Ave Maria!

Fr. Angelo takes up the subject of Mel Gibson’s artistic film-masterpiece the Passion of the Christ and the marvelous portrayal of Mary as Coredeemer. Fr. Angelo wrote a small book on this subject, The Compassion of the Mother in the Passion of the Christ. This video was filmed two years ago at Nacepf courtesy of John Primeau.

Ave Maria!

The post Video – Fr. Angelo – The Compassion of Mary in The Passion first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Here is a slide show of our Friars in New Bedford filmed over a period of 19 months (~2005-2006) by award winning photojournalist Peter Pereira, also from New Bedford. He filmed the entire series in black and white Kodak film, the old fashioned way. He even filmed some of the friars on errands away from the friary. He did an extraordinary job. Thank you, Peter.

Or you can order the book (not associated with friar’s Academy of the Immaculate. Revenue from sale of this book goes solely to pay for Peter Pereira expenses as he financed the entire printing himself.)

The post FiNews – New Bedford Friars Captured by Award Winning Photojournalist first appeared on AirMaria.com.

The Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate are producing a feature length dramatic film on the life of Blessed John Duns Scotus, the Franciscan who gave the theological explanation for the Immaculate Conception. The film is called “Duns Scoto”, Italian for Duns Scotus, and is written and directed by Fernando Muraca based on the book by Fr. Stefano Maria Manelli, “Beato Giovanni Duns Scoto” published by the FIs in Italy. Adriano Braidotti plays Blessed John Duns Scotus and is supported by Raffaele Proietti, Sebastiano Colla, Alessandro Chini, Camilla Diana and Emanuele Maria Gamboni in the role of young Duns Scotus along with many others including not a few Franciscans of the Immaculate.

The only thing left to finish on the film is the sound track for which they are currently in negotiations. The film is due to premiere in May 2010 on DVD and in some theaters as was done with the highly successful pro-life film “Bella” and negotiations are underway for putting it on Italian TV and entering it in film festivals. It will be in Italian, but there may be an English version.  We will be posting the trailer on AirMaria when it becomes available toward the end of April. So practice your Italian and stay tuned.

On the site of the filming with camera dolly on tracks, microphone boom, and high definition cameras. The high tech equipment makes a sharp contrast with the medieval monastery and period costumes. The director of photography was Massimo Lupi, famous for his creative cinematography in the Italian TV series Il Commissario Rex (Inspector Rex) about the adventures of Rex the police dog.

+

The Abbey at Montelabate in Perugia where parts of the movie was filmed. Other locations were a nearby estate and also on the coast near Anconia.

+

Adriano Braidotti as John Duns Scotus who is here praying for guidance from Mary as he is about to defend her prerogative of being immaculately conceived.  There are two goals of the film. One is to spread knowledge about Duns Scotus in view of his canonization, and then eventually to him being declared a Doctor of of the Church. The other is to help Christianize our important mass media culture that has sadly become so secular and even dehumanized.

+

Padre Alfonso Bruno, head of FI media, is in the center with the clapper board and is Director of Production for the film. To the right is Fra Pasquale, FI who is playing a Dominican and Fra Ivo, FI on the left looks like he’s playing a Cistercian Monk.

+

Emanuele Maria Gamboni as young John Duns Scotus. His early life is covered in a flashback after the opening scene when Scotus is exiled from the Sorbonne in Paris after he refused to sign a bill by Phillip the Fair, King of France, against Pope Boniface VIII.

+

+

Lights, … Camera, … Action!

+

Well, not much action in this scene, but it is very beautiful with professional lighting.

+

Some rather scruffy looking friars. Fra Giles, FI is second from the left.

+

The final scene of the movie is the rejoicing after Blessed John Duns Scotus successfully defends the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception at the Sorbonne in Paris. The victory is recognized by papal legates who attended the theological disputes. The large cast and colorful costumes make for a truly grand finale. There seems to be a tint of blue in many of the Franciscan’s habits. I wonder why…

+

Preparing the camera and dolly.

+

+

+

+

Working into the night hours. There’s no business like show business.

+

Camilla Diana who plays the role of a young, pius girl named Mary who with Luis (Sebastiano Colla), a student at the Sorbonne, provide a means to control the plot and relate it to every day human life and drama.

