Press Release:

from the The Italian Newspaper
"A Local Filmmaker captures the real South Philadelphia"
by Gregory Mario Jacovini

Within a few minutes of talking with Tony Palma, I knew he was making a different kind of film. Shades of Paradise was somehow avoiding all the stereotypes and pitfalls that a movie set in South Philadelphia often embraces. The film even avoids the standard Hollywood clichés that make so many movies so forgettable. I knew he was filming from a different angle.

Set partly in South Philadelphia, Shades of Paradise tells the story of three neighborhood friends and how one person changes their lives forever. The film entertains with fast paced action, but below the action, human drama moves the story.The story is about Frank, a hard working good kid who loves his girlfriend, his family, his neighborhood and his church. According to Tony Palma, who created the character, Frank is in many ways the personification of what an Italian man is.Shades of Paradise stands apart from other films for a variety of reasons. Possibly the most notable is that the main character, Frank, is an honest, hard-working man. Several local filmmakers have tried to capitalize on the recent success of The Sopranos by filming mediocre mob dramas in South Philadelphia. Shades of Paradise avoids all that and instead shows Italians and South Philadelphia in a positive light.The casting for Shades of Paradise also sets the film apart from others. Italian American actors play the Italian characters in the film. Stars such as Leo Rossi (pictured) and Robert Costanza, along with up-and-coming actors like Johnny Alonso and James Grimaldi give an authenticity to their performance that a non-Italian actor could not deliver.One of the most important characters in the film is not a person, but a neighborhood. The neighborhood around Saint Nicholas of Tolentine Church at 9th and Watkins Street plays an enormous role in the film. A majority of the action in Shades of Paradise takes place in a close knit Italian neighborhood. Director Tony Palma found that quality in the neighborhood surrounding Saint Nick's.In addition to the actors and the set, Italian Americans play a vital role in the behind the camera work of Shades of Paradise. Tony Palma wrote the script and is directing the picture. Fred Caruso, whose credits include Once Upon A Time in America and Blow Out is the Executive Producer. And Emmy Award winning cinematographer Joe Meccariello is the Director of Photography.

While Shades of Paradise is without a doubt a refreshing film for Italian Americans to support, it is also an important film for the city of Philadelphia. Philadelphia, in comparison to cities like New York, Los Angeles and Montreal, is not known as a filmmaker's city. In spite of this, filmmaking brought over $50 million in new business to Philadelphia last year alone. Movie making is big business, and the success of Shades of Paradise will invite more filmmakers to shoot their projects in Philadelphia.

Many of the scenes for Shades of Paradise have already been shot and rehearsals for the next round of shooting have already begun. Once additional funding is secured, Shades of Paradise will finish production and begin the tour of film festivals and film markets such as the Philadelphia Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival and Cannes Film Festival.

---Gregory Mario Jacovini

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