Hollywood Producers Join Vatican's First Oscar-Submitted Documentary

Hollywood Ventures Group has joined the production team for 'Green Lava,' the first film submitted by the Vatican for Oscar consideration. The move brings a new wave of executive producers to the 39-minute documentary, which is currently in the Academy Awards race.

Glenn S. Gainor, Sandy Climan, Nelly Kim, and Nabeel Laher are joining John Shufeldt as executive producers. The film is directed by Lia Beltrami and Ali Aksu. It follows Giacomo Mattivi, a young Italian man living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The story focuses on his life after his brother, Mattia, died from the same condition. Mattivi finds strength in his community and the natural world around him.

The production is set in the Dolomites and was created in collaboration with the Vatican. Although it is the first film submitted by the Vatican in the 97-year history of the Academy Awards, it will not officially represent the Vatican in the race. Short films do not require an official submission or endorsement from a national government or a country-specific committee, unlike international feature films.

The film completed its Oscar-qualifying theatrical run from September 18 to 24. It screened at the Lumiere Music Hall in Beverly Hills. The new producers are part of Hollywood Ventures Group, a consultancy co-founded by Gainor and Climan. Gainor previously held senior leadership roles at Amazon MGM Studios and Sony’s Screen Gems. Climan served as a senior executive at CAA, Universal Studios, and MGM.

Beltrami, who co-directed and produced the film, said the collaboration will help widen the tent. She described the movie as a hymn to life and an invitation to live every moment fully. Aksu, the other co-director and producer, noted that Mattivi lives close to a line most people avoid. She said his closeness to that line has made him more alive, not less.

The documentary is the latest addition to the Hollywood Ventures international slate. The company also has the upcoming Casablanca-set thriller 'The Final Bet' in development. The film was produced by Beltrami’s company, Emotions to Generate Change, in collaboration with Vatican News, Radio Vaticana, and Vatican Media. Los Angeles-based David Dubinsky and Dominique Appleby also serve as producers.

The new executive producers issued a joint statement praising the film. They called it a moving testament to the resilience of the human spirit. They said they are honored to join their partners in championing Mattivi's story. The film aims to show how Mattivi defies societal expectations and challenges the limitations imposed by his condition.