Team Marco, the feature film directorial debut of Julio Vincent Gambuto will World Premiere at the 2019 Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF) as part of the Family Films section, on Sunday, October 6.
It’s old world versus new world, and video games versus the world’s oldest game in this charming coming-of-age story that celebrates friendship, family, and above all, the squabbling, loving Italian American culture of Staten Island’s South Beach. Eleven-year-old Marco (Owen Vaccaro, The House with a Clock in Its Walls, Daddy’s Home) cares only about gaming, and his sole friends are online. What he has in abundance are fears: of allergies, the outdoors, and other people. When Marco’s grandfather moves in for the summer, “Nonno” decides to teach his “robot” grandson how to live. A recent widower, Nonno finds solace at the bocce courts and in the camaraderie of his teammates. Nonno challenges Marco to learn bocce and make friends. Marco resists, but his inevitable awakening is genuinely moving as he rises to the challenge, forms a team, and tries to beat the old man at his own game (US, 2019, 92 min). Recommended for ages 8+.
Making his feature film directorial debut with Team Marco, Julio Vincent Gambuto has written and produced film and television content for Nickelodeon, PBS, E! Entertainment, and James Franco’s Rabbit Bandini. In 2017 Gambuto founded an independent film and television content production company Boro Five, and is currently developing a family comedy series, The Julie Stories, based on his experiences growing up in a large Italian family on New York City’s Staten Island, where he is “Uncle Julie” to six kids. Julio is a graduate of Harvard University and completed his director training at the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
Team Marco is also one of several MVFF films being presented to Bay Area students in CFI Education’s program of free weekday matinee screenings for schools during the Festival. Due to high demand, Team Marco will have three separate MVFF Education screenings, serving almost 600 elementary and middle school students.
Director Julio Vincent Gambuto will also participate in CFI Education’s Filmmakers Go to School program, where he will visit Bay Area classrooms during the Festival to meet students and speak with them about his film and the art, craft, and business of filmmaking.
In addition, Gambuto will be leading a Festival workshop for aspiring young actors titled “Get the Kids in the Pictures!” where he will share his expertise in auditioning, casting, and directing kids and teens. The workshop will take place at the Outdoor Art Club on Sunday, October 6.