BHFF Alumnus Frederico Lapenda Presents: USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage
The Beverly Hills Film Festival’s very own festival alumnus, Frederico Lapenda, produces yet another spectacular film, starring Nicolas Cage, Tom Sizemore, Thomas Jane, Matt Lanter, and James Remar.
According to ussindianapolis.org, “the world’s first operational atomic bomb was delivered by the Indianapolis (CA-35) to the island of Tinian on July 26th, 1945. She was directed to join the battleship USS Idaho (BB-42) at Leyte Gulf in the Philippines to prepare for the invasion of Japan. The Indianapolis, unescorted, departed.”
Only 14 minutes after midnight on July 30th, 1945, midway between Guam and Leyte Gulf, Indianapolis (CA-35) was hit by two torpedoes out of the six fired by a Japanese submarine. The bow was blown away by the first torpedo; the second struck near midship adjacent to a fuel tank. The result: a devastating explosion.
The ship was split to the keel, and all electric power was knocked out. Within just minutes, the Indianapolis (CA-35) went down by the bow. Out of the 1,196 men aboard, about 900 made it into the water within the 12 minutes of the ship’s sinking.
With no food or water, those who made it to the surface faced exposure, dehydration, saltwater poisoning, and shark attacks, floating with few lifeboats. The Navy learned of the disaster only four days later, when survivors were spotted by the crew of a PV-1 Ventura on routine patrol.
Only 317 survived.
USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage tells their harrowing and heroic story.Watch the official trailer here.
Executive Producer Frederico Lapenda at BHFF
Frederico Lapenda, executive producer of USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage, served as one of the expert panel members during the 2016 Beverly Hills Film Festival, sharing his experience as an entrepreneur in the film industry. He connected his filmic vision with an extensive repertoire of knowledge as the individual responsible for the globalization of MMA—having produced more than 100 fights in 15 countries.
The Beverly Hills Film Festival is always proud of the achievements of its alumni. Frederico’s Hollywood career following his participation in the BHFF has led to many successful cinematic adventures.
Witnessing yet another alumnus success story is exactly why the Beverly Hills Film Festival strives for excellence each year, celebrating the unique qualities in every film and screenplay featured during the event.
Submit Your Work
To be a part of yet another spectacular film festival, submit your film or screenplay by the following deadlines:
- Regular Deadline: November 15th, 2016
- Late Deadline: December 15th, 2016
- Extended Deadline: January 15th, 2017
Visit our SUBMISSIONS page to learn more.
Save the Date
Mark your calendars for April 26th-30th, 2017 to attend the Beverly Hills Film Festival and learn from expert alumni such as Frederico Lapenda during our exclusive panel discussions.
Visit our blog dedicated to Frederico Lapenda to learn more about his remarkable journey.
