By Mike Stafford: It will be a unique doubleheader for fans of Paulie Malignaggi on December 7. That evening, in one of New York’s most anticipated matches, Malignaggi will square off against fellow Brooklynite Zab Judah at the Barclays Center in a bout that will be televised by Showtime.
But earlier in the day, Malignaggi fans can see the former welterweight champ make his feature film debut as the star of “Omerta: Act of Silence,” which will have it’s New York premiere at the Shadow Box Film Festival at 2 p.m. at the SVA Theatre on West 23rd street.
“We all strive to do things and set goals for ourselves that are a challenge” said Malignaggi of his foray into acting. “Being an athlete and a fighter was a challenge in and of itself. I know that can’t last forever. So there was a curiosity to try something else.”
Malignaggi has acted before, appearing in small roles in “Lights Out,” the HBO film, “Undefeated,” and a Nintendo commercial. But it was nothing like his role in “Omerta,” the story of a young man trying to avoid the lure of the Mafia.
“There are some sad moments in the script and I had to get my mind into that sad place,” said Malignaggi. “The crying scenes are real tears. I had to get myself to a dark place. With the help of the director, Craig Syracusa and the help of my co-star Joe D’Onofrio, I was able to do it. I didn’t want to ruin the film for Craig. He worked really hard on the script and I wanted it to come out the way he visualized it.”
Added Syracusa, “It was amazing. He was able to tap into his personal relationships and what happened to him in the past. It was hard for everybody to believe that this tough guy could cry on command, but he did. He’s one of the best actors I’ve worked with.”
The Shadow Box Film Festival is the world’s only all-boxing film festival. Over 20 boxing films will be screened during the two-day festival. It runs on Dec. 6 and 7 and is hosted at the
SVA Theatre at 333 West 23rd St., Manhattan.
“It’s only fitting that Paulie is making his big screen debut at the Shadow Box Film Festival,” said festival director David Schuster. “In the ring and out, Paulie epitomizes the spirit of New York. It’s going to be a huge day for his fans and New York boxing in general.”
Malignaggi attended the festival last year.
“I think a boxing film festival is a great idea,” he said. “This could really be the start of something. I saw Ray Mancini’s film at last year’s festival.It’s a way for people to see films about a sport they love.”
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