 1960s as an actor in films by Francesco Rosi, Nanni Loy and Billy Wilder. In 1975 he founded the Centro Iniziative di Azione Culturale in Rome. He made his directorial debut in 1975 with COMPAGNE NUDE, and he moved to Canada in 1983. His other films include ULTIMO INCONTRO A VENEZIA (1977), ISOLA MECCANICA (1978), THE COMOEDIA (1981), LIFE’S CHARADE (1987), MAYBE (2003). For more info: http://www.editurl.com/3e7

About PUNCTURED HOPE – A STORY ABOUT TROKOSI AND YOUNG GIRLS’ SLAVERY IN TODAY’S WEST AFRICA: Written, directed and produced by Bruno Pischiutta and produced by Daria Trifu, the film is inspired by the true story of an irrepressible survivor. She was genitally mutilated and sexually abused for years when, as a virgin girl, she was enslaved to became a victim of the Trokosi practice. IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0448093

For Video clips & Director interview: http://www.youtube.com/TorontoPictures

The film was an official selection at the Montreal World Film Festival. For more info:  http://www.editurl.com/3jv

About Toronto Pictures (OTC Symbol: TTOPF): Targeting a global audience, Toronto Pictures explores different cultures and addresses controversial issues of our time in dramatic format. Toronto Pictures produces Hollywood standard, 35 mm feature films that provoke thought not violence. Official website: http://www.torontopictures.com

CONTACT: Daria Trifu

Toronto Pictures, Inc.

Email: corporate@filmail.com

Tel: (1) 310-734-8669

###

FILM: Regissør Bruno Pischiutta sammen med skuespillerne. De har laget en ny film om tradisjonen Trokosi. Foto: Toronto Pictures

I Afrika lever kvinner som slaver. Filmen «Punctured Hope» skal få lederne i verden til å reagere.

By Maren Gjelvik

Publisert: 19.10.09 | 08:51

– Vi fortalte ikke til noen hva filmen egentlig handlet om. Ikke engang myndighetene i Ghana. Da kunne vi blitt drept, sier Bruno Pischiutta til Klar Tale.

Han har regissert den nye filmen «Punctured Hope». Den forteller historien om Belinda Siamey. Hun er fra Ghana i Afrika. Der blir tusenvis av jenter ofre for tradisjonen trokosi. De må være slaver for prester. Siamey var en av dem. I filmen spiller hun jenta Edinam.

– Vi hadde ikke hørt om trokosi før vi fikk et brev av pastoren Kingsley Sam Obed. Han fortalte om tradisjonen og mente at vi burde lage en film om det, sier Pischiutta.

Italienske Pischiutta driver et film-selskap. Filmene hans handler om problemene i verden. Blant annet alkoholisme, spise-forstyrrelser og om kvinner som blir misbrukt. Først var Pischiutta og produsent Daria Trifu skeptiske til det Obed fortalte. De måtte undersøke om historien var sann. Derfor dro de til Afrika.

– Vi besøkte blant annet stedene der jentene må bo. Mange av dem blir i templene hele livet. Vi så hvordan disse jentene lever. Da bestemte vi oss for å lage filmen, sier Daria Trifu.

Nesten alle som jobbet med å lage filmen var afrikanere. Det var også alle skuespillerne.

– Noen av skuespillerne er kjente i Afrika. Jeg er veldig imponert over alle sammen. Vi filmet ofte langt inne i skogen. Det var ikke som i Hollywood, sier Bruno Pischiutta.

Belinda Siamey studerer til å bli advokat. Men tidligere var hun slave. Pischuetta mener at hun kan sammenlignes med den kjente skuespilleren Meryl Streep.

– Hun levde seg sånn inn i historien. Når vi sluttet å filme en scene, fortsatte hun med å gråte. Det var så virkelig for henne, sier Pischiutta.

Han mener at «Punctured Hope» ikke bare er trist. Den skal også vise hvordan livet er i en vanlig afrikansk landsby. Barn leker og voksne krangler. Akkurat som alle andre steder.

