Multi-Award Female Film Director Sarah B. Downey, Winning With Film "Tunnel Vision" Starring G Eazy

LAS VEGAS - June 27, 2016 - PRLog -- On the morning of Monday, January 11th, the official trailer for the highly anticipated Independent film TUNNEL VISION was released via Youtube, and since, the film has generated a multitude of worthy buzz, and awards including,

Maine International Film Festival (official selection)

World Music Film Festival (official selection)

Nomination for Sarah B. Downey (Best Director)

Nomination for Gerald "G EAZY" Gillium  (Best Actor)

Nomination for Robert Miano(Best Supporting Role)

Acolade Film Festival (win)

Best Female Filmaker award to director Sarah B. Downey for Tunnel Vision

Las Vegas Lift Off Film Festival Online (official selection)

NYC Hip Hop Film Festival (official selection)

Los Angeles-based Sarah B. Downey, female Independent Film writer and director of international award winning independent films "The Undercard", "Platonic Solid", and "Red Velvet Cake", has the entertainment industry focused on this year's Film Festival Season and her film "Tunnel Vision".


"TUNNEL VISION" is a biopic independent film starring hit bay area hip hop music recording artist G-Eazy, who recently hit the Billboard top 100, David Labrava of hit FX television series Sons Of Anarchy, Robert Miano, and Bay Area artist Keak Da Sneak.

The film is based on the real life of now Las Vegas resident Antonio Salvatore Servidio, one of the biggest hip hop promoters over the last 20 years. The film was co-written by Director Sarah B. Downey and Executive Producer Antonio Servidio, Produced by Tuffy Williams and Mario Sanchez, Co-Produced by Ben Guppy, Daniel Hubbard, and Associate Producer Matt Bauerschmidt.

The subject of the movie, Johnny Russo, played by G-Eazy, is a young man incarcerated for 5 years in Federal Prison. The ATF, FBI, and DEA have been on his tail for the last 15 years.

Johnny Russo had friendships with Tupac Shakur and Mac Dre in the early 90s through firearms sales. After prison, Johnny rebuilt his life and became a real estate mogul before the financial crisis/mortgage meltdown ensued. Johnny's corrupt attorney then ran a fraudulent scheme on him and set him up on a complicated federal "money structuring" case. The feds seized over 6 million in assets (Luxury cars, properties, homes and cash) from Johnny, and once again, he has to come back when the chips are down.

The story and information in the screenplay are based off of true reports from the FBI, ATF, DEA, and The Department of Justice.

https://youtu.be/1LSHKXgnZdM



It is this captivating and riveting independent short film true account of Servidio's true life retelling, that has garnered the attention of entertainment industry executives and major film houses, looking to complete the film for big screen audiences. The film also has many looking into the case of Servidio, as since his prior conviction, the money structuring law which he was convicted on has changed.

Antonio Servidio was prosecuted and imprisoned while his trusted attorney stole his legitimate money, which Servidio earned fairly from concert promotions, the film delves into the background of Servidio's attorney and his request to invest Servidio's funds for him. However, the Attorney manipulates Servidio by persuading him to take legitimately earned millions from the bank and break the monetary amounts down into multiple money orders in ten thousand dollar amounts to give to him to invest upon Servidio's behalf.

"A person structures a transaction if that person, acting alone, or in conjunction with, or on behalf of, other persons, conducts or attempts to conduct one or more transactions in currency in any amount, at one or more financial institutions, on one or more days, in any manner, for the purpose of evading the [CTR filing requirements]." "In any manner" includes, but is not limited to, breaking down a single currency sum exceeding $10,000 into smaller amounts that may be conducted as a series of transactions at or less than $10,000. The transactions need not exceed the $10,000 CTR filing threshold at any one bank on any single day in order to constitute structuring.

Purpose of these laws is to limit criminal business activity conducted in cash - money laundering, drugs, criminal enterprises, etc. However, these laws can create potential problems for "law abiding" Americans. The IRS has seized assets (cash and bank account deposits) under suspicion of structuring. It then falls on the taxpayer to prove that the funds and deposits are legitimate.

Currently Servidio's Attorney has been captured and brought back to the United States and is in federal custody awaiting trial.

Sarah won BEST DIRECTOR at The Canadian International Film Festival in 2015. The film festival had 20 grand jury wins. She was the only woman to have won alongside 19 other men.

Sarah's Nominations and Awards include:

THE UNDERCARD 2012: (DIRECTOR, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, WRITER)

Colorado Film Awards: 2013 Colorado Film Award - Silver

Nevada Film Festival: 2012 Best Newcomer

London Film Awards: 2013 Best Short Film

California Film Awards: 2013 Best Newcomer

Mountain Film Festival: 2013 Best Short Screenplay

Mexico Film Festival: 2013 Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Directing

Amsterdam Film Festival: 2012 World Cinema Directing Award

Honolulu Film Awards: 2013 Best Crime Film

Alaska Film Awards: 2012 Best Newcomer

Female Eye Film Festival: 2013 Merit Award for Directing

RED VELVET CAKE 2014: (DIRECTOR, WRITER)

The Women's Independent Film Festival: 2013 Honorable Mention

The Best Actors Film Festival: 2014 Best Actor Award to John Lewis

Los Angeles Cinema Festival Of Hollywood: 2014 Honorable Mention

Hollywood Reel Film Festival: 2015 Official Selection

The Canada International Film Festival: 2015 Best Director Grand Jury Winner

Sarah B. Downey is an Active Director among The Alliance of Women Directors and an Executive Member of Women in Film.

TUNNEL VISION is currently being showcased at screenings in multiple US cities over the course of the summer months. Visit www.tunnelvisionmovie.com for more information including dates and screening times and locations.

*VIisit WWW.FREEJOHNNYRUSSO.COM to sign the petition TODAY*