Anchor Niagara’s screening of the actress’ feature film directorial debut raises over $3,000 for Gillian’s Place
The rain last Sunday evening could not stop 200 people from the Canadian premiere of the film New Kills at the Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate. Not when the film’s writer, director and lead actress, Jennifer Esposito, is waiting to meet her.
Originally planned to be held in the outdoor amphitheater, a last-minute decision was made to move the event indoors at the winery. This proved to be the perfect place for ticket buyers to participate in a Q&A session with Esposito (Summer of Sam, Law & Order, NCIS) before enjoying the actor’s feature film directorial debut.
Brooklyn-born Esposito was invited to Niagara-on-the-Lake at the behest of Old Town residents Adrian and Lucas Rezza. Under their hip-hop moniker 80 Empire, the duo wrote and produced six original songs that provide context for the story of a young woman rebelling against the demands of her father, a mob boss played by Domenick Lombardozzi.
Fittingly, that evening, with the help of Maria Mavridis of Anchor Niagara, raised approximately $3,000 for Gillian’s Place, the nonprofit organization that provides safe havens and programs to help women, people of diverse genders and sexual orientations, and their children break the cycle of violence.
“It went so well,” says Mavridis. “Jen was incredible. So humble and down to earth. She’s so passionate about this project and it shows. She spoke to every single person who came to her on Sunday.”
For Esposito, 51, it wasn’t just a quick trip. Mavridis and the Rezzas took her to Ravine Vineyard on Friday night, where they got a full tour from owner and general manager Paul Harber. They all hung out together on Saturday, too, and ended the evening at Lucas’ home studio, where Esposito contributed some vocals for a future 80 Empire release.
During the question-and-answer session before the film, Mavridis was amazed at how open Esposito was about her efforts to New Kills made and published.
Esposito began writing the script about 15 years ago. Nine years later, she was determined to make the film. She approached production companies but was repeatedly rejected by them. Esposito told the audience that some were interested in the film but wanted to give her script to a male director.
She decided to finance the money herself, which also meant taking out a mortgage on her house to pay off the loan.
In a way, the film and her struggle to make it are an example of life imitating art, which in turn imitates life.
Esposito grew up in an Italian-American family where women were often told to be quiet, but at the same time had very high expectations placed on them. This was also the reason for her character Rose (Emily Bader), who no longer wants to accept this dichotomy. Esposito plays the often crisis-ridden mother of Rose and her sister Connie, who encourages Rose to stick to the family line.
New Kills (the title refers to a notorious garbage dump whose stench wafted over Staten Island until it was closed in 2001) takes a fresh look at the role of women in organized crime from a harrowing perspective. Despite the violence and conflict, Rose perseveres and is even more determined to break the cycle, no matter what the cost to herself or her family.
When Esposito explained what this had to do with her own upbringing, many in the audience were visibly moved.
“I turned around and there wasn’t a dry eye in the hall,” Mavridis marvels. “I saw a man in the audience, about 60 years old, who took off his glasses and wiped the tears from his eyes. I get goosebumps every time I talk about it.”
Since Mavridis was approached by the Rezzas to make the premiere an Anchor Niagara event, he New Kills several times.
“Every time I see it, I feel something different,” she tells The Local. “You see it differently. It’s such a good film. The distributor was there on Sunday and I told him he struck gold with this film.”
And Mavridis thanks Jackson-Triggs for agreeing to host the premiere and quickly moving indoors.
“The whole team was great,” she says. “I was told they didn’t even know they could use the space to show a film. I assume they want to do it again, it was just perfect.”
Mavridis feels like she has found a new friend in Esposito. And she promises that the actor, writer and director will soon return to town.
“She fell in love with Niagara-on-the-Lake,” says Mavridis. “She’ll be back sometime in September. We’re planning a few more events that she’d like to attend.”
“Fresh Kills” is now available to buy or rent in Canada through Amazon Prime.
