“St. Joseph,” directed by Maky Rupert (Los Angeles)
A group of estranged cousins go back to their now vacant childhood home in search of the statue of St. Joseph that their Italian grandmother buried in the yard for good luck thirty years earlier.
“Tiramisu,” directed by Katerina Munis (Los Angeles)
A Ukrainian immigrant seeks to escape the world inside a little pizzeria, but its Sicilian chef cooks up a different adventure for their night.
“Forgotten Flavors,” directed by Michael Mastronardi (Costa Mesa)
Forgotten Flavors, is a deeply personal journey into Italian American heritage, documenting a quest to learn and preserve Mike’s late grandmother’s unwritten recipes with the help of his father.
“Pasta di Niente,” directed by Adriano Valentini (Los Angeles)
In a world where Italian identity is defined by hashtags and hand gestures, a lonely Italian American man’s mouthwatering pasta pic breaks the internet, launching him into a surreal spiral of digital adoration and empty opulence—all hinging on a picture-perfect plate of pasta hiding one shameful secret: it tastes like garbage.
“Luigi Lookalike,” directed by Luke Salvatore Petronella (New York)
An Italian American struggling with his identity is thrown into an existential crisis when the world becomes convinced he’s the doppelgänger of a notorious (alleged) criminal—forcing him to confront his own motives, the media, stereotypes, and the bizarre nature of Italian Americans in pop culture.
Congratulations to all the recipients!
Each of these five filmmakers will receive a $10,000 grant to produce their respective film over the coming months. Once completed, a selection committee — comprised of RBIAFF founders Basil Russo, Patricia Russo, and their children Anthony, Joe, and Angela Russo Otstot — will choose one winner to receive an additional $10,000 and a spot in the AGBO Storytellers Collective (StoCo).
StoCo is an alumni network exclusive to those honored through AGBO’s fellowships and competitions. It provides mentorship, industry guidance, and a platform to collaborate with fellow emerging filmmakers. As a supportive community, the Collective empowers its members to continue growing as artists and realizing their creative ambitions.
A private screening of the 2024 RBIAFF winning film, My Kind of People, directed by Joe Picozzi, will be held at the COPOMIAO annual meeting on June 7 in NYC’s Little Italy.
The RBIAFF award ceremony is held every year at AGBO Studios in downtown Los Angeles to honor the winning short film and to present the Renaissance Award, which celebrates Italian Americans’ outstanding contributions to their heritage and the entertainment industry.
See past honorees:
Actor and Filmmaker Stanley Tucci: 2025 RBIAFF ‘Renaissance Award’ Winner
Marvel Studios Co-President Louis D’Esposito: 2024 RBIAFF ‘Renaissance Award’ Winner
The Russo Brothers Italian American Filmmaker Forum (RBIAFF) is presented by AGBO, in collaboration with the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA).
— Click here to learn more —
Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA) is a proud member of the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO).