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PRESS
SEPT 12TH 2023
The highly anticipated film " Stolen Dough ", (stolendough.com) directed by AFI Award Winner Stefano Da Frè and produced by Laura Pellegrini, in collaboration with the Russo Brothers National Film Forum, will have its first Manhattan public screening this Friday, September 15 at 1:30 PM ET. This exclusive event will take place at The SOHO International Film Festival located at Village East by Angelika, 181-189 2nd Ave. New York, NY 10003 (Corner of 15th Street).
“Stolen Dough” unveils the extraordinary journey of Anthony Mongiello, a young Italian American who, at the age of 18, invented Stuffed Crust Pizza, only to have his patent stolen by Pizza Hut. This is a true story of resilience. A gripping tale of the pursuit of justice, involving a staggering one-billion-dollar lawsuit.
The screening at the The SOHO International Film Festival marks an important milestone for “Stolen Dough” as it’s the first screening in NYC. “From the moment we began our film festival circuit, it was our dream to be featured at the SOHO International Film Festival. This will mark the first time Stolen Dough will be brought to an audience in NYC that will see the director’s cut of the film with an extra bonus scene - that has never aired before. We are thrilled.” said Stefano Da Frè, Director & Screenwriter of Stolen Dough.
The film’s protagonist, Anthony “The Big Cheese” Mongiello ( inventor of Stuffed Crust Pizza ), shares his excitement, stating, “I can’t tell you how truly touched I am by the reception the film has received. To see my invention and my story of struggle resonate with audiences means more than I can say.”
MAY 27TH 2021
I know it sounds cynical as I write this, but documentaries like Stefano Da Fre and Laura Pellegrini’s The Day I Had to Grow Up comes around literally once a generation. The film opens with a speech that went viral of student activist Jeremy Ornstein outside of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office in Washington. The speech was impassioned, to say the least, and led to Ornstein’s arrest along with fellow activists.
In the film, co-writers and directors Da Fre and Pellegrini spotlight youth activism by interviewing several notable activists, including Orenstein, Violet Kopp, Griffin Gould, Taylor Nicole Turner, Saira Salyani, and Sofia Ongele. At the time of the interview, each activist was between 17 and 18 years old and spoke about subjects ranging from the climate crisis, gun violence, abortion and women’s rights, poverty, and Black Lives Matter.
Let me address my cynicism for a moment. Student activism is not new. My generation had student activists along with the generation before and after and after and after. What hasn’t changed is the passion and desire to see real progress made in bettering this world. Orenstein talks about being at the intersection of criticality and hope. Quite frankly, hope is not always something we hear from our activists.
Also different with this generation of protest is the use of social media to get one’s message out and the community built between the like-minded. The Day I Had to Grow Up does a great job shining a light on the young people and gives us a glimpse into why they do what they do.
Having seen documentaries like The Day I Had to Grow Up over the last several decades, there is nothing new in the message. Just compare these students to Abbie Hoffman from the late 1960s. But the truth is protest and activism against our local, state, and federal government are vital to this system of checks and balances. Films like this keep the flame burning.
MAY 16TH 2021
indieactivity: Introduce your film?
Stefano Da Frè (SDF): “The Day I Had To Grow Up” is a documentary about Youth Activism in America. It showcases six activists and the events that shaped their political lives. When Laura & I direct documentaries, oftentimes we blend in our narrative aesthetics. For example, in this film, the activists are shot on an ARRI Alexa camera with colorful, lush backdrops in a studio.
We believe having that production value not only heightens the overall look and feel of the film, but makes audiences connect even more closely with each teen and their reasons for being involved in politics. Like all our films, the tone is very personal.
We have an activist named Taylor Nicole Turner who talks about her experiences losing her close friend, Helena Ramsey, to a school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglass High School. Making the teens feel safe allowed them to open up in a way that is candid and thoughtful.
Tell us why you chose to write, produce, direct, shoot, cut/edit the movie? Was it financial, chance or no-budget reason?
Stefano Da Frè (SDF): One of the advantages of producing and directing your own projects is that you have creative control of a film from its inception to its execution. We assembled the best team to shoot this documentary and hired an Emmy-award winning editor that we know and trust to edit the film. Had the budget been much higher and a studio been involved, Laura & I might not have had the same advantages, such as having final cut. So I’m proud to say that what you see onscreen was the vision we had from the get go.
Introduce your crew?
Stefano Da Frè (SDF): Our Director of Photography A.J. DeSimone has an incredible eye. I’ve personally known him for years and have watched him evolve from film school at SVA into the DP he is now. He has worked on multiple shows for HBO and Netflix, so his sensibilities have become much stronger and sharper. He was an asset to this film during its creative development, always bringing to the table innovative ways to shoot exterior locations and how to frame the teens in the studio.
