Andrea Iervolino

Andrea Iervolino
Born	1987 Italy
Residence	Toronto
Occupation	Film Producer, Businessman, Entrepreneur
Years active	2004 - Present
Known for	The Merchant of Venice, In Dubious Battle and The Humbling
Website	andreaiervolinoproducer.com

Andrea Iervolino is an Italian film producer, businessman and entrepreneur based in Toronto.^[1] He is most known for producing The Merchant of Venice, In Dubious Battle, All Roads Lead to Rome, Septembers of Shiraz and The Humbling. He is the founding partner, along with Monika Bacardi, of AMBI Group, and has produced and distributed several pictures through the company.^[2] Iervolino is considered one of Italy’s youngest and most accomplished producers, having had his hands on over 60 films since the age of 16.^[3]

Iervolino was named as one of the most powerful dealmakers in Hollywood in 2015 by Variety Magazine.^[4] He is the producer of Beyond The Sun, a movie which will star Pope Francis as himself, making it the first time the leader of the Catholic Church has appeared in a movie.^[5]

Early life and career

Iervolino was born on December 1, 1987 in Cassino, in the province of Lazio. He was raised in Italy.^[1] As a child, he had stuttered badly. He suffered bullying from his classmates who teased him thinking it was dumb and his school teachers had wanted to send him to a special school, however, his mother refused. Due to family problems in the household, he left home at the age of 15, to work in a company in Northern Italy in the resort town of Bibione. In Bibione, he worked as a producer’s assistant on Broadway-style shows. The same year, he came back to his home town to produce his first film and wrote a medieval love story with a social message. He spoke to the abbot of Montecassino Abbey and was given permission for shooting there.^[6] After finalizing the cast and crew, he went to local businesses to raise production funds by selling them ads in a commemorative booklet. He asked people for small investments of around 50 Euros, an old kind of crowd funding. He completed the movie in 2003.^[7]

The cinemas, however, refused to show his movie. After discussion, a few local cinemas agreed to show his movie during the day. Iervolino created an initiative called Cine School Day. The initiative involved adding a film into the school curriculum. Students, during school time, on payment of a reduced-price ticket, could go to the cinema in the day and watch the movie Iervolino had made.^[7][8] He staged contests after the screening of his movie in theatres and selected the kids for small roles in his subsequent movies. Through Cine School Day, he made a distribution network and screened eight to ten films a year.^[6]

Two years later, he was the co-executive producer with Luciano Martino for The Merchant of Venice, and subsequently worked as a co-producer with him on multiple movies.^[1] In the beginning on Iervolino's career, he acted in two movies that he produced, Dopoquellanotte, Prigioniero di un Segreto. However subsequently stopped acting in movies.^[9]

Career

Iervolino with Monika Bacardi and Al Pacino

He is a founder and partner in several different production companies.^[1] In 2011, he founded own distribution company, Iervolino Entertainment S.P.A.^[1] While producing movies in Italy, he met Monika Bacardi, who proposed launching a production company together. Thus, the two launched AMBI Pictures, and Iervolino Entertainment became a part of AMBI Pictures.^[10] Later, the two launched AMBI distribution, a distribution company based in Beverly Hills.^[9]

Andrea Iervolino is the president of AIC Movie Group, a Canadian company specializing in the production and distribution of animated movies.^[11][12]

In 2014, Iervolino along with his business partner Monika Bacardi announced that they would be producing the movie The Humbling.^[13] This Beautiful Fantastic,^[14] and In Dubious Battle, a movie based on the novel of the same name, which portrays the struggle between labor and capital in 1930s America as close to all out warfare.^[15]

In 2015, he announced that he will be producing the movie Arctic Justice: Thunder Squad in the AIC Movie Studios Inc. The plot revolves around a sinister walrus who plots to accelerate global warming and melt the Arctic Circle.^[16] The same year, through AMBI, he also acquired the majority of Exclusive Media Group’s film library^[17] as well as closed an option agreement to do a homage film on La Dolce Vita.^[18]

Iervolino announced in November 2015 that through AMBI group, he has launched a $200 million film fund to finance about five feature films and about ten lower-budget films.^[19] The next year he was elected as the president of Los Angeles Italia Film Fest.^[20]

In April 2016, Iervolino started working on the production of Black Butterfly, a psychological thriller based on the French Movie Papillon Noir and directed by Brian Goodman. It will star Antonio Banderas and Jonathan Rhys Meyers.^[21] In May, he announced that he will finance and produce James Franco’s Future World.^[22]

Iervolino served as the president Ischia Global Film and Music Festival in 2016.^[3] In September 2016 it was announced that Jeremy Renner has signed to provide voice over for the lead character in Arctic Justice.^[23] The same month, he also announced that he will produce Finding Steve McQueen starring Forest Whitaker and Kate Bosworth.^[24]

Philanthropy

In September 2015, Iervolino and Bacardi organized AMBI gala, a fundraising event in Toronto. The proceeds of the gala were given to the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation for investing in environmental causes. The gala was held just before the night of the TIFF in Toronto.^[25] In September 2016, he and Bacardi organised the second AMBI charity gala, held at Ritz Carlton and hosted by Martin Short.^[26]

Selected Filmography

Awards

• IC Saving Award as Best Italian-Canadian Film Producer at the ICFF 2016^[27]
• Iervolino was announced as the new Ambassador of Italian Cinema in the world at the ICFF 2015.^[28]
• He was a finalist in the category “Businessman” on Made in Italy Awards 2015.^[29]
• MimmoRotella Foundation Award at the 71st Venice Film Festival as Best Producer in recognition of work on "The Humbling."^[30]
• Best Producer - Pompei Cinema Festival 2014
• Special Award for Production - 73rd Venice International Film Festival
• 2016 Mimmo Rotella Award as Best Film Production for In Dubious Battle^[31]
• Top Ten Emerging Producers in Hollywood by Variety^[32]

References

External links

• Andrea Iervolino at the Internet Movie Database