Brownstone Films (2025)

18/11/2025

Since its inception, Brownstone Films has had one actor it could rely on to give a strong performance in any type of role.
His name is Mark Montalbano. Beginning with his turn as Detective Caruso in "Suction", Mark has shone in a variety of roles. When casting our first feature film, "Brick City", the part of mob underboss Mikey Gallo was a perfect fit for Mark. He responded by delivering one of the most dramatic performances of the film. The New York City native has been acting for nearly two decades, having appeared in films, television and off Broadway productions. In 2023, he wrote, produced, directed and starred in his own film, "Bound by Bushwick", which went on to win multiple awards throughout the tristate area. In addition to his acting prowess, what really sets Mark apart, is his team-first attitude. He generously donates his time to help each production succeed. We are blessed to have him as part of our team.

06/11/2025

"Brick City" hit the jackpot when Kathrina Miccio signed on to play the role of mob wife Olivia Trasmundi. Kathrina has been a working actress for over two decades, appearing in films by acclaimed directors Spike Lee and Darren Aronofsky. On TV, she appeared on the Sopranos as Tony's employee at the Bada Bing.
Born in New York, she received her BFA from Wagner College and now resides in Matawan, NJ. Over her storied career, Kathrina's won six Best Actress Awards along with many more in different roles as filmmaker and director. A renowned portrait artist, she's had a permanent exhibit at The Cutting Room NYC since 2000. Current projects include serving as publisher for Indie Film Online Magazine and Festival Director for Venus on Broadway International Film Festival. Her role as Olivia in "Brick City" demanded a full range of emotion and Kathrina delivered, hitting all the right notes as her character developed.

28/10/2025

"Lizzie" completed its two year festival run over the weekend, with a showing at the Bernardsville Cinema. The previous weekend, it was featured as part of the Newark Fright Night in Newark, Delaware. In all, "Lizzie" appeared in over twenty festivals, from New York City to Cork, Ireland. In 2024, it won Best Picture at the Hacketstown Film Festival.
"Lizzie" is now streaming on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx0Kt5a8l_Y
Lexi Hannan, who stars in the title roll, appears here at the Bernardsville Cinema beside the film's lobby poster. Kazy Tauginas, Newark Festival Director, center, was on hand at Fright Night along with the rest of his staff.

22/10/2025

In his first appearance in a feature film, Cameron Crisologo came through with flying colors. The Pittstown, NJ. native won the role of Anthony DeRocco, and over the course of the film, proved he could bring his complex character through an ever-changing journey. The son of a mob boss, Cameron's character faced gut wrenching decisions. The young actor hit all the right notes as his arc unfolded.
No stranger to working with some big names, Cameron previously worked on the TV Show "Pokerface" starring Natasha Lyonne, streaming on Peacock. He has also appeared in numerous commercials and short films.
The consummate team player, Cameron was always willing to help the production out by volunteering to donate his efforts in transportation, wardrobe and craft services. In yet another indication of his ability make wise choices, Cameron is a fan of the Green Bay Packers!

17/10/2025

Casting the wife of a mob boss in a film shot in New Jersey and New York, you would think there would be a good supply of candidates. You'd be right. Over two hundred women applied for the role of Angela DeRocco. Many were very talented, but after Lydia Fiore's audition, we knew we had our Angela. Lydia showed up in costume for a mob wife, looking tough as nails, and delivering her lines with the same attitude.
A resident of Nutley, New Jersey, Lydia has been in over twenty films, winning best actress in several. Her television credits include: At That Age Co-Star (NBC), Power Book III (Starz),
A Good Cop (NTD) and 50 Central (BET). With dozens of theatrical productions under her belt, Lydia is currently in the process of developing her screenplay, "Love Big" into a full length film.

14/10/2025

Having had a recurring role as a police officer on the hit show "Blue Bloods", Hal Miers was the perfect actor to play Detective Rossi in "Brick City." The after receiving his MFA from Columbia University, Miers is forging a successful career in the entertainment business. Along with stints on "Saturday Night Live" and "As the World Turns", Hal has appeared in three feature films and numerous TV commercials. As Detective Rossi, Miers needed to reveal an interesting arc for his character, who was navigating the world of organized crime for the first time, while not knowing whom to trust. He pulled it off like the professional that he is.

