A Ukranian producer and entrepreneur pulled out all the stops and seemed to spare no expense in debuting a two-minute trailer for a new sci-fi project directed by and starring Kevin Spacey.
Elvira Paterson-Gavrilova — founder of the international marketing firm Elledgy Media Group whose Instagram bio for her 2.4 million followers describes herself as “making films, building bunkers, owning a farm, dreaming of space” — took over the courtyard of Venice, Italy’s famed Hotel Cipriani on Friday night for an intimate private gala set against the backdrop of the film festival on the nearby Lido.
The dinner hosted approximately 40 guests (a number matched by staff and production crew that studiously photographed and recorded the entire affair) and featured a series of performances from a Venice-based opera singer and a costumed dance troupe of two dozen from the country of Georgia. There were speeches aplenty from project insiders and an enthusiastic host, Anatoly Anatolich, who guided the glitzy festivities from start to finish. Bellinis were flowing and Cipriani delivered a menu that featured a beef heart tomato “steak,” saffron risotto with Spanish sauce and gremolada and a pistachio tartlet.
But the obvious highlight for Paterson-Gavrilova and friends (a group that included socialite Lady Victoria Hervey, Italian actress Linda Messerklinger and Polish model Magda Swider) proved to be Spacey, who flew in for the occasion with manager and confidante Evan Lowenstein to promote Holiguards Saga — The Portal of Force.
“Tonight is a very special night for me,” Paterson-Gavrilova said upon taking the microphone at the head of a table covered in lush red floral arrangements and candelabras. “When I think about this movie, I understand one very simple truth about this film: Cinema has always been about people. Without people there would be nothing. No story, no emotions, no chance to touch hearts.”
She called it her “greatest honor” to be working with the Oscar winner, who was in good spirits at the event and spent a generous amount of time with Lowenstein speaking with The Hollywood Reporter during the cocktail hour. “His talent is not just about acting, it is a truth in self. Truth that makes us cry, makes us believe. He gave this story its breath. He made it alive. When people watch this film, they don’t just see the screen, they see the soul. That all belongs to Kevin.”
Spacey stars in the project, which is intended to launch a trilogy franchise, alongside Dolph Lundgren, Tyrese Gibson, Brianna Hildebrand, Disha Patani, Eric Roberts, Harry Goodwins and Vladimir “Lado” Okhotnikov (the subject of a Variety exposé regarding his indictment for being part of an alleged cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme.).
Portal of Force centers on the conflict between two ancient supernatural factions, the Holiguards and the Statiguards, as they wage a secret war for control of humanity. Amid the conflict, a woman discovers she’s the daughter of two rival leaders, giving her the power to end the conflict. Meanwhile, a Statiguard strategist prepares a catastrophic attack in Paris using a nuclear device and an army of mind-controlled civilians, channeling energy from a cosmic portal to awaken an ancient force known as the Prime.
The film marks Spacey’s first directing effort in 20 years, and the subject matter is worlds away from earlier work like 2004’s Beyond the Sea, which cast him as “Mack the Knife” singer Bobby Darin opposite Kate Bosworth, and the 1996 crime thriller Albino Alligator starring Matt Dillon, Faye Dunaway and Gary Sinise. Filming on the $10 million project Holiguards took place in Mexico in 2023-24, with post-production provided by Elledgy Media Group and Lado Film. The Venice event comes on the heels of an event held during the Cannes Film Festival where footage of the project was shown.
Paterson-Gavrilova welcomed Spacey to say a few words about the project and the special evening. He said he was “very honored” to be asked to be a part of the film in the first place. “Then, before I knew it, to be asked to go into the role of the director,” Spacey said. “We are enormously pleased to be here in Venice, which is all about film, to be able to kick up some dirt and get people to know about this project. I had an incredible time. I was given such faith and such friendship throughout this entire experience. To have you take a chance on me at this time in my life is very meaningful, and I’m enormously grateful to you guys and to everyone that worked on the film.”
After Spacey’s brief speech, members of the creative team took turns passing the microphone around to offer their gratitude. Some of the comments revealed a sprint to production with only weeks to choreograph fight sequences and deliver costumes.
“This was an absolutely insane and wild ride,” said stunt coordinator Adam Collins, who also worked on Black Widow and the Bond entry No Time to Die. “This has been the most eventful and amazing opportunity of my life. I had the best time. Creatively what we were able to put together, against all odds in the short time frame that we had, is an amazing achievement.”
Attendees were amazed by the talents of local opera singer Anna Sanachina who delivered a trio of classic pieces including “Carmen Suite No. 2 – Habanera,” all sung table side, and she stopped to serenade each seat in doing so. The dinner was bookended by performances from the Georgian dance ensemble Holiguard Fire, which created a series of dance performances for the project. Their work was on display in both the trailer and a “music video” shown during the evening. It featured the project’s choreographed sequences set against music.
Paterson-Gavrilova confirmed to THR that she’s raising financing to complete the other two installments of a planned trilogy. Meanwhile, Spacey’s Venice trip include an appearance at the Better World Fund gala on Saturday night, which he attended with Paterson-Gavrilova. He’s expected to attend a red carpet film premiere as well as he emerges amid a comeback.
As for Portal of Force, the trailer featured Spacey back in action performing in both action sequences and dramatic moments, like one that saw his character standing at a podium delivering lines that feel ripped from the headlines. “Countries amass weapsons of mass destruction. What we need is control, stability and order. The balance of global order is fragile,” he states. The trailer teased a December release for the finished project (which may end up being a series rather than a film) though there is no distributor yet on board.
