First Vatican-Produced Film Submitted to Oscars Boarded by Hollywood Ventures Group (EXCLUSIVE)

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Hollywood Ventures Group — the film production outfit and consultancy co-founded by former Amazon MGM Studios executive Glenn S. Gainor and industry veteran Sandy Climan — has boarded the documentary short “Green Lava,” the first Vatican-produced film to be submitted to the Oscars.

Gainor, Climan, Nelly Kim and Nabeel Laher are joining John Shufeldt MD as executive producers on the 39-minute “Green Lava” film, which is directed by Lia Beltrami and Ali Aksu. The inspirational documentary short — produced in collaboration with the Vatican and set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Dolomites — follows Giacomo Mattivi, a young Italian man living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, “as he faces life without his brother Mattia who has just succumbed to Duchenne,” according to the film’s synopsis. “Defying societal expectations, Giacomo challenges the limitations imposed by his condition and finds strength in his community and in the natural world that surrounds him.”

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As Variety exclusively reported in September, “Green Lava” is the first film to be submitted by the Vatican for Oscar consideration in the 97-year history of the Academy Awards.

That said, the film will not specifically represent the Vatican in the race. Unlike the international feature film category, short films do not need an official submission or endorsement from a national government or a country-specific committee.

“’Green Lava” is a moving testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the extraordinary power of hope,” said Gainor, Climan, Kim and Laher in a joint statement. “Lia and Ali have crafted a remarkable film that deserves to be seen by audiences around the world. We are honored to join our partners at Vatican News, Radio Vaticana, Vatican Media, Untold and Emotions to Generate Change in championing Giacomo’s inspiring story.”

“I believe this valuable collaboration with Hollywood Ventures Group will help ‘widen the tent,’ making Giacomo’s message accessible to the world,” said the film’s co-director and producer Beltrami, using a biblical expression. She noted that “Green Lava” is “about walking together, living in community, and embracing authenticity” and called it “a hymn to life and an invitation to live every moment to the fullest.”

Added the film’s other co-director and producer, Aksu: “Giacomo lives every day close to a line most of us spend our lives avoiding, and that closeness has made him more alive, not less. He is funny, stubborn, curious and fiercely present. Bringing his story to the screen alongside our partners at Vatican Media, as the first Vatican-produced film in contention for an Academy Award, has been one of the great honors of my life.”

Beltrami’s company, Emotions to Generate Change, produced “Green Lava” in collaboration with Vatican News, Radio Vaticana and Vatican Media. Aksu and Beltrami serve as producers, together with Los Angeles-based David Dubinsky and Dominique Appleby.

“Green Lava” completed its Oscar-qualifying theatrical run by screening between Sept. 18-24 at the Lumiere Music Hall in Beverly Hills.

The Vatican-produced doc is the latest addition to the Hollwood Ventures international slate, which includes the upcoming Casablanca-set thriller “The Final Bet.”

HVG will serve “as a strategic producing partner, leveraging our global network to elevate the film’s visibility, expand its reach, and explore potential distribution opportunities,” according to a company rep.

Gainor previously held senior leadership roles at Amazon MGM Studios and Sony’s Screen Gems, while Climan served as a senior executive at CAA, Universal Studios and MGM.