JOURNEY OF HOPE -- THE FILM

In early November of 2009 Joe contacted award-winning filmmaker Marino Amoruso of Long Island, New York. Amoruso's film PRIDE & PASSION: THE ITALIANS IN AMERICA had premiered on the national PBS Network in October. This film highlights and examines all the many great achievements and contributions of Italian-Americans to this nation and, indeed, to the world. Joe had a copy of the film on DVD, and whenever he felt frustrated and discouraged in his efforts to help the people of L'Aquila, Joe would watch the film and become inspired once again.

Joe wanted to screen PRIDE & PASSION at a fundraiser in Point Pleasant Baech, and called Marino for permission to do so. Marino volunteered to travel to New Jersey and introduce the film. Thus began a relationship between Joe and Marino that led to the production of the national television special JOURNEY OF HOPE: JOE LEONE'S L'AQUILA EARTHQUAKE RELIEF FUND. Through the use of the hundreds of photos taken and dozens of hours of video shot during Joe's "journey," on-camera interviews with Joe and his volunteers, and other L'Aquila footage obtained by Amoruso, the film tells the inspiring, moving, powerful and true story of Joe's "Journey of Hope." It will premier at the Garden State Film Festival in the Paramount theater in Asbury Park at 7:30 pm on Thursday, March 31, 2011. Afterwards it will have its national television premier in April on the Documentary Channel and on PBS stations around the country.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• JOURNEY
• HOPE
• JOE LEONE
• L'AQUILA
• EARTHQUAKE
• relief
• fund
• charity