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Crutch Acquired by Illuminare

"Crutch," a HP Productions film, will be distributed by Illuminare Entertainment as a speciality/art house film. A poignant and compelling story of self-discovery, the film will premiere September 17th at the N.Y. Quad Cinema in Greenwich Village.

Motivated by his own adolescent battles with his family, particularly his alcoholic mother, writer/director Rob Moretti delivers a coming-of-age story that deals with addiction, forbidden relationships, and a drastic turn of fate. Set in middle-class suburbia the film chronicles the disintegration of a family and the resulting dilemma when David, the son, is thrown into the role of caretaker. Overwhelmed, he turns to the only security he knows, Kenny, a has-been actor turned theatre coach. David, vulnerable and confused, succumbs to Kenny`s attractive power and influence leading him to a life of drugs and alcohol. "Crutch" is a captivating journey into the abyss and the long climb back via self-discovery.

The film stars Eben Gordon ("Save the Forest") as David, Rob Moretti ("Scenes From a Mall," "The Beat") as the theatre coach, and Frankie Faison ("White Chicks," HBO`s "The Wire"). Juanita Walsh plays the role of David`s alcoholic mother, and Jennifer Laine Williams plays his doting girlfriend. Michael Philip Anthony, Eric Smith and Rob Moretti are the producers.

Illuminare Entertainment is a new Los Angeles based Independent Film Distribution Company that partners with independent production companies to distribute world-wide family entertainment. Illuminare has acquired the rights to many new and exciting feature films to be released over the coming months that include "Toi &, Poochie," "First Morning" "Lighthouse Hill" and "A Place to Stay." Illuminare also has a slate of great family films in development such as "Six in the City" from Elle Virgo Productions and is currently in production with a new reality series on exorcism entitled "Spiritual Warriors: Possessed."

HP Productions, LLC, is a full-service production company owned and operated by Rob Moretti. Aside from "Crutch," Rob has produced "Evil &, Upside Down" and "Garbage." HP`s most recent credits include, post-production work on the pilot, "UnCorked" and the short-film "The Legend." He has also written the short film, "Most Dangerous Game" and "Lumiere, La Nuit," a feature film that he ghost-wrote. In addition, under the HP Production moniker, Rob co-founded the Montclair International Short Film and Video Festival in Montclair, NJ.

Before making the transition behind the camera, Rob Moretti has appeared in over a dozen independent and mainstream/Hollywood films including "Scenes From A Mall" with Bette Midler and Woody Allen, "The Beat" with John Savage, and "Quiet Winter" with Joe Dorsey to name a few.