Welcome to G&E in Motion, the very first blog post from you guessed it – G&E Productions – where we are choosing to stand at the very peak of the artistic mountaintop and shout to all those who will listen - Hi! We exist!
As this is the initial entry, we think it only makes sense for this to act as an introductory post. Who are we? What are we all about? What can you expect moving forward?
On the set of Transit
Let’s begin, as any good origin story should, with our formation. A few years back we got our hands on a rare edition of Shakespeare’s First Folio. We very carefully syphoned the ink from the brittle pages, converted it into its former liquid form, and injected that shit directly into our eyeballs. The result was more catastrophic than we could have possibly imagined– we became artists.
G&E Productions officially launched in 2017. Created by co-founders Gregory Cioffi (the G) and Emily Dinova (the E), it took nearly two years, a lot of work, and much research to finally realize the importance of the already outdated blog format. Artists, am I right?
Let’s get on with it then shall we?
What ARE we?
We are a Cinematic and Theatrical Production House.
But more than that…
We are Renaissance Artists.
To put it simply, we belong in no box.
We are actors.
We are writers.
We are directors.
We are producers.
We are what we believe the 21st century needs – a revitalization of professionals who are immersed in all mediums and forms of art.
We are also thieves as all this information came directly from our website – like verbatim (we know you didn’t visit it – but maybe now you will).
We are not interested in creating more of the same. Instead, we welcome the ever-changing craft of artistry and the new movements of expression that are created when diverse art forms influence and merge with one another.
G&E Productions is founded on creating edgy, intelligent, unique new works. We embrace collaboration and are constantly pushing boundaries. We embrace the differences between individuals and their distinct perspectives. And most of all we embrace the truth that art, in any form, is a vehicle for social understanding and change. And change is what we plan to produce.
WOO! That’s exciting. I dig it. I’m on board.
G & E on the set of Wet Paint
But what have you actually ACHIEVED?
Our company officially begun alongside the inception of a film entitled The Museum of Lost Things. The film was completed in 2018 and went on to win awards at the Long Island International Film Expo (Best Story), The Madrid International Film Festival (Best Supporting Actor), and The Global Shorts Film Festival (Honorable Mention), all the while being accepted into other festivals around the country. Gregory Cioffi, who directed the piece, received a Certificate of Recognition for exceptional talent by The Town of Hempstead, N.Y.
Last year, G&E’s three-minute film A Foot in the Door won the Reel13 Film Challenge and, in May of 2018, aired on THIRTEEN, the flagship public television station of the New York City tri-state area and the most-watched public television channel in the nation.
Wet Paint, a short horror film about the strange correlation between those who suffer and greatness, is currently on the festival circuit, already having been accepted into The New York Short Film Festival, The Scared for Your LIIFE Festival, and The Russian International Horror Film Awards.
Most recently G&E completed production on Transit: A NYC Fairytale, a film that was 187% funded through crowd sourcing (you read that right) starring Pooya Mohseni, the newly chosen actor to head the Pantene campaign created for their new partnership with GLAAD. The film is slated to be released in 2020 (that’s this year guys!).
Pooya Mohseni on the set of Transit
And that’s just the film stuff! We aim to produce one piece of theatre every year! We urge you to look up Capture, Emily Dinova’s raw and visceral story of a woman’s fight against domestic violence. It was the recipient of the 2015 Fresher Writing Prize in the United Kingdom (Best Stage Play) and was also published later that year by the Fresher Publishing Company. Capture was part of The Venus and Adonis Festival in NYC and received staggering praise. In June of 2016, it had a production in Bournemouth, UK at the Shelley Theatre and subsequently in 2017, a production at the Seven Angels Theatre in Connecticut.
Looking for something a little lighter? We got you. Emily’s next play, Cold Porridge, was a satire on all things murder mystery that received attention from The Huffington Post, Local Theatre New York, Stage Biz, and HMag during Winterfest 2018 at the Hudson Guild Theatre. #Range
Okay, okay. You’ve done some stuff. We get it. But WHO are G&E exactly?
The G
Gregory Cioffi (SAG-AFTRA, AEA) is a published writer, professional actor, and director. His works have been published in The Feral Press, Mystery Weekly Magazine, Queen Mobs Tea House, Little Old Lady (LOL) Comedy, Blood Moon Rising Magazine, Fleas on the Dog, The Five-Two, Aphelion, and Allegory Ridge. Six of these stories have been archived in Yale Univeristy’s Beinecke Collection (Rare Books and Manuscript Library).
Greg portrays Fat Ricky in the television show The Godfather of Harlem. He was featured in Martin Scorsese's film The Irishman, and played notorious gangster Tommy Lucchese in AMC's mini-series The Making of the Mob. Greg continuously plays Tony in various national and international tours of Tony n Tina's Wedding.
Greg received his Bachelors of Arts and Masters of Science in English Education with a concentration in English Writing and was further awarded the Writing Across the Curriculum Award in recognition of writing intensive studies. He then earned his Master of Arts in Theatre Acting.
Last year Greg was granted the Hemera Contemplative Fellowship for Artists and went off to the Zen Mountain Monastery to study Zen Art, allowing him to expand his knowledge and perspective regarding his craft.
Greg has proudly served on the SAG Awards Nominating Committee.
He currently teaches two courses at Nassau Community College (an acting class and a creative writing course).
The E
Emily Dinova (AEA, SAG-AFTRA Eligible) is a writer, actor, director and producer living in Hoboken, New Jersey. She has an MA in Stage and Screen Writing from Regent’s University (London, UK), a Bachelors in English with a Theatre concentration (Writing, Directing, Acting & Film) from Marist College (Poughkeepsie, NY) and studied Opera at the Instituto Lorenzo de’Medici (Florence, Italy).
She has appeared Off-Broadway in several shows including My Big Gay Italian Wedding, My Big Gay Italian Funeral, Gay-Porn-Mafia, and the upcoming play Reel Wood. She tours regularly, both nationally and internationally, as Tina in Tony n Tina’s Wedding. Emily just finished filming Ghost Guidos, a parody television pilot currently looking for a network to call home!
The above-mentioned Cold Porridge was her fifth play to hit the New York Theatre scene in a little over two years. Others include: The Locals [wrote/acted in] at The Jewel Box Theatre, Copse, [wrote/directed] for the Midtown International Theatre Festival, and Ruptured [wrote/acted in] for Manhattan Rep.
Most recently, Emily directed the film Transit: A NYC Fairytale. The fundraising video stirred up debates and discussions on social media regarding its subject matter with one post alone reaching 10,000 people. Emily headed a promotional campaign for the film at the 2019 Pride Parade in NYC. The film is currently in post-production.
Emily is an avid traveler, constantly looking to explore new places, cultures and people, which serve as the inspiration for a lot of her work. She’s completed two novels, Bode and The Veil of Seduction, which she hopes to publish soon!
And that’s pretty much who we are and what we do!
We hope to publish at least one blog post a month! At times they may be articles, other times press releases, and sometimes just exciting updates!
The point is - we hope you follow us and find this blog interesting or helpful or inspirational or hilarious. We’ll take any of those.
Thank you for reading the inaugural post of G&E in Motion.
As long as we’re moving, we’re grooving - and hopefully - improving.
