by Michele Diomà

In the coming days, Oscar-winner Nick Vallelonga, in partnership with the Matera International Film Festival, will present his latest short film, “The Shadowlands,” together with Wild Filmmaker. One of the actors in the cast is Dante Palminteri, who has given an exclusive interview to Wild Filmmaker today.

As the Editor-in-Chief of Wild Filmmaker, I am very happy to welcome Dante Palminteri to our community. He is a talented young actor and guitarist raised in Brooklyn and the son of the renowned Chazz Palminteri, whose work I have always admired, particularly “A Bronx Tale,” directed by Oscar-winner Robert De Niro but written and performed by the great Chazz Palminteri himself.

-Who is Dante Palminteri?

I am a man who always had stories in his head. Even when I was a kid I remember always writing stories. I was captivated by the cinema and the art of filmmaking. The ability to see a world unfold always drew me in immediately. Being able to be transported through time and space was fascinating. 

-Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?

I grew up on movie sets and in theaters. Cinema was always a giant cornerstone of my life. I was constantly flooded with the greatest actors and movies of all time which made me passionate about the art of cinema. There was never one moment I fell in love with filmmaking rather it was something that was always there since my early childhood.

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

Yes, I think cinema can have a tremendous effect on society. Art is able to speak to us on a level that nothing else can. It has the ability to make us examine our souls and long for something we didn’t even know we wanted. 

-When did you realize that the story living in your heart had to be turned into a screenplay and then into a film project?

This short was brought to my attention by Nick. I always know when I read a good part because I instantly feel a connection to the character. And I knew speaking to Nick that we were of the same mindset. He has the best sense of story telling and was committing to making a really great film. The man is a master at making something with very little recourses. He has the best imagination. 

-What would you change in the world?

I would change how divided our world is. We need to stand shoulder to shoulder and be brothers and sisters. 

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

I want to see the film industry gravitate back toward story driven projects. I love the big tent pole blockbusters but nothing can compare to the classic movies that just told a simple and great story. What’s better then when you walk out of the theatre and you are different from the way you walked in.