+

Director Fernando Muraca on the set.

+

Alessandro Chini plays the young William of Occam who expresses his doubts and heterodox ideas to Scotus who then lovingly but promptly corrects him.

+

Sebastiano Colla getting ready for his role as Luis.

+

Angelo Poretti and Monica Sarracchini where in charge of the costumes.

+

The large collection of costumes looks like a story in itself. Throughout the film as many as one hundred extras were used. Note the big wine barrels behind the racks from the monks wine making business.

+

Fr. Alfonso reviewing some footage.

+

It looks like an exciting and grand project. Certainly the Italian friars are learning quite a bit about film production and is a great addition to their extensive media efforts which include printing, radio, internet and TV. Hopefully this film will be a success both in regard to promoting the Christian faith and in regard to having enough financial success to at least be able to do another film like this. Please keep this in your prayers.

Ave Maria!

The post FiNews – FIs Producing John Duns Scotus Film first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Roving Reporter #106 – Interviews from the March ( 05min) >>> Play

Ave Maria!

The friars from Bloomington, IN filmed this while in DC last January while on the March for Life. Let the March never end.

Ave Maria!

Audio (MP3)

+++

The post Video – Roving Reporter #106: Interviews From DC March for Life first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Fi News #73 – Duns Scoto, trailer of the dramatic film of the life of Bl. John Duns Scotus ( 14min) >>> Play

Ave Maria!

The FIs in Italy have finished their first trailer for the feature length film Duns Scoto on the life of Blessed John Duns Scotus that we mentioned in an earlier post. It is more of a behind-the-scenes view of the making of the movie.  All the actual footage of the movie is raw with the time stamp running. But it powerfully shows the magnitude of the project and how beautiful and dramatic the finished edition will be. Yes, it is in Italian. We hope to get an English subtitled version out soon. Enjoy!

Ave Maria!

+++

The post Video – Fi News #73: First Trailer of Duns Scotus Film first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Fi News #73 – Duns Scoto, trailer of the dramatic film of the life of Bl. John Duns Scotus ( 14min) >>> Play

Ave Maria!

As part of our grand finale for our Scotus Month we have a repost of the trailer for the  feature length film we recently completed on the life of Bl. John Duns Scotus. It is in Italian but there should be a DVD available in the US with English subtitles early 2011.

The FIs in Italy have finished their first trailer for the feature length film Duns Scoto on the life of Blessed John Duns Scotus that we mentioned in an earlier post. It is more of a behind-the-scenes view of the making of the movie. All the actual footage of the movie is raw with the time stamp running. But it powerfully shows the magnitude of the project and how beautiful and dramatic the finished edition will be. Yes, it is in Italian. We hope to get an English subtitled version out soon. Enjoy!

Ave Maria!

+++

The post Video – Fi News #73: First Trailer of Duns Scotus Film first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Our recently completed feature length film on the life of Bl. John Duns Scotus has been selected as the official movie of the upcoming World Youth Day in Madrid Aug 16-21 2011. Our Italian friars just watched the whole film for the first time as an institute on Sunday, Dec 26. Below is a special poster we made for the occasion complete with the Madrid WYD (JMJ) logo. A rough trailer can be seen here. The DVD should be available with English subtitles in early 2011. We will keep you posted.

The translation of the poster is as follows

Duns Scotus

The Doctor of the Immaculate

Producer: Fr. Alfonso M. Bruno, FI

Director: Fernando Muraca

With Adriano Braidotti as John Duns Scotus

Official Movie of the Madrid World Youth Day 2011

John Duns Scotus successfully defends Mary’s Immaculate Conception in the dispute at the University of Paris in 1305

December 8th 1854 Pope Pius the IX solemnly proclaims the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary

Beatified by John Paul II on March 2oth, 1993

Exclusive preview for the Franciscans of the Immaculate on Sunday, December 26, 2010 at 9pm in the auditorium of St. Mary of Nazareth Parish, Casalotti, Rome

Ave Maria!

The post Fi News – Our Duns Scotus Film Selected for World Youth Day Madrid first appeared on AirMaria.com.

