The theme of "authenticity" drives the narrative of ALTO, a lesbian romantic comedy starring American Idol’s Diana DeGarmo and written/directed Mikki del Monico, which has won the Audience Award at VisionFest and Best First Film at the Downtown Independent Film Festival Los Angeles. For del Monico, who made the transition from female to male while making the film, this playful mob caper turns the genre on its ear by introducing a lesbian love story that bridges differences and unites families. Following an international festival run, the film which features original music by DeGarmo and the all-female band Antigone Rising (a.k.a. Alto in the film), is being released on DVD and Video On Demand (VOD) by Cinema Libre Studio on August 11, 2015.
A quirky love story set against an unanticipated run-in with the New York Mafia, ALTO's comedic elements make it accessible as a story about family as much as about owning our personal truths. On making this, his first feature film, del Monico says, "I know what it’s like to step outside the everyday world and play by my own set of rules. The path to making this film involved my coming out as transgender, something I’d felt completely unprepared to discuss for many years. I have a great family, but I wasn’t prepared for their acceptance. I’d tied myself in knots because I didn’t want to hurt them. Instead they gave me the gift of any great family: their love."
SYNOPSIS:
Frankie (Diana DeGarmo, American Idol) is as headstrong about her rock band, The Altos, as she is about her Italian-American heritage. Engaged to a good Italian man, everything in her life is in order until she discovers a corpse in the trunk of her rental car, possibly due to a mob hit. Heather, her sister, convinces Frankie to attend the funeral where they meet Nicolette (Natalie Knepp), the daughter of the new Brooklyn mafia don. When Nicolette shows up at her band’s gig, it triggers a cascade of events that take Frankie towards an unexpected romance.
The film was produced by Toni D’Antonio and Shake the Tree Productions, and features Diana DeGarmo as "Frankie del Vecchio," and Melanie Minichino (Sopranos, Law & Order) as her sister. Annabella Sciorra (The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, Cop Land) and David Valcin (Person of Interest, New Year’s Eve) play their parents. Natalie Knepp (The Last 5 Years, Orange Is The New Black) is "Nicolette," the mobster’s daughter and the love interest, and Lin Tucci (Orange is the New Black) plays Frankie’s future mother-in-law.
DeGarmo first caught America’s attention by earning the runner-up position on American Idol’s third season, a platform she used to launch a successful music and theatre career, including the Tony award-winning revival of Hair. She is currently wrapping up a national tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. ALTO features original music performed by DeGarmo with vocals added by her husband Ace Young, also an American Idol alumnus, and the chart topping girl-group Antigone Rising.
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