Interview With Owners: Four Olives Productions – Dynamic, Innovative Independent Film Company Rooted In Philadelphia

April 27, 2025 Cindy Mich 0 arts and culture, Culture, Entertainment, Local Voices, Media and Communication, SI Communities, Staten Island Culture, Staten Islander Exclusive

Interview With Owners: Four Olives Productions – Dynamic, Innovative Independent Film Company Rooted In Philadelphia

Editor’s note: Cindy Mich also interviewed the owners of an independent theatre, the AMT Theater, a non-profit with nuance and nostalgia. She also interviewed the owners of the Jim Thorpe Independent Film Festival, also in Pennsylvania.

Mariano Mattei and Fabian Farina both own and operate Four Olives Productions, a dynamic and innovative independent film company rooted in the vibrant cultural landscape of Philadelphia. Their journey began in 2020 with a shared passion for authentic storytelling and a commitment to cinematic excellence. In just a few years, they have produced three full-length feature films, all available on Amazon Prime and other major streaming platforms, alongside nine distinctive short films. Their unwavering dedication to quality and compelling narratives has garnered them over twelve awards across various film festivals, reflecting our ability to resonate with both audiences and critics. Grateful to get some time to ask about their illustrious career and various achievements.

1. As I understand it, you both have worked in music. Two-fold question here. In what way does music allow you to express yourself that varies from film – or is it that different? Secondly, I see that Fabian taught himself to play drums. How long did it take to get to a level of proficiency, and looking back – might it have been easier to get formalized training?

Fabian: Ultimately, I think that music and film are similar in that you are telling a story. The biggest difference with music is that it is primarily a two-fold adventure (melody and beat) that drives what you are saying. However, this can also serve as a similarity in films – for example, a film scene can have a much different impact based on the music that is associated with it. I think that our experience in music serves us very well when placing score-pieces in our films. We can understand what each scene needs for the audience to understand the desired impact.

As far as playing the drums, the short answer is – I may have benefited from more formalized training. As a matter of fact – I did do this, although about a year + into playing and learning on my own. When I did some formal classes, I found that I was doing many things technically wrong (hand placement, hitting sequences, etc.). Yet, it still sounded the way it was supposed to – even if I was not doing it “correctly.” So, I basically abandoned the lessons and kept doing it on my own. After a few months, I had all the basics down and more “complex” stuff came as we went I would not say I was the best drummer out there – but what I did worked for the music we played.

Mariano: The similarities between creating music and film are that yes, we tell a story, but one is auditory and the other is visual. Although music in film is very powerful, the same performance can change drastically – given the right music. Having done many music videos certainly helped us with the transition to film. What is funny is that the entire time Fabian and I were doing music, we were both avid film fans. We created a game that we play until this day called “Movie Trivia King” where one person must give the best line of a film, and the other player must guess the movie. We had rules like “improper accent” or “didn’t see it” or “not the best line from the film”. There was one time where Fabian put up the movie trivia crown on the basis that he felt the main character in Amadeus was Robert Downey Jr. We drove to Blockbuster to look it up on the large books they used to have and in fact – it was not. So, Fabian was doing fifty pushups in the middle of Blockbuster – having to call me “Movie Trivia King” on each one.

As for drums – Fabian took to it naturally as we taught him the songs beat by beat. It was pain staking and growling, but when Fabian says he is gonna do something – it is going to get done. Three months later, we are playing a gig and “The Pizza Man” was there, a character from the neighborhood who was a great guitar player in his own right. We finished our set, and The Pizza Man comes up screaming – “You are the best drummer I have ever seen!”. Fabisn is laughing while I’m like – Dude! I have been playing guitar for ten years!

2. We all root for artists to secure enough work-to work full-time at their art. I realize you both have a “day job”. Can you tell us what those entail, and moreover, what do you think it will take for you two to one day be paid to do what you love?

Fabian: I have been a Marketing Consultant in Pharmaceuticals for a very long time. I always say that being a consultant actually provided me the ability to work on my acting skill set. I must make people believe that I am interested in their products, and enthusiastic about what I’m telling them… so it is definitely an added benefit. Also, having a “good” job allows me the financial backing needed to make films, so that’s another benefit. The downside is that we have to do all our filmmaking work “after hours” and/or on the weekends. This makes for very long days, limited time for friends / family, etc.

The goal, eventually, is to look for ways to get financing for our films (basically get paid to write, produce, direct, act in, edit, color, etc.) and gain wider distribution for our films on the backend that would bring in additional funds. If I could get to the point where I am making comparable money from films (however that’s realized) as I am from my day job – I would quit the 9-5 in a heartbeat and devote all my time to films. I think we are getting closer to that point – so time will tell.

