An award-winning Welsh actor and producer is returning to home soil to promote his new film, following a whirlwind year in Los Angeles.
Luca Malacrino’s announcement to return to Cardiff has caused a buzz of excitement, as the actor is set to host a glamorous private screening of his new movie, Elephants.
The event will bring the glitz and glam of Hollywood to Cardiff, as VIP guests witness an exclusive first viewing of the movie, which Luca co-produced and stars in.
On the joys of returning home to show guests his new film, Luca said:
“I love coming home to visit family and friends and cannot wait to show my hometown what I have been working extremely hard on this year… Most of all, I am so excited to show my grandparents who live in Grangetown and been married for over 65 years the movie, despite maybe having to cover their eyes at certain parts!”
Luca’s fellow co-producers will also be making the journey to Cardiff. The trio will be on the hunt to secure funding for their next motion picture, which they plan to set in Wales.
“It has always been a dream to come back and film close to home so that I can show the world how beautiful and compelling Wales really is. After three years, it looks like that dream could very well come true and I couldn’t be more excited to show my producing partners all the hidden gems within my home country” Luca said.
Since his last visit to Cardiff, the 25-year-old has starred in hit the U.S TV shows Criminal Minds and Grey’s Anatomy, working alongside Paul Sorvino and Ellen Pompeo, amongst others. Luca has also had the pleasure of working with some of the world’s most influential filmmakers, including the director of The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola.
Luca’s achievements were recently recognised by the BAFTA Newcomers Program, where he was chosen as one of four actors out of 20,000 applicants to be accepted into the Academy. The two-year talent initiative supports rising stars from the UK, who have recently moved to Los Angeles to pursue film.
Luca recently received an invitation to serve as a guest speaker at The British House Consulate in Los Angeles, to raise awareness of foreign study within Wales:
“Representing my country at such a prestigious event was an honour and a moment I will never forget.”
“Another important part of being a Welshman living in Los Angeles is to help raise awareness of our country, and I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of that.”
Alongside working on hit shows and representing his country, Luca has also spent the last year co-producing and starring in his latest project, Elephants.
The story takes an authentic look at modern relationships by depicting the highs and lows of a fiery young couple who rekindle their relationship after three years apart. Through this journey, it examines the struggle between love and nostalgia, asking the question: how do you know when someone’s right for you or rather when it’s time to move on?
Two years prior to Elephants initial creation, Luca and the film’s writer and director, Alex Hanno, created a short film called The Chameleon. The pair decided to continue working together, combining their talents and developing a number of new works under their production company: The Chameleon Effect. One of those projects was the television pilot, Served, a piece that recently received a prestigious award at the Independent Television & Film Festival in Vermont and is set to continue on the festival circuit throughout 2018.
The Chameleon Effect team then set out to film Elephants at the beginning of this year and brought on award-winning director of photography, Samuel Lancaster to do so.
Despite the exclusive guest list for Elephants’ private screening, Luca will be donating tickets to a number of Welsh charities, artists and companies, such as Film Cymru Wales.
The exclusive viewing of Elephants will take place on January 6th, before it heads for the festival circuit to make its official premiere in 2018. The film is represented by Circus Road Films. To see the official trailer, as well as get a chance to be invited to the private screening, head to the website, www.elephantsmovie.com