09/10/2025

"Holly Hill" has been selected as one of the top films of the past five years at the Cecil County Independent Film Festival Retrospective. A special two-day event will take place on November 15th. & 16th. "Holly Hill", released in 2023, set the record for Brownstone Films by appearing in over twenty festivals. Screenings will take place at the Milburn Stone Theatre
in North East, Maryland with ticket information and movie times to be announced soon. Pictured are Mark Montalbano and Ande Cousins, stars of the film.

07/10/2025

Auditioning for a cast of over thirty roles was time consuming. Fortunately, the role of Rose DeRocco was written with Malena Sadaka in mind, so no audition was necessary. After seeing Malena's performance in the film "Bound by Bushwick" we knew she had the range of emotion to portray the conflicted daughter of a crime boss. She did not disappoint. Her scenes were some of the most dramatic in the film. In each one, she brought just the right passion and intensity. Originally from Miami, Florida, Malena is now a New Yorker. She holds a BFA in Acting from Rutgers Mason Gross School of the Arts and is a proud New World School of the Arts alumni. Prior film roles include "Sapphire Blues", "4:15" and "Father". She has appeared in numerous television commercials and served as red carpet hostess at film festivals throughout the metropolitan area.
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02/10/2025

There are often scenes in a film that call for rapid fire interchanges between the characters. If you are lucky enough to know actors adept at improv, you cut them loose. Bart Shatto is just such an actor. Playing Matt Davis, a gambler, in over his head to the mob, Bart effortlessly improvised the opening scene of "Brick City" and we were off and running. He had previously performed the same ad-lib magic in our horror short, "Lizzie." Bart has a lengthy filmography in both movies and TV. He has appeared on Chicago Fire, Law and Order and Murphy Brown. He's also a veteran of the Broadway stage, having played the pivotal role of Jean Valjean in "Les Miserables" both on Broadway and National Tour. Other Broadway credits include the Tony-nominated "Hands On a Hardbody" and "War Paint" (opposite Three-Time Tony Winner Patti Lupone). Early on in his career he was a vocalist with the symphonic rock band Trans-Siberian Orchestra from 2002 - 2015. There's no doubt that working with a talent like Bart, raised the level of all his scene partners.

30/09/2025

For an independent film company, it's not every day that a super-talented, film and TV star actress shows up at your auditions. We could not believe our luck when Regina Schneider came in full costume for her character, 60's hippie Sheila Dressler, to audition for us. Naturally, she nailed it, and one of the key roles in our film, "Brick City" was cast. Regina's recent TV appearances have been in The Blacklist, Halston and Law and Order SVU. Last year she starred with Chevy Chase in the feature film "The Christmas Letter." On set, she was a pure delight, spending time to get to know everyone in the cast and crew. Her character was put through the ringer with some difficult stunts, with multiple takes.
She summed it all up at the end of the day with "That was fun!"

25/09/2025

Post-production is underway for "Brick City", Brownstone Films first full-length, feature film. Principal photography began on April 26th and wrapped up on July 21st. We were blessed to work with an incredible cast, which included top actors from film and television. In anticipation of the film's 2026 release, we will be highlighting our cast and crew in the upcoming weeks.
First up is Kelvin McGrue who plays Detective Moore of the Newark Police Department, a key player in the film's events. Kelvin has appeared on all of the top network shows, including: Law and Order SVU, The Blacklist, Luke Cage and FBI Most Wanted. He has shared the screen with the likes of Denzel Washington, James Spader and Ice-T. We were beyond fortunate to have him join our cast.

17/08/2025

Fantastic week at the Newark Independent Film Festival on the campus of the University of Delaware. "Lizzie" picked up nominations for BEST ACTRESS for Lexi Hannan and COMMITTEE CHOICE for OUTSTANDING SHORT. Supporting actress Sophia Albano (center) was on hand for the red carpet with interviewer Erica Becker (left).

Brownstone Films