Current Productions

Sweet Summer

BlackBelt Productions is working in association with Lucky Day Studios and Michael Forman Management to bring Sweet Summer to the screen.

Academy Award-Winning writer William Kelley (Witness) wrote the original novel. Kelley and Rick Baker, adapted the novel into a moving and poignant screenplay about a friendship between a white man and his black peers in a time and a place where such relationships were rare and considered with contempt.
More about William Kelley

Synopsis
When a young, passionate, Irish Catholic is assigned to the all black Air Force boxing team, he experiences first love, deep personal loss and the ultimate test of faith as he and his companions journey to the deep south to fight for the Armed Forces championship in New Orleans. Academy Award winning writer William Kelly (“Witness”) delivers a coming-of-age story of love and self-discovery, honor and courage, in this hard hitting boxing road trip that brings the ferocity of Raging Bull and the sweetness of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Champion

Champion is written by award-winning actor and BBP Founder, David Paladino.  Based on his own true story, Champion centers around Anthony Campione and his life growing up in an Italian family, where his darker skin was always explained away.  In his early thirties, after years of personal struggle and living as a "dark-Italian", Anthony unearths the truth about where he comes from.

Anthony states, "I went to bed white and woke up black." A phrase that Anthony can only find humor in after he has confronted racism, including his own, travelled the South to find his biological father and made peace with himself and his family. Champion is a compelling story about courage, the persistence to find truth and unconditional love.
 
David has already made Champion into an award-winning play, which has shown in L.A., Miami and New York, to name a few.  David's story has repeatedly been covered by NPR's "This American Life."

Champion is being produced in conjunction with Awareness Entertainment.

Non-BBP Productions *(Company is not producing this but David is a listed producer)

Freedom for Joe

Freedom for Joe is an Awareness Entertainment and Kerry Kimmel & Pollack production written by actor, writer, producer and founder of Awareness, Lee Burns. David Paladino is a co-producer on the film and also is signed on to play the best friend (Brian Taylor) to the lead, Joe, played by Lee Burns. Other notables involved: producer John D. Schofield, actors Robert Patrick, Beth Riesgraf and Nathalia Oreiro.

Logline 
When a cocky, freewheeling pro quarterback finds himself in a rehab center, he has a chance to re-evaluate his life through humorous and heartfelt conversations with a very unusual man.
 
Synopsis
Joe Gilmore, a professional quarterback, is running from his conscience, his religious mother and the pain of a deceased father in the darker side of the limelight of his celebrity and success.  When he finds himself in a rehab center, his life is forever changed, by a Man like no one he has ever known, who shows up with humorous conversations and illuminating illustrations that help Joe to see what is truly causing the turmoil in his life.  Through his experiences with the Man, Joe realizes he has more power than he ever dreamed.  freedom for joe is a very atypical spiritual story; edgy, gritty, honest and intense, with a unique blend of fantasy elements and realism, which has an overall message of the power of the individual being and a pure, personal connection to the freedom and truth that lies within each person.

freedom for joe - The Movie Website

Past Productions

Films

Theatre