SYNOPSIS:

Based on true events, I present to you Exhibition of Rejects! Similar to David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook, EOR is emotional and troubling as well as funny and passionate, perhaps best classified as a romantic comedy-drama. A naive ploy to peddle a stolen masterpiece unveils a legendary love story inspiring Little Tony Two Shoes to step out of his father’s shadow and pursue his own dream. EOR’s protagonist, Antonio “Little Tony” Affamato, is a struggling law student with boyish good looks, ADHD, an amazing hidden talent, a tyrant for a father and no luck with women. Outside the filming industry, I’m an accomplished oil painter with a BA in Fine Arts, as well as PGA certified golf instructor. You’ll find both fields pertinent to my screenplay. Within the filming industry, I compose compelling log lines for Film Skillet, a short-film production company based out of Santa Barbara, CA. On the Feast Day of St. Louis during the 1863 Salon des Paris, Francois Marteaux, a French teenage artist from the “wrong” side of the river, stormed the Royal Palace of the Louvre’s upper landing. Triumphantly, he held his rejected painting high above his head shouting “Avant-garde, Avant-garde” until the raucous crowd picked up the chant! Mortified by the painting’s subject matter, the Minister of Art ordered Francois be pummeled to death by the Emperor’s guards before the innocent eyes of his own daughter, coincidentally Francois’s first love. He then set precedence within the art community to curb any future audacious acts, in doing so; the Minister of Art eradicated the Marteaux legacy from the history books! One hundred and fifty years later, Antonio “Little Tony” Affamato has failed the Bar Exam for the third time, has been dumped by his fiancé for the last time and has been grossly humiliated by his oppressive father for the umpteenth time, all before a house-full of party guests. Happy 30th Birthday Little Tony Two Shoes! Falling back on the game he lettered in at Hampton High, Little Tony escapes to a golf course in Disney Land. Tanned, happy and falling in love, Little Tony’s life was good for a change. But it wasn’t long before Herman “Herbie” Metzger, an old high school acquaintance looking to return a favor, presented Little Tony with an opportunity to prosper from a painting he recently inherited from his grandmother, or so he said. After a brief internet search, Little Tony determines Herbie’s “inherited” painting may actually be a missing masterpiece from the mid-19th century, forever linked with the urban legend of the Romeo and Juliet of the Avant-garde. With a stern voice, Little Tony questioned Herbie’s acquisition of this potential masterpiece and what he unearthed was absolutely ridiculous! Not only did this painting never belong to Herbie’s grandma, but in fact, it was heisted by the caretaker of the Jonquille Hampton Estate to pay off a gambling debt. Then, in an effort to cover up the crime, the Estate’s “museum” mansion was burnt to the ground. Wanting absolutely no part in any of this, Little Tony declares he’s out and goes back to his life on the links. Days later, Little Tony is arrested by the Disney police, extradited back to New York, framed by his “so-called” friend and has his life threatened by an escaped convict. But worst of all, he’s back under his oppressive father’s ruthless thumb. And oh yeah, he was dumped again, this time by Missy Melete, his adorable “caddy” with a Crawford-like beauty mark. During the ensuing kangaroo court case, brought upon by the fabulous Miriam “Zella” Johnson in her relentless quest to rescue her family’s stolen heirloom, Little Tony’s mesmerized by Francois’s masterpiece and the courageous love story behind it. You see, Francois Marteaux was never given the recognition for how he forever associated the phrase Avant-garde with the world of art, until today! After a life-threatening altercation with one of America’s Most Wanted and a mind-altering altercation with his fucked-up father, Little Tony has an epiphany so vivid it triggers an artistic transformation. “If you love someone, set them free. If you do what you love, she’ll come back, you’ll see!”” To request a copy of Exhibition of Rejects, please call (613) 413-3760 or e-mail: vjsart@aol.com. Avant-garde, Vincent John Scheraldi