FROM THE VINE
FEATURE FILM / DRAMA
From The Vine is the story of a downtrodden CEO experiencing a moral crisis that travels back to Italy to re-calibrate his moral compass. He discovers new life by reviving his Nonno's old vineyard, offering the small town of Acerenza a sustainable future and reconnecting with his family in the process.
Combining magic realism and Italian neorealism, and set against the backdrop of wine country Italy, the film is about finding your roots in your family when you're at the bottom of the barrel.
Synopsis:
A middle aged businessman arrives in Rome on a flight from Canada. At customs, the border agent asks if the man is visiting Italy for business or for pleasure. But the man cannot answer. It’s neither business nor pleasure.
“Just pick one, Signore,” the border agent intones and so begins From The Vine, the story of Mark Gentile, an attorney and automotive company executive who travels to his childhood home after a major humiliation in business.
Mark returns to the tiny village of Acerenza in Southern Italy, where he visits the vineyard where he grew up and finds it in a state of disrepair. Mark gets an idea to bring the overgrown property back to life and start producing wine again. Mark convinces various denizens of Acerenza, each with their own comedic personality, to aid him in this seemingly impractical effort, promising everyone a share in the business if it is successful. Concerned about his sudden and lengthy trip, Mark is eventually joined by his wife Marina, and his twenty-something daughter, Laura, who’s purpose is lost. Now reunited with his family, Mark brings them in on his plan to rejuvenate the winery and starts to reconnect with a wife he has alienated, and a daughter who doubts his motives. As the joys of Italy starts to work its particular magic on Mark and he begins to let go of his past humiliations, he starts to mend his relationship with Marina, and build a new one with Laura.
But when Mark gets a serious offer to run another company, he abruptly packs up and heads home, leaving his daughter to run the winery something she never planned to do as a career. Laura is furious with Mark, but then learns that his choice will ultimately benefit the vineyard and bring true prosperity to Acerenza.
From The Vine is a story about Italy, humour, life, love, wine, and how one man finds himself again in a world that had counted him out. From The Vine is based on the award-winning 2010 novel Finding Marco, by renowned author Ken Cancellara. The book was published in Canada and Italy, and it received several awards.
Festivals & Awards:
Italian Contemporary Film Festival 2019 (Canada)
IC Savings Award – Best Feature FilmIschia Global Film Festival 2019 (Italy)
Special Jury Award – Joe PantolianoGiornate Del Cinema Lucano 2019 (Italy)
Special Jury Award – Joe PantolianoCinéfest Sudbury Int’l Film Festival 2019 (Canada)
Devour! The Food Film Festival 2019 (Canada)
Golden Tine Award – Best Feature Film64th Valladolid International Film Festival 2019 (Spain)
Naples International Film Festival 2019 (USA)
Special Jury Award – Joe PantolianoNapa Valley Film Festival 2019 (USA)
Fort Lauderdale Int’l Film Festival 2019 (USA)
Best Feature Film – CoProductionForum Kina Europesjskiego Cinergia 2019 (Poland)
Whistler Film Festival 2019 (Canada)
Special Jury Award – Joe Pantoliano