About The Project & Team:
Anthony Costa [Writer/Director]
Anthony is “The Miracle Movie Man” says Jesus Alvarez of Vortex Magazine.
Kristian Fraga (Arts & Entertainment) and biographer of acclaimed Hollywood director,
Tim Burton, states: “He [Anthony] is one of the most innovative film artists around.”
Adam Zoblotsky (ranked the 6th Best Film Festival director in America by the
entertainment bible, the “Ross Report”) says: “Anthony consistently writes and
directs great movies that are both powerful and entertaining.”
Anthony has also worked with Academy Award Winners and Actor’s Studio Members,
and his films have won numerous awards and accolades, such as:
Best Director (angelciti Los Angeles International Film Festival)
Best Actor & Best Editor (New York City Filmmakers Festival)
Most Popular Film (Long Island Film Festival Stony Brook)
Best Director (Santa Fe International Film Festival)
Critics around the country said Anthony’s last feature film was…
Monumental – The Detroit News
An Incredible Cinematic Achievement – Fox News
A Modern Classic – Arts & Entertainment
Striking In It’s Sinister Beauty – Ann Arbor News
Together Anthony and his partner, Cinematographer & Technical Expert,
Darren Levine are creating a “fast-paced & powerful” new feature film about:
*Halting the corruption of America’s “rich & powerful”…
*Smashing a horrific “child trafficking” ring right here in the U.S. and…
*Forcing an immoral “Wall Street Firm” to pay for their crimes…
To learn more about Anthony and Darren’s extensive credits, see the links further down
in the “Learn About Us” section.
The Story (inspired by actual events):
“After a seemingly unrelated robbery of a Wall Street Investment Firm, several prominent
NYC judges show up – dead – still dressed in their judicial robes. Their bodies have been
placed at the foot of iconic New York City sites such as:
the Statue Of Liberty… the Empire State Building… Yankee Stadium…
the U.N Building… and Times Square!
Detective Michael Maggio confronts his main suspect, a man known only as “Silver”.
When questioned, Silver reveals that both cases of the Wall St. robbery, and the dead
Judges were actually linked. He also reveals the true nature of the Judges… Each of
them was heavily involved in “child trafficking” and the sexual exploitation of children.
Silver provides enough information, so that Detective Maggio knows it’s all true. Then
the detective decides on a greater justice and allows Silver to carry on. Later, he and
Silver create a Children’s Support Center with the money that Silver gained from the
original “Wall Street” investment firm robbery.
Why we’re making this film & why we appreciate your help.
A Special Note From Anthony:
Three years ago, I had the good fortune to be accepted into, and then later receive
two awards (Best Actor and Best Editor) at the New York City Filmmakers’ Festival.
At that time, it was my pleasure to meet the festival director, Darren Levine, who is
also a professional cinematographer by trade. He had an easy-going, friendly demeanor,
and it was obvious that this bright, dedicated man loved movies and the people who
make them.
In particular, Darren loved “indie” (independent) filmmakers because they somehow
manage to create their art without the assistance of big studios and big money.
Being an indie filmmaker, myself, I could not have agreed with Darren’s sentiments more.
And so, about a year after Darren and I met, when I decided to start my next project,
I thought I’d give Darren a call to see if he’d like to get involved.
To my delight, he told me that he’d been looking into what his next project might be,
and was thinking of calling me too. And so, after an extensive in person meeting, we
decided to team up and go forward together.
Now, not only do we both love movies, but like most people of late, Darren and I are
very concerned about the excesses of the top executives within the Banking Industry,
and on Wall Street. So we decided to create an exciting and intriguing drama about
that particular subject.
However, around that same time, we saw a very disturbing Special News Bulletin
about “Judges & Attorneys” being actively involved in child trafficking and the
sexual exploitation of children.
It was then that we both agreed our next feature film ought to do more than just
“excite and entertain”. It should also be about these two very important topics, if we
could only find a way of combining the two very diverse story lines.
We desperately wanted to raise awareness about the atrocities happening to children
around the world, especially right in our own back yards, here in the U.S.. However,
we also wanted to continue bringing attention to the failed financial system that was,
and still is, wrecking havoc to the vast majority of Americans.
