Break out the Opera Glasses, folks, because we have a winner! Maky Rupert's snazzy short film "St. Joseph" soared to winning heights at the latest round of the Russo Brothers Italian American Filmmaker Forum in 2025, an event held in high regard for fostering emerging talents exploring the Italian American narrative. This marked the forum’s rip-roaring eighth annual celebration steered by AGBO and the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA).

Gifting us unforgettable filmic wisdom, "St. Joseph" proved to be a cinematic diamond in the rough amongst five stellar films, each hand-crafted by talented filmmakers who received $10,000 grants for their uncut creative gems. Rupert’s big win earned him not just an additional $10,000 prize pot, but an express ticket into the star-studded AGBO Storytellers Collective, a platform armed with industry know-how, mentorship gold, and an enthusiastic bandwagon of fellow emerging filmmakers set to champion his future masterpieces.

Rupert’s compelling saga frames a group of distanced relatives, magnetized back to their deserted childhood adobe by the captivating allure of a St. Joseph statue, a memento secreted away by their grandma years ago as a fortunate charm - no doubt a nostalgic treasure hunt that morphs into a poignant meditation on severed ties, the gravity of grief, the rite of adulthood, and enduring Italian traditions.

Ever since its celebrated launch in 2017, this pioneering program has showered an abundance of $450,000 over more than 55 filmmakers. The aim? To boost those heart-thumping stories that beautifully embody the richness of Italian American life, lingo, and ancestry.

The baton of this year's winner was passed to Rupert by AGBO’s imaginative team, ISDA chiefs, and a star-studded jury including Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, the dynamic duo behind AGBO, the creatively exceptional Angela Russo-Otstot, the respected national president of ISDA Basil Russo, and Patricia Russo, a proud ISDA delegate.

"Here at AGBO, serving budding storytellers is a cause close to our heart, and the RBIAFF sure mirrors that passion by bringing to light the stories enriched by the Italian American heritage,” remarked Russo-Otstot. "We are all fired up, knowing the vast landscape of unique viewpoints these filmmakers bring to table, and salute Maky Rupert on his triumphant 'St.Joseph,' a film that shines the spotlight on family ties, tradition, and the everlasting echoes they leave behind."

Adding another feather to the forum’s hat, it extended its much-anticipated Renaissance Award Initiative, a prominent tribute for those who significantly amplified the Italian American culture and the entertainment industry. Debuting in 2024, the award found its first hero in Louis D’Esposito from Marvel Studios, while this year's honor rolled out the red carpet for none other than Stanley Tucci.

So, stay on the lookout! The award-winning "St. Joseph" will grace the screen amidst thrills and excitement at the forthcoming RBIAFF shindig, scheduled at AGBO's buzzing headquarters in downtown Los Angeles.