AGBO announced today that Louis D’Esposito will be presented with the inaugural award at the Russo Brothers’ Italian American Filmmaker Forum Event on January 18. The Renaissance Award celebrates outstanding contributions to Italian American heritage and the entertainment industry. This is the first annual event for the Russo Brothers’ Italian American Filmmaker Forum (RBIAFF).

The RBIAFF hosts an annual filmmaker fellowship program in collaboration with the Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA.) This program offers production grants to emerging filmmakers who seek to develop and create stories for the screen that illuminate aspects of the Italian American experience.