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Logline

A young and untested fencing coach must set aside her demons long enough to lead her teenaged protégé to the life she never had.

Synopsis

Roxanne, an aging foilist who never quite lived up to her lofty dreams, has her world turned upside down by the sudden and tragic death of her lifelong fencing coach. Now finding herself as the head coach of her hometown fencing club, Roxanne finds running a business and teaching students much harder than competitive fencing. To stay in out of the red, she partners with her most loyal student, Miles, on his campaign to achieve an NCAA scholarship in fencing, at the insistence of his wealthy and enigmatic father, Harvey. The tournament season for Roxanne and Miles sees highs and lows, each soaring victory followed by crushing defeat. Roxanne’s crusade to secure Miles’s future costs her her day job, her apartment, and her chance of reuniting with her childhood sweetheart. Meanwhile, the pressure of competition and his future eats away at Miles’s psyche. Their struggles are exacerbated by the increasingly unreasonable demands of Harvey, the schemes of rival fencing coach Tommy Lapallo, and Miles’s own breakup with his competitor Jillian. As the walls close in on the duo, Roxanne must ask herself whether her second chance at glory is worth her student’s soul.

Meet the Filmmakers

Adam Lapallo — Writer/Director
Adam Lapallo is an award-winning filmmaker and screenwriter from Richmond, VA. After graduating from VCUarts Cinema in 2017, Lapallo formed his production group, Wolfpack Films, now in its tenth short film production and starting its first feature in 2017. His last film, Untouchable, crowdfunded nearly $20,000 for its production budget and has screened around in the world in Sicily, Barcelona, Istanbul, Kolkata, Slovenia, Como, and Los Angeles. Lapallo is the Assistant Director of the Virginia Screenwriters Forum, a 35-year organization dedicated to elevating Virginia-based writers. When he’s not making movies, he teaches competitive Saber fencing at Blue Ridge Fencing Center.

Owen Palmiotti — Producer
Owen Palmiotti is an award- winning novelist and film producer. He co-wrote and produced the feature film, Madhouse Mecca, which won Best Editing and secured a Domestic and International distribution deal. Owen has been part of over fifty films in various capacities. His recent film Sister Wives was longlisted for a BAFTA.

Emily Marquet — Cinematographer
Emily Marquet is an emerging cinematographer currently studying at AFI. Recent projects include indie features Withdrawal and Shanidar as well as shorts In The Dark, The Gallery, Infinity Girls, Snowfall, Wildman, Academic Support, and a documentary series with Bill T. Jones and many music videos.

Michelle Principi — “Roxanne”
Michelle Principi is thrilled to be playing Roxanne Guinness in Untouchable! Back in the early 2000s, Michelle’s parents spontaneously signed her up for a summer fencing program, where she quickly fell in love with the sport. She was invited to train at Boston Fencing Club under the guidance of Syd Fadner (now owner and Head Coach at Worcester Fencing Club). Unfortunately, her time as a fencer was cut short, but she was later able to utilize her skills while studying stage combat, adding the katana and broadsword to her repertoire. Since moving to New York, Michelle has trained at the Barrow Group, Actors Axiom, and with actor and coach Jordan Woods-Robinson. She has appeared in numerous films, commercials, and television shows in New York and New England, and performed on stage with The Heights Players, The Greenhouse Ensemble, and Classics on the Rocks.

Simon Val — “Miles”
Born and raised in Texas, Simon Val is an award-winning actor and elite fencer. He won the Best Youth Actor award for his short film Ditched at the Revolution Me Film Festival in 2022. His films have premiered in festivals all over the world, including
Prague International Film Awards Festival, FrightFest London, New York Shorts International Film Festival, Hollyshorts Film Festival LA, and many more. Simon has competed in fencing all over the world and is a two-time US World Team Member in Junior Men’s Epee. He currently fences for the University of Pennsylvania and aspires to one day represent the USA in the Olympics.

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact [email protected].