Actor, director and writer Esposito charms crowd at NOTL movie premiere

Last Sunday evening’s rain couldn’t keep 200 people away from the Canadian premiere of the film Fresh Kills at Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate. Not with the movie’s writer, director and star Jennifer Esposito waiting to meet with them. 

Originally planned to be screened in the outdoor amphitheatre, a last-minute decision was made to move the event to the winery’s indoor atrium area. It turned out to be a perfect venue for the ticket buyers to participate in an opening Q and A session with Esposito (Summer of Sam, Law & Order, NCIS) before enjoying the actor’s feature film directorial debut.

The Brooklyn-born Esposito was invited to Niagara-on-the-Lake at the behest of Old Town residents Adrian and Lucas Rezza. Under their hip-hop moniker 80 Empire, the duo wrote and produced six original songs that provide context for the story of a young lady railing against the demands placed on her by her mob boss father, played by Domenick Lombardozzi.

Fittingly, with the help of Anchor Niagara’s Maria Mavridis, the evening raised about $3,000 for Gillian’s Place, the non-profit organization that provides safe refuge and programs to assist women, gender- and sexually diverse people and their children break the cycle of violence.

“It went so well,” Mavridis says. “Jen was amazing. So humble and down to earth. She’s very passionate about this project and it shows. She spoke to every single person who came up to her Sunday.”

It wasn’t just a fly-in appearance for the 51-year-old Esposito. Mavridis and the Rezzas squired her to Ravine Vineyard on Friday night, where they got the full tour from owner and general manager Paul Harber. They all hung out on Saturday, too, capping the night off at Lucas’ home studio, where Esposito laid down some vocals for a future 80 Empire release. 

During the Q and A session before the film, Mavridis was amazed at how open Esposito was about her struggles to get Fresh Kills made and released.

Esposito began writing the script about 15 years ago. Nine years later she became committed to making it into a film. She started reaching out to production companies but was repeatedly rejected by them. Esposito told the crowd some were interested in the film but wanted to turn her script over to a male director.

So she decided to finance it herself. That included mortgaging her home to pay for it.

In a way, the film and her struggle to get it made is a case of life imitating art imitating life.

Esposito grew up in an Italian-American family, where females were often told to be quiet at the same time that expectations for them were quite high. That informed how she fleshed out the character of Rose (Emily Bader), who becomes unwilling to accept that dichotomy. Esposito plays the oft-struggling mother of Rose and her sister Connie, who encourages Rose to tow the family line.

Fresh Kills (the title refers to an infamous dump that wafted its scent across Staten Island until it was closed in 2001) takes a fresh look at the female role in organized crime through a harrowing lens. Through the violence and the conflict, Rose perseveres and becomes more committed to breaking the cycle no matter the cost to her or her family. 

As Esposito explained how this related to her own upbringing, many in the crowd were clearly moved.

“I turned around and there was not a dry eye in the room,” Mavridis marvels. “I saw a man in the audience who was about 60 years old take off his glasses and wipe the tears from his eyes. I get goosebumps every time I talk about it.”

Since being approached by the Rezzas to make the premiere an Anchor Niagara event, Mavridis has seen Fresh Kills several times.

“Every time I watch it a different emotion comes through,” she tells The Local. “You see it differently. It’s such a good film. The distributor was there Sunday and I told him he’s got gold with this movie.”

And Mavridis credits Jackson-Triggs for agreeing to host the premiere and quickly shifting to the indoor space.

“The whole team was amazing,” she says. “I was told they didn’t even realize they could use the space to show a movie. I expect they might want to do this again, it was so perfect.” 

Mavridis feels she has made a new friend in Esposito, as well. And she promises the actor, writer and director will return to town soon. 

“She fell in love with Niagara-on-the-Lake,” says Mavridis. “She’ll be back sometime in September. We’re looking at doing a couple more events that she would like to be involved in.”

‘Fresh Kills’ is now available to purchase or rent via Amazon Prime in Canada.