Mariano: I have been in IT for a long time. I started out as a Software Engineer and then moved to Cybersecurity and AI solutions, acting as a Chief Information Security Officer Consultant for the last half of my career. I love what I do. There are creative elements to solving problems of this complexity and I make a decent living doing it. However, if I ever found a way to make the same money doing 100% creative work in movies – I would make the switch.

3. Besides being filmmakers, I know that one of you is a father. In what ways do you hope that through filmmaking, you can serve as a role model for your children? Further, have you taught them skills on sets?

Fabian: I am not a father, but Mar has enough kids for both of us . However, in terms of role models for the younger folks in our lives – I believe that showing them dedication, devotion, passion, etc. is priceless. I am lucky enough to have a partner that is also enthusiastic about films. She helps me in many ways, and usually as a PA on all the films we do. I have even cast her as an actor in a few of our films.

Mariano: I don’t think you can transfer a specific passion to your children. I think you expose them to as much as you can and see where their specific interest lies. What you can pass on is integrity, grit, work ethic, and punctuality. I have not taught them anything in film, but they keep asking to be in a movie!

4. Tell me your thoughts on how South Philly acts as a positive platform to host film productions. I also note that classic movie theaters are making a comeback in Philadelphia, and so I ask – do you feel that streaming has become a bigger priority to households than theaters? I applaud this choice but have to wonder if the world will never fully go back to live movies.

Fabian: There is so much character in Philadelphia that just naturally makes it a great backdrop for films. We are also extremely proud to be Philadelphians, and work that into every film that we make. We do showcase the city, make it part of the story line, and cast talent from Philadelphia (actors and crew alike). There is so much talent in the city, and we like to do our part in showcasing that as much as possible.

Theaters vs. Streaming: this is an unfortunate outcome of the pandemic as well as the ever-increasing number of streaming networks that have popped up over the years. I do not think streaming will ever go away with technology expanding. You can watch a movie on your phone, laptop, tablet, etc. While there is no substitute to the big screen experience, streaming provides an accessible outlet (especially for independent filmmakers) that simply was not there in the past. It is just a matter of leveraging both these worlds as much as possible.

Mariano: South Philly is a mix of many cultures and characters and scenarios. It is a GREAT place to make films. I hope the city brings back the tax incentives for more films to be made here.

Streaming is not going anywhere. Theaters, while reducing in numbers, will have a place for some time to come. You cannot yet experience the theater at home unless you have a theater at home! I do think that Netflix and all other streaming platforms should have an Indie Channel where they give indie filmmakers a chance. Curated, but still, at least a channel to give the little people a chance. They could really help in creating the next big star, writer, director, cinematographer, etc.

5. I find it very interesting that you two went from bitterness to best friends, it would seem. Explain what steps you took to strengthen your friendship, and how important this relationship is when it comes to creation of film. Further, do one of you have strengths in certain areas where the other may be less proficient?

Fabian: In all fairness, the “bitterness” was more on my part than Mariano’s, and it was simply because I was jealous of the attention he would get from all the girls in the neighborhood. I was not very “big” or had a “look” that would separate me from the other boys, but Mar did, and I hated it! However, the real friendship started when I joined the Army. My first duty station was in Korea where I studied martial arts (pretty much like anything I have done in my life – I was 100% martial arts, all the time, everyday). Mariano started writing me hand-written letters while I was there, and we would correspond this way. Over time, I got to know him and (to my surprise) we had a lot more in common than I originally thought. By the time I came back from Korea, I spent my entire leave (before my next duty assignment) hanging out with Mariano and we got very close. When I left for my next assignment, we continued to correspond through written letters – to the point of me going back to Korea and asking him to come out there. I told him “You would be a GOD over here with the women, and I would benefit from that as well!!” We have been close ever since – the biggest thing that we both have is the passion for arts and creativity.

I think Mariano and I complement each other very well. His strengths are on the technical side (working with editing software, initial rough-cut editing, coloring, sounds, etc.), and me on the creative side (knowing where to cut, where to Zoom vs. using a wider angle, where to place scenes within the story, etc.). Mariano will typically do the rough cuts of a scene, then send it to me for fine-tuning; giving him notes on what needs to change and repeat until we are satisfied. We have become a well oiled machine with this process; always continuously working. This makes the editing process quicker and efficient. We go through this process until we have completed the film, and then we piece everything together. This is typically done during a working session with both of us.

Mariano: Who is the same person they were when they were twelve? We certainly are not. So, we grew closer and learned from each other. We never judged each other and were simply there for each other along the way.