Therefore, as socially conscious filmmakers we decided to make a suspenseful,
modern film noir which would be inspired by all the actual events that we had
been seeing and hearing so much about.
Our hope was that we would capture an audience’s imagination with a powerful and
riveting movie based on a script that I would write. Then, Darren and I would produce
it together, and create a feature film which would contain all the elements we wanted
to express and share with an audience.
Fortunately, we now have that script, and filming is to start this coming April.
(Please click below to listen to a recent radio interview Anthony did in Philadelphia
about raising awareness regarding child-tracking.)
How we use the funds in our budgets?
# 1: Although we shoot on extremely bare-boned budgets, we actual pay our entire cast
and crew a proper rate. (None of that stipend or deferred payment nonsense…
And, none of that get an IMDB credit, but “sorry” no salary stuff! We believe people give
their best efforts when they’re dedicated to the project and can also put food on the table.
# 2: As you can see on the right side of the page (in gray), we’ve plan ahead and have
secured some incredible marketing for the film already. We will continue securing and
arranging for more promotion of the film in every arena, which in turn helps to secure an
even wider distribution for our film, both here in the U.S. and worldwide as well.
How is it possible to do such a high quality feature without a Major Studio?
Although Anthony’s worked with Academy Award Winners & Actor’s Studio Members,
he’s chosen to remain “fiercely independent” and stay free of the “Hollywood Studio System”.
In fact, Anthony is so independent-minded that he still has not accepted several very gracious
offers by IMDB to have his film history, credits, and awards listed there.
Because of this, in order to still make quality films, through the years Anthony was forced
to form close relationships with top industry professionals who provide a vast amount of
goods & services to us at a fraction of the usual cost! For example, just recently, both
Matt and Gino of the upscale, posh eatery and hangout the “Park Avenue Tavern”
agreed to let Anthony and I film there for one of the most important scenes in the movie.
It’s an in demand destination on the corner of 39th and Park that has appeared in other projects and commercials as well.
Adding contributions such as these, along with what we already contributed ourselves
makes our practical working budget actually much larger than it might otherwise appear.
Also, remaining successful independent “indie” filmmakers, has required both Anthony
and Darren to create and design a number of innovative production techniques. Those
techniques allow us to keep our production costs very, very low, all while maintaining
extremely high production value for each film.
Anthony’s film experience, along with Darren’s cinematographer’s expertise (both in
digital acquisition, and the most up-to-date technologies) also allows our films to be
shot in far less time than it takes other less knowledgeable or resourceful filmmakers.
The importance of Sound Design…
The world’s best directors such as: Spielberg, Lucas, Scorsese, Coppola, Stone and
others all say that sound is equally, if not MORE important to the production quality
of any film than the visuals themselves!
We totally agree, and we already have a “master sound designer” aboard who will
create and enhance all the sounds needed for each scene in order to maximize the
film’s overall impact and feel.
Where can you learn more about us?
Please click on the links directly below to see our extensive bios.
Learn more about Writer/Director Anthony Costa…
http://wp.mediahalo.com/members/anthonycosta/
Learn more about Cinematographer/Technical Expert Darren Levine… http://wp.mediahalo.com/members/dlevine/
If you’d like more info & updates on the project itself, simply click the link below:
http://wp.mediahalo.com/featured-film-project/
We Greatly Appreciate Your Support
We greatly appreciate your support, and we will continually provide you with
“behind the scenes” access of what we’re doing, along with other rewards as
an acknowledgement of that support. And, along the way, we will do our best
to keep you updated and entertained regarding the entire process.
Also, although we are shooting the film “In Color“ it will be stylized as a Modern
Film Noir/Suspense, honoring Hollywood Classic films such as The Third Man,
and The Maltese Falcon, and more recent classics, such as The Usual Suspects.
*Directly below, you can see a clip of the dramatic lighting style of “The Third Man”…
Please remember that although our film will look just as dramatic, because it is about
today’s issues and today’s times, it will be filmed in color instead of black & white.