Hollywood Ventures Group Boards First Vatican-Oscar Entry 'Green Lava'

Hollywood Ventures Group has joined the production team of the documentary short Green Lava, marking the first time a Vatican-produced film has entered the Academy Awards race. The venture, co-founded by former Amazon MGM Studios executive Glenn S. Gainor and industry veteran Sandy Climan, boarded the project alongside Nelly Kim and Nabeel Laher. All four now serve as executive producers alongside John Shufeldt MD.

The 39-minute film was directed by Lia Beltrami and Ali Aksu. It follows Giacomo Mattivi, a young Italian man living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, as he navigates life after the death of his brother Mattia, who also had the condition. The story is set in the Dolomites and produced in collaboration with Vatican News, Radio Vaticana, and Vatican Media.

In September, reports confirmed that Green Lava was the first submission from the Vatican in the 97-year history of the Academy Awards. However, the film does not officially represent the Vatican in the race. Unlike international feature films, short documentaries do not require endorsement from a national government or a specific country committee.

The film completed its Oscar-qualifying theatrical run between September 18 and 24 at the Lumiere Music Hall in Beverly Hills. Beltrami, who also serves as a producer through her company Emotions to Generate Change, said the collaboration with Hollywood Ventures would help widen the tent. She described the film as a hymn to life and an invitation to live every moment to the fullest.

Co-director and producer Aksu noted that Giacomo lives close to a line most people avoid, a proximity that made him more alive rather than less. He called bringing the story to the screen one of the great honors of his life. The film is the latest addition to the Hollywood Ventures international slate, which also includes the upcoming thriller The Final Bet, set in Casablanca.

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. The new executive team stated in a joint statement that they were honored to champion Giacomo’s story with their partners at Vatican Media and Emotions to Generate Change.