New Jersey Pictures announced today that THE SOPRANO STATE: NEW JERSEY’S CULTURE OF CORRUPTION PART ONE, a film produced by three-time Academy Award® nominee Steve Kalafer, his producing partner Bruce Raiffe and directed by Peter LeDonne, inspired by the New York Times Bestselling book by Bob Ingle and Sandy McClure, will be released in select Clearview Cinemas in New York City and New Jersey beginning Friday, October 22, 2010. The film will have its official premiere at Clearview’s Ziegfeld Theatre in New York, NY on Monday, October 18, 2010.
Envelopes of money exchanged for political favors. Cash paid for back-door deals. Construction contracts handed out for those who have to pay elected officials. Sound like an episode of “The Sopranos”? Worse. Welcome to what is arguably the most politically corrupt state in the USA … New Jersey. THE SOPRANO STATE takes viewers on a wild ride of political power and corruption that started when New Jersey was still a colony. The film exposes elected officials who ran on platforms promising to end political corruption, only to find themselves behind bars for doing exactly that.
THE SOPRANO STATE features interviews and commentary from the attorneys, politicians and journalists who were there – including current New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. The film is narrated by Tony Darrow (“The Sopranos” & Goodfellas).
THE SOPRANO STATE has reunited a very successful team. It is executive produced by Kellie Pyffer. Kalafer, LeDonne and Pyffer, have teamed on the Academy Award-nominated films Curtain Call and Sister Rose’s Passion, winner Best Documentary Short at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival, both acquired by HBO, and on The Diary of Immaculee, which was honored at The 2006 Toronto film Festival’s “One By One” event.
The production team for THE SOPRANO STATE includes Steven Moskovic (Director of Photography), Daniel Raiffe (Associate Producer), Molly Williamson (Editor).