«Punctured Hope» hadde première i september. Det skjedde på Montreal Film Festival i Canada. I november skal den vises på noen få kinoer i USA. Trifu og Pischiutta jobber for at den skal vises flere steder. De håper at filmen kan få ledere i verden til å gjøre noe. Og å legge press på myndighetene i Ghana.

– Heldigvis ser det ut til at filmen filmen “>kommer til å få mye oppmerksomhet. Og da blir det lettere å få til. Jeg er stolt av filmen og stolt over at vi torte å lage den. Jeg tror at den kommer til å bli sett av folk i flere år fremover, sier Pischiutta.

klartale.no

Writer/Director/Producer/Executive Producer Bruno Pischiutta and Producer/Executive Producer Daria Trifu on the sent of PUNCTURED HOPE in Africa

Toronto, Canada 10/18/2009 (TransWorldNews) –Toronto Pictures announced today that its Oscar entry, PUNCTURED HOPE – A story About Trokosi and Young Girls’ Slavery in Today’s West Africa, will start its theaterical run in Los Angeles at the Encino Laemmle Theater – Town Center 5 between November 13 to 19.

PUNCTURED HOPE is Toronto Pictures’ official entry for nomination consideration for best feature film at the 82nd annual Academy Awards.

Written, directed and produced by Bruno Pischiutta and produced by Daria Trifu, the film is inspired by the true story of an irrepressible survivor. She was genitally mutilated and sexually abused for years when, as a virgin girl, she was enslaved to became a victim of the Trokosi practice.

“We call on the support of the general public to join our cause and get involved in the promotion of PUNCTURED HOPE in every way they can. It is through the common effort of all those who are against the slavery and genital mutilation of women and children that we can achieve the abolishment of such on-going practices. PUNCTURED HOPE gives a voice to the victims of the practice of TROKOSI  in West Africa, under which young girls continue to become life-long slaves on a daily basis.” – Bruno Pischiutta and Daria Trifu

The film is a Canadian production of Adhara Properties and Toronto Pictures and it was shot in Ghana. The story is based on the biggest form of women slavery that exists today in the world.

PUNCTURED HOPE Cinema Poster

PUNCTURED HOPE is the first North American production (USD 5.8 M, Hollywood standard, 35 mm, 91 min., English Language, Color, Not Rated) to be shot in Africa and to feature an all African cast of professional actors.

The film was an official selection at the Montreal World Film Festival. PUNCTURED HOPE is the first main stream feature film that is based on an African story interpreted by African actors and shot on the continent under the brilliant direction of internationally acclaimed and visionary Maestro Bruno Pischiutta.

PUNCTURED HOPE aims to break new ground for the African Film Industry as it showcases outstanding young and emerging talent such as Actors Belinda Siamey, Ruffy Samuel Quansah and Joyce Akagbo as well as renown and widely celebrated Actors such as Fred Amugi and Gavinina Tamakloe.

The 82nd Academy Award nominations will be announced on February 2, 2010, with the awards handed out on March 7.

About Bruno Pischiutta: Born in Udine, Italy in 1947, Bruno Pischiutta began his film career in the late 1960s as an actor in films by Francesco Rosi, Nanni Loy and Billy Wilder. In 1975 he founded the Centro Iniziative di Azione Culturale in Rome. He made his directorial debut in 1975 with COMPAGNE NUDE, and he moved to Canada in 1983. His other films include ULTIMO INCONTRO A VENEZIA (1977), ISOLA MECCANICA (1978), THE COMOEDIA (1981), LIFE’S CHARADE (1987), MAYBE (2003). For more info: http://www.editurl.com/3e7

About PUNCTURED HOPE:

News: http://www.editurl.com/3jv

For Video clips & Director interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uZGJmZtMiE

About Toronto Pictures (OTC Symbol: ‘TTOPF’): Targeting a global audience, Toronto Pictures explores different cultures and addresses controversial issues of our time in dramatic format. Toronto Pictures develops and produces Hollywood standard, 35 mm feature films that provoke thought not violence.

For more info: http://www.torontopictures.com

For Blog: http://puncturedhope.blogspot.com

CONTACT: Daria Trifu

Toronto Pictures, Inc.

Email: corporate@filmail.com

Tel: (1) 310-734-8669