PRODUCERS UNCOVER LOST FELLINI PROJECT

"If you told me back in college that I would one day be producing a Fellini film, I would have doubled over," said Michel Shane, Producer, Hand Picked Films.

"As a producer and a film buff, Journey to Tulum is an absolute dream project. This is the film Federico Fellini always wanted to make." The film will be directed and co-produced by Italian filmmaker Marco Bartoccioni, who came across the treatment through Tullio Pinelli, Fellini's screenwriter on "La Dolce Vita," "8½," "Juliet of the Spirits" and "Nights of Cabiria". Oscar-nominated Tonino Guerra, co-writer of Fellini's "Amarcord" and Michelangelo Antonioni's "Blowup", will adapt. Hand Picked Films have formed an American/Italian joint venture with Bartoccioni and secured the rights to both the treatment by Federico Fellini as well as six articles that appeared in the Italian publication Corrier dlla Sera.

The story follows the infamous meetings between the legendary director and Carlos Castenda, author of the magic realist best-seller "The Teachings of Don Juan".

"I don't want to name names, but there's a who's who of Hollywood stars completely obsessed with Casteneda already lobbying for the role," added Anthony Romano.

The film will chronicle Fellini's trip to Mexico and his mysterious encounters with cult figure Castenda. The director had allegedly attempted to convince the author to allow him to adapt "The Teachings of Don Juan" into a motion picture.

"Phenomena and wonders popped up," Fellini stated in an article. "When he came to my hotel, he brought along some women. I never saw him again, but after that I found strange messages in my room and objects moved around. I think it was black magic."

The film will be of shot at the famed Cinecitta studios in Rome, where many of Fellini's epics were set, in addition to Mexico and Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES, June 22, 2005 -

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