( 30min) >>> Play

Ave Maria!

Gabrielle Velasquez a budding Indy film producer discusses her new film “Our Extra Special Missionary” that she made to promote the pro-life cause, specifically regarding her sister Christina who has Down Syndrome and how she and her mother Leticia have found such joy in giving God’s love to her. She has submitted this to a Catholic film contest called Goodness Reigns: Share the Story which is:

… an endeavor to call upon the faithful, teens and young adults in particular, in the spirit of good-natured competition to use the current medium of choice–technology–to produce short films depicting the history, teachings, sacramental life and present-day missionary spirit of the Catholic Church.

Ave Maria!

Audio (MP3)

+++

The post Video – Face of Pro-Life #135: Pro-life Indy Filmmaking first appeared on AirMaria.com.

Yes, we did win the ‘Silver Fish Award’ at the Vatican’s International Catholic Film Festival in the categories of Best Film, and Best Actor/Actress. This is for the feature length motion picture titled “Duns Scoto” on the life of Bl. John Duns Scotus that the FI’s in Italy produced in conjunction with TVCO. Not bad for our first feature length video. Well done Fr. Alfonso Bruno and team! Deo Gratias!
Here is the English trailer from TVCO:

You can see more on this film Duns Scoto with these AirMaria articles:

• FiNews – FI’s ‘Duns Scotus’ Front Runner at Vatican Film Festival

• Fi News – Our Duns Scotus Film Selected for World Youth Day Madrid

• FiNews – Rome Reports Covers FI Scotus Film

• Video – Fi News #73: First Trailer of Duns Scotus Film

• FiNews – FIs Producing John Duns Scotus Film

Ave Maria!

The post Yes We Won the Silver Fish Award first appeared on AirMaria.com.

The pro-life movie October Baby is out now (for over a week) and I am finally getting around to blogging about it. (Thanks to all those who emailed me.) It is about a woman who survived an abortion attempt and was raised by her adopting parents and her journey to find her biological mother and to forgive after she learned the facts of her early life. It was produced by Samuel Goldwyn Co. a division of MGM and has received some favorable commments even from secular critics like this from LA Times Gary Goldstein:

“October Baby,” a film whose poignancy is hard to deny whatever side of the abortion debate you fall on.

Further, it has performed well at the boxoffice, coming in second only to Hunger Games in regard to revenue per screen and breaking into the top 10. But the number of screens was only 390 and had only a very modest advertising budget so the gross was only $1.9 million, still, not bad for an $800,000 production.  Because of the warm viewer reception, more theaters will show it on April 13 and the previous ones are still showing it for now. See if a theater is showing it near you.

The trailer is worth watching and so are some of the personal stories of those involved in the film, including that of Shari who played the biological mother and actually had a similar life experience to her character and received some of the same healing as her character during the filming.

And then there is that of abortion survivor Gianna Jessen who’s testimony is the very inspiration for the movie. I had the honor of interviewing her myself for Airmaria over four years ago. This was before the Obama controversy happened. Despite my inexperience at interviewing, it has become our most viewed video and one of the most viewed on Gianna on the internet.

The fact that such a movie could have been produced is a miracle in itself and that it has been so well received is all the more reason to rejoice. Deo Gratias!

Below is a review by Steve Greydanus of National Catholic Register:

Well-crafted pro-life film looks at life after abortion — for a lucky child who survived.

When a pro-life drama opens with a troubled, distracted teenage heroine struggling to focus, falling apart under pressure, and ultimately collapsing before dismayed onlookers, it might be natural to wonder if she might be pregnant and perhaps contemplating an abortion, like the wounded female lead in Bella. (The very first shot in the film depicts a butterfly, recalling Bella’s butterfly motif.)

October Baby, though, has a different story to tell. Hannah’s difficulties are due to a problem pregnancy, yes — but it happened nearly two decades earlier, and 19-year-old Hannah (newcomer Rachel Hendrix) has no inkling of it. She doesn’t even know that she’s adopted.  More at  SDG Reviews ‘October Baby’ | Daily News | NCRegister.com.

The post News – October Baby – Pro-life Movie Takes on a Life of its Own. first appeared on AirMaria.com.