OSCAR-NOMINATED VIVA VERDI! LAUNCHES IMPACT CAMPAIGN WITH SPECIAL SCREENINGS AT MOUNT SINAI AND NYU, BRIDGING ART, AGING, AND COMMUNITY

NEW YORK, March 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a wave of recognition and growing national interest, the acclaimed Oscar-nominated documentary VIVA VERDI! launches Impact Campaign with a series of special screenings and discussions held at Mount Sinai Health System and New York University this week.

Bringing the film into both medical and academic settings, these events mark a powerful convergence of art, aging, and intergenerational dialogue - core themes at the heart of VIVA VERDI!, which offers an intimate look inside Casa Verdi in Milan, the historic home founded by Giuseppe Verdi for retired opera singers and musicians.

Hosted in collaboration with Mount Sinai's Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine and NYU's Italian Studies Department with Fred Plotkin's "Adventures in Italian Opera," the screenings are engaging audiences of healthcare professionals, students, and community members, sparking conversations around creativity, longevity, and the role of the arts in emotional and cognitive well-being.

"Our Mount Sinai and NYU events are just the beginning. At the heart of VIVA VERDI! is not only a coming of age story of older adulthood, but most importantly a call-to-action for music and creativity in our lives as we age," said VIVA VERDI! Producer Christine La Monte and Director Yvonne Russo. "As filmmakers, our goal is to provide new perspectives, inspire advocacy and showcase the remarkable model Giuseppi Verdi created over a century ago."

R. Sean Morrison, MD, the Ellen and Howard C. Katz Chair of the Brookdale Department, added, "VIVA VERDI! shows us that vocation and creativity do not diminish with age—they deepen. Our post-film discussion, like the film, aims to illustrate how staying engaged in meaningful work and artistic expression profoundly supports emotional, cognitive, and physical health. VIVA VERDI! is an inspiring testament to what is possible when society values the contributions of older adults."

At Mount Sinai, the film has already resonated strongly within the medical community, underscoring the importance of dignity, purpose, and artistic expression in later life. At NYU, discussions have expanded to include cultural legacy, Italian heritage, and the enduring influence of Verdi's vision across generations.

These screenings are part of a broader impact initiative for VIVA VERDI!, which is actively engaging institutions across the country—from health systems to universities—to bring the film's message into spaces where conversations about aging and quality of life are most urgent and meaningful.

"VIVA VERDI! is not just a film, it is a call to action," said VIVA VERDI! Executive Producer and Founder of For Impact Productions, Simone Pero who will be spearheading the Impact Campaign. "As the world ages, the question is no longer whether we can afford creative aging models, but whether we can afford to ignore the obvious need to embrace them."

With its focus on artists aged 77 to 107 who continue to live, mentor, and create within Casa Verdi, VIVA VERDI! challenges conventional narratives around aging and offers a deeply human portrait of resilience, community, and the lifelong power of music.

VIVA VERDI! PressKit: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_qX-Mi3mi_pU5yy0T8qILYh_u82YF1tM

WHEN/WHERE
March 25, 6:30-8:30pm - New York University, Casa Italian Zerilli-Marmo
Free: https://www.casaitaliananyu.org/events/viva-verdi/

March 26, 5:30-8:00pm - The Mount Sinai Hospital, Goldwurm Auditorium
Free: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/viva-verdi-how-art-and-vocation-shape-healthy-aging-tickets

Press Contact:
Kelly Hargraves, klh[pr]
[email protected]
323-493-1548

SOURCE VIVA VERDI!