Bill Sorvino is an award-winning actor. He is also founder of Golden Door International Film Festival as well as co-founder of Brazen Giant Ensemble with Christian Keiber. Sorvino has directed and produced several award-winning films as well.
What has 2021 been for you as an actor?
Very different indeed! We all had to get really good at self-tapes which was totally strange at first. I shot a few episodes of a web series I’m starting in called the Deep State virtually. That was completely different! The good news is I signed with a new management company Bright Artists Management and Bobby Holder is my manager. Definitely the best representation I’ve ever had. He’s gotten me some great auditions so even though it was not the best year in the world I’m extremely grateful for that.
Tell us about the Golden Door International Film Festival.
We started the festival to give indie filmmakers a platform they typically can’t get. Golden Door comes from the poem on the Statue Of Liberty. America is the Golden Door of opportunity and we are that for filmmakers. We’ve also always wanted our filmmakers to feel like they e stepped into the A-List club. I think we’ve done a great job of that. We also raise awareness for Autism and those with special needs, highlight women in cinema. and LGBTQ filmmakers. We try to be inclusive and never elitist!
“We are independent spirit.” What does this mean to you?
Indie filmmakers are by nature scrappy, creative and tenacious. We need more of that in this world. That’s the point of Golden Door.
Why is supporting independent filmmakers so important to you?
So we can help them continue to create. I’m kind of tired of the blockbuster superhero movies!
Since launching the Golden Door International Film Festival in 2010, what have been your proudest moments?
There are so many. One of my heroes is my uncle Paul Sorvino we gave him the Lifetime Achievement Award in our first year he’s the reason I’m an actor. We Tommy Hilfiger come to opening night in 2014 to support our Autism cause. We’ve had tons of amazing movies and too many celebrities to count. It’s been a wonderful 10 years!
What can we expect in the upcoming months?
We will hopefully return to year-round programming and seminars. We’ll keep you posted!
Tell us about your philanthropic arm, “Autism Awareness.”
As I was saying it is very important to us to be inclusive and pull up those who otherwise don’t get enough recognition. We are considered the foremost mainstream film festival in supporting Autism.
Share your upcoming film projects.
Hoping to get back to filming The Deep State and also working on getting a few scripts into production with my partner Christian Keiber at Brazen Giant Ensemble and Productions.
www.goldendoorfilmfestival.org