Event
The Featherweight
“Beautifully acted all round, and a dazzling feat of stylistic play and period recreation…” – Screen Daily
“The film offers a unique twist on the boxing genre, combining elements of a mockumentary, with the intense drama of a sports comeback story.” – Social News
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Join us as an early audience to experience this story on the big screen when we host a sneak preview screening on Wednesday, September 18, at 7:15 pm.
Post-screening, we will hear from some of the cast and production team to share more about the making of the movie. James Madio (lead), Steve Loff (writer/producer), and Imma Aiello (cast member) will be on stage for the Q&A, with Dennis House (from WTNH News 8 ABC) moderating.
Advance tickets (which we always recommend) for the 9/18 event: https://realartways.easy-ware-ticketing.com/…/S4TlJRu4z…
Synopsis:
Set in the mid-1960s in Hartford, Connecticut, The Featherweight presents a gripping chapter in the true-life story of Italian-American boxer Willie Pep (James Madio)—the winningest fighter of all time—who, down and out in his mid-40s and with his personal life in shambles, decides to make a return to the ring, at which point a documentary camera crew enters his life. Painstakingly researched and constructed, the film is a visceral portrait of the discontents of twentieth-century American masculinity, fame, and self-perception.
Robert Kolodny’s (cinematographer of Procession and All the Beauty and the Bloodshed) feature directorial debut follows the true story of legendary 2x World Featherweight boxing champion Willie Pep. The impressive cast is led by James Madio (The Penguin, Band of Brothers, Hook, Basketball Diaries) with a career-best performance as Pep, alongside Ruby Wolf in her feature debut, Keir Gilchrist (Love & Death, Atypical), Stephen Lang (Avatar Franchise), Ron Livingston (Swingers, Office Space, The Flash, Loudermilk), Lawrence Gilliard Jr (The Walking Dead, One Night in Miami…), undefeated professional featherweight boxer Bruce Carrington, and Hartford local Imma Aiello in her big-screen debut as Mama Papaleo, Willie Pep’s mother.
This acclaimed Hartford-based Willie Pep biopic opens in theaters across Pep’s hometown state of Connecticut on September 20. It had a world premiere in 2023 at the 80th Venice International Film Festival with a 6-minute standing ovation and currently has a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
“The making of The Featherweight in our beloved Hartford is a case study on how filmmaking can create community pride, honor the legacy of a hometown hero, and provide local economic impact. More than a film production, it is a community collaboration.” – Executive Producer Donna Collins