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JANUARY 15TH 2019
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An up and coming independent artist from New York, Rubal Sikka has released his new single ‘Paranda’ with Story Tellers. The song also features Pop artist Peter Noel a.k.a. WiLDFiRE! This Tune in Tuesdays, listen to something new.
After working with artists like Raxstar, Sir Aah, etc., Sikka is back with WiLDFiRE to wow the audience with this upbeat Punjabi song. Featured by Digital Records, Sikka released his debut song ‘Pyaar’ in 2013 featuring SIR AAH. He has also worked with other music labels like Zee Music Company, VIP Records and now Story Tellers.
Sikka had worked with WiLDFiRE a year back on the song ‘Love Struck’ which was quite a hit. But his best song till now has been ‘Pearls’ with Raxstar, which received around 556k views on YouTube and got him instant attention. This Punjabi artist stays true to his roots and it rings clear in his songs.
WiLDFiRE is quite popular in the Carribean music industry and is known as the ‘Hit Hot’ artist, a term he coined himself. ‘Paranda’ shows that bringing the Punjabi and Pop genre together can work magic.
The official video of this song was released on YouTube on January 11th and has received about 14k views till now and a lot of praises from the audience. Sikka works on the Punjabi lyrics while WiLDFiRE brings in the touch of rock while techno beats bring this song to life.
The video of ‘Paranda’ weaves an elaborate hypnotizing tale which will keep you glued to the screen. The gorgeous Sarish Khan gives the video its sexy vibe and she captures your attention from the get go.
OCTOBER 12TH 2018
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The documentary short, The Girl Who Cannot Speak - the true story of five sexual abuse victims, was shown this week at the second annual "Meet The Press Film Festival." Andrea Mitchell is joined by the documentary's directors Stefano Da Fre and Laura Pellegrini, and Claire Glennon- a sexual assault survivor who is featured in the film.
AUGUST 20TH 2018
Hell’s Kitchen spitter Marlon Craft has put the EP’s behind him and is ready to drop a full-fledged album. With Same Plate Entertainment behind him, the New York rapper shares his Bodega Bamz assisted single “NY Baby” along with the official video. The KIN produced track is a gritty banger and is an anthem for all of us who were born and raised in the city that never sleeps. If you’re not familiar with Marlon Craft it’s time to start paying attention and this is the perfect place to start.
Peep the visual at the top of the post and be sure to grab the song on your favorite streaming service now.
MAY 16TH 2018
“The Girl Who Cannot Speak,” a short documentary edited by the Carbondale-based and Emmy Award-winning editor Krysia Carter-Giez, will have its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday. The 21-minute film, screening in the prestigious festival’s Creative Minds Program, is directed by Stefano Da Fre and Laura Pellegrini. It follows five women’s stories of sexual abuse and includes women from different countries, ages and walks of life. One victim, Charlotte, a 15-year-old, embodies a thread to each woman’s story. She never speaks. The documentary is among 45 films — from 1,815 submissions — selected by the festival’s Coup de Coeur.
“It is so meaningful and an honor to have this documentary featured in the Cannes Film Festival at such a timely moment in our history,” Carter-Giez said via email Tuesday. “I applaud the women in the film who had the strength and resilience to tell their stories and hope that their spirit will give courage and a voice to all the girls in the world who cannot speak.” The film was edited in Carbondale and post-production sound was done by Dave Taylor at Cool Brick Studios.
Carter-Giez’s previous works include editing such locally focused documentary projects as “The Last of the Cowboys,” about ranching life in the Roaring Fork Valley; “Fire in the Mountain,” about the mountain soldiers of the Army’s 10th Mountain Division; and AREDAY founder Chip Comins’ “Native Wind.” She has spent the past three years filming with Huts for Vets, the nonprofit that brings war veterans on backcountry hut trips, for a film about trauma and wilderness therapy.
“The Girl Who Cannot Speak” co-director Stefano Da Fre previously worked with Carter-Giez on the short “Tu Me Manques/You Are Missing From Me,” which screened last summer during the Wheeler Opera House’s Sunset Sessions and also played at Cannes.
FEBUARY 18TH 2018
Dj and producer born in '98, despite his young age he already boasts internationally renowned collaborations thanks to a sound that ranges from electronic to dancefloor funky.
This song was born about a year ago from an idea of ​​changing style and" mood "in my pieces. The intention was to produce something more funky if I have to be honest I think it is the first song produced by me that I am really proud of. The song is sung by Great Good Fine Ok, a well-known duo in America, who just over a year ago collaborated with The Chainsmokers ", tells of Cut deep Gabriel Rossi aka Kende, dj / producer born in '98.
Despite his young age, Gabriele already boasts prestigious collaborations with leading labels in the EDM world, including Hardwell's Revealed Recordings or Steve Aoki's Dim Mak. Currently in the Doner Music roster, label / management founded by Big Fish, Kende is able to play with all the sounds of contemporary pop from electronic to funky. A name to keep an eye on for the future.
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