I think that Fabian and I have a great complimentary of skills. By this, I mean that I am good at everything he isn’t, and he is good at everything I’m not. There is a lot of overlap, as we both craft the story, scenes, edits, color, sound, etc. Together. However, I am more technical on the back, and Fabian is more creative and organizational on the front end. We make a formidable team!

6. I see that shot lists are important for you to use. Do elaborate on the effectiveness of employing this practice. Also, give us a peek behind production – what does the typical day look like when working on set?

Fabian: These are probably the MOST important things in any production. We learned early on that if you do not know (or have an idea) of what you want to shoot, the angles you want to have, the perspective of the scene that you are trying to convey to your audience, etc. Etc., you are going to have a very challenging time in post-production. There were more than a few occasions when we were editing a film and asking ourselves “didn’t we get a shot of this… of that…etc.” So, YES, having shot lists are critical to ensure you have everything you need. You may not use everything you shoot, but you need as much ammo as possible.

As far as a typical day onset – the most typical thing is that it is never typical . Everyday has its own challenges, but one good thing that we have learned along the way is what NEVER to do during a shoot. However, a typical day for me includes reviewing the script/scene for the day and knowing this inside and out. I review the shot list to make sure we are accounting for everything we need. I gather all the necessary props and makeup and get to set early to meet with the crew and block out scenes. I also meet with the actors to run lines, provide notes/direction, and ensure everyone is where they are supposed to be. We then have a blast as we create magic!

Mariano: Preparation is key. Before we go on set, Fabian and I know how this movie will look as far as all scenes, angles, etc. We also rehearse difficult scenes and get them in front of a class to get our instructor from The Actors Lab (Brian Fox) to help us fine tune some scenes. The days are long, but we have a great crew, and we all have fun and work hard together.

7. You both founded Four Olives Productions. Tell us more about what you offer, and how you set yourself apart from other production houses. Might you find yourselves eventually shooting and releasing your own music videos or taking on more commercial work?

Fabian: In simple terms, we offer anything and everything a filmmaker may need to produce a film (short film, feature, Proof of Concept, Sizzle Reel… and anything in between). We can assist on front end things like script development, casting, location scouting and coordinating and developing schedules/call sheets, etc. On the production side, we offer directing services and/or advising, scene development (shot lists) and production schedules. Looking at post-production, we can provide editing/coloring/audio/musical score, etc. Finally, in terms of music videos or commercial work, we are open to this.

Making a film, regardless of the function, has essentially the same core aspects which we have spent a lot of time (and money) learning and are always striving to perfect.

Mariano: Yes, we can and do offer our expertise to other filmmakers. However, it has not been our main focus. We are focused on creating films and getting known as filmmakers to try to get funding for our next projects. No one can do what we do, in the time we do it in, within the budget we use and getting the quality that we can get. No one can out work us. The biggest stumbling block is that many people think we have the funding for them. We do not. They have to secure funding themselves – and that is typically the hardest part.

8. It is a common issue for film producers to scramble to find funding – and this applies even in Hollywood. Have you learned of any ways to step outside of self-financing as of yet? Also, how do you suggest one finds investors?

Fabian: This has been the biggest hurdle for us, to date. Thus far, everything we have created has been self-funded, which I would not recommend. Yet, we do this because we have the means to do it and we do not “wait” for anyone. There are things like grants that are available. Although these are out there, it takes time to find them, apply for them, AND to qualify for them. We tried this out but, to date, have been unsuccessful. This does not mean that we won’t continue to explore this. There are also independent investors out there, but like any type of “investment”, these investors are difficult to find, get in front of to pitch your project, and ultimately – difficult to secure any type of funding.

Mariano: We know what we are good at and where we need help. That is why we hired Cindy Mich to help us get better visibility in the industry and to get those meetings with investors. It is the hardest part.

9. You are now in post-production for the project, Sacrum Vindictae III. Can you share anything about this story with us and when we may be able to see it? Finally, what else are you working on for 2025?

Fabian: Sacrum Vindicate III (SVIII), is the final chapter of a trilogy film that was born from a short film we originally shot in 2019 (called The Hitman). While these films are “action”, they are all rooted in a basic love-story. The love of family and the extent that a person will go to protect their family, or in this case, avenge them. Each film takes over from where the previous one leaves off – with additional storylines / plots / twists and turns. Of course, our endings that are not the typical Hollywood ending, nor do they follow the cookie cutter Hollywood storyline.

For 2025, along with SVIII, we are currently working on a film that is outside of what we have done to date – a horror / thriller story called Evelyn.

Mariano: We will likely release SVIII around September of 2025, depending on certain factors.

We also have many other projects in the works. We do have a romcom already written, as well as Fabian’s next film, “Alternate Reality”, that is in the works.