www.BXTimes.com BRONX WEEKLY April 14, 2019 6
Bronxites create and star in short fi lm ‘Da Bronx Tale’
BY ROBERT WIRSING
A Bronx-based short fi lm made
by and starring Bronxites has
quite a tale to tell.
Longwood documentarian Everette
Hamlette, Stylish Ev Productions
founder and CEO, said
that his friend Steven Pellecier,
who portrays the fi lm’s lead character
Rico, inspired them to create
a contemporary urban take
on the classic 1993 crime/drama
‘A Bronx Tale,’ directed by Robert
De Niro.
‘Da Bronx Tale,’ directed by
Michael Thrower, chronicles Rico’s
journey into manhood on the
streets of the Boogie Down Bronx
set to the backdrop of the socially
turbulent year of 2019.
Thrower, a Morrisania resident,
is also the founder of his
company, Sir Tree Productions.
With the exception of New Jersey
actress Courtney Silveira-
Freeman, Da Bronx Tale’s entire
cast is from the borough.
They include Steven Pellecier
originally from Longwood now
residing in Pelham Parkway,
Andres Castro from Marble Hill,
Sherlene Campos from Morrisania,
Jakub Rodriguez from Highbridge,
Lyniese Pellecier from
Bedford Park and Evelyn Santana
from Pelham Parkway.
In the fi lm, Rico is mentored
by Mike, portrayed by Rodriguez,
in the ways of being a gentleman
which confl icts with his hood lifestyle
friend Ghost, played by Castro.
When Rico falls for a young
African American lady named
Myesah, portrayed by Pellecier’s
wife Lyniese, the repercussions
threaten to destroy his reputation.
The Time is Nowow! PRESIDENT MARCIA V. KEIZS extends congratulations and invites all students
accepted to York College for Fall 2019 to attend the
Accepted Students Receptionon
Sunday, April 28th Noon to 3 pm
Learn about exciting research opportunities,
internships, and majors offered at York College.
Tour our modern 50-acre campus and speak with
faculty, admissions and financial aid counselors.
W We looook fororwarard to seeing youou!
YORK COLLEGE! Atrium of the Academic Core Building,
94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., Jamaica NY 11451.
Contact the Admissions Office by visiting
www.york.cuny.edu/admissions, or by calling 718-262-2169.
Free parking is available for this event.
The fi lm’s soundtrack features
music composed by local artists
1stBORN Sheldon Smalls, Mowix,
DJ Shortwiz, Ghost.Writer and Xiolynn.
Da Bronx Tale was fi lmed in
12 hours on Saturday, March 23
starting at 7 a.m.
The fast paced project was
shot on location at Longwood and
Longfellow avenues and in front
of the Pelham Parkway Houses.
“The actors were freezing
and they had just learned their
lines that same morning, but you
wouldn’t realize that from watching
their performances,” Thrower
explained.
Hamlette created an extensively
detailed shot list to help
them match the classic fi lm’s
scenes and tone.
Hamlette and Thrower
watched A Bronx Tale and their
remake side-by-side to make sure
the two fi lms synced perfectly.
The nearly 12 minute fi lm was
edited on Thursday, March 28 and
was screened before 30 people on
Friday, March 29.
Da Bronx Tale was offi cially
released on YouTube on Monday,
April 1 and currently has 481
views.
“I felt like Denzel or Leonardo
being a part of this movie,” expressed
Steven Pellecier.
Da Bronx Tale marks the former
stage actor’s fi rst on camera
performance.
Pellecier expressed interest in
continuing his fi lm career.
Founded in 2018, Stylish Ev
Productions has collaborated
with several big name companies
including The David Rockefeller
Fund, Coca-Cola, Nike, New Yorkers
for Parks, Black Comic Con,
New York Restoration Project and
The Apollo Theater.
The company also fi lmed the
documentary, ‘75 Park: 1 of the 35,’
which examines the importance
the park has had on the Longwood
community over generations.
To view Da Bronx Tale,
visit www.youtube.com/
watch?v=w6Qfpy7IqPM&t=.
The crew fi lms a scene in Longwood featuring actors Pellecier (c) and Castro (r). Photo courtesy of Everette Hamlette
/
/www.BXTimes.com
/www.BXTimes.com
/admissions
/www.BXTimes.com
/www.BXTimes.com
/admissions
/