Dawna Lee Heising of EOE Interviews Filmmaker Leo Grillo about ANIMALS ARE PEOPLE TOO at 2010 AFM

Dawna Lee Heising of Eye on Entertainment (EOE) interviewed filmmaker and animal welfare activist Leo Grillo at the 2010 American Film Market (AFM) in Santa Monica, CA.  Grillo announced the formation of ANIMALS ARE PEOPLE TOO, a production company specializing in animal related features of all genres.   He also announced the release of the film “Magic” and the release of his animal rescue documentary “The Rescuer”, as well as the re-release of “ZYZZYZ Road”, starring Grillo, Katherine Heigl and Tom Sizemore.

Grillo was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts.  In his early years, he appeared in the Emmy Award-winning television movie "The Defection of Simas Kudirka," starring Alan Arkin and in multiple episodes of George Peppard's hit television series, "Banacek."  Grillo majored in theatre at Emerson College in Boston, MA, and later formed his own theatre company.  His theatre work includes three years with the repertory Rosalie Troupe and two years with the legendary summer stock theatre at The Hampton Playhouse.  In 1977, Leo Grillo moved to Los Angeles to launch his film career while studying with famed film acting coach Charles Conrad.  He co-starred in the 1977 John Heard film "Between the Lines," opposite John Heard and Jeff Goldblum, and had the lead in "Dierdre's Party," a feature film he produced in 1998. 

In 2009, Grillo co-wrote, produced and starred in "Magic," opposite Sammi Hanratty, Lori Heuring, Christopher Lloyd and Robert Davi, who directed the movie. “Magic” is about a dog and an angel who is sent to heal a broken family. It's a father (widower) and a 10-year-old daughter.  As an executive producer, Grillo has six projects in development, including the action-thriller, "All the King's Horses."  The documentary “The Rescuer” shows Grillo spending 719 days in a row in the woods, rescuing a mother and father dog and several of their litters.  For more information on Grillo’s film projects, visit www.leogrilloproductions.com

Grillo played the lead, opposite Katherine Heigl and Tom Sizemore, in the 2006 independent film "Zyzzyx Road", written and directed by John Penney.  The film holds a record for making only thirty dollars at the box office.  The love triangle thriller, starring Grillo, Katherine Heigl and Tom Sizemore, was released by Regent.  When filmmakers use SAG actors in a low budget movie, they receive a special discounted rate from the normal SAG rate. However, they must sign an agreement with SAG that the movie be screened in a theatre.  The theater release of “Zyzzyx Road” in Dallas only sold six tickets and a website picked up the story, bringing the film tons of publicity and the record for lowest domestic gross.

But the real story is that Grillo didn’t want anyone to see the movie domestically as it was first released for foreign sales.  He found a remote theater in Dallas in the middle of the winter and the movie played once a day at 11 am.  Even though six tickets were sold, Grillo reimbursed two people for their tickets, so the movie actually only grossed $20!  

Recognized as a world-renowned humanitarian and animal welfare expert, Grillo and his staff of seventy care for more than 1,500 previously abandoned animals on a daily basis at the D.E.L.T.A. Rescue super-sanctuary located northeast of Los Angeles. In March of 1979, Grillo rescued a black Doberman who was abandoned in the Angeles National Forest.  Leo named the dog “Delta”, which means, “change” in Greek.  Later in 1979, Grillo and Delta were on a wilderness hike in the Angeles National Forest, and they came across 35 other dogs that were starving and had been abandoned.  Grillo saved the dogs and was appalled to learn that no humane organization or government agency would help without killing the dogs.  Following the rescue of Delta and the 35 other dogs. Grillo formed med Dedication & Everlasting Love to Animals (D.E.L.T.A. Rescue), a non-profit wilderness animal rescue organization.  Today, D.E.L.T.A. Rescue is the largest no-kill, care for life animal sanctuary in the world, which is home to over 1,500 abandoned cats and dogs.  For more information, visit:  www.deltarescue.org To see the EOE interview with Leo Grillo, please go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvU1TbdFcxs

About the American Film Market (AFM)

Founded in 1981, the American Film Market (AFM) quickly became the premiere global marketplace where Hollywood’s decision-makers and trendsetters all gather under one roof. Unlike a film festival, the AFM is a marketplace where production and distribution deals are closed. In just eight days, more than $800 million in deals will be sealed — on both completed films and those in every stage of development and production — making AFM the must-attend industry event.  For more information, please visit:  www.afma.com

About Eye on Entertainment
"Eye on Entertainment", a division of Eye on Excellence™ Productions, is aired twice weekly on Time Warner Cable in Southern California and on Cox, Comcast and Verizon in Washington DC.  The EOE team covers entertainment and music events, film festivals, red carpets and award shows, and features interviews with successful people in all walks of life, exploring the traits they have in common. Dawna Lee Heising, EOE executive producer and host, is a member of SAG & AFTRA, has an MBA and PhD and is Ms. Universe 2010.  To schedule appearances or films, please contact Matt Chassin at matt@mattsmarketing.com. The EOE team includes Linda Maxwell of Time Warner Cable, producer John Cox, producer Jerry Moore, director Steve Van Wormer, editor Gordon Michael, PR guru Stan Goodrich, and photographers David McNeil and Kevin Le.  Please visit www.eyeonentertainment.tv, www.dawnaleeheising.tv and www.youtube.com/eyeonentertainment