Filmmaker Bruce Bellocchi, best known for his revenge thriller The Legend of Jack and Diane starring Tom Sizemore, and A View to Die For with Eric Roberts, has partnered with senior executive, strategist, and creative investor Matt Klein, former EVP and Chief Commercial Officer of a major airline. Together, they are launching Thirteen Media Group LLC, combining Bellocchi's passion for emotionally resonant indie filmmaking with Klein's high-performance operational leadership and strategic financial backing. They are focused on building a slate of projects that connect with audiences through humanity, intensity, and craft. Productions will range from micro budgets to low seven figures.

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., April 28, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Filmmaker Bruce Bellocchi, best known for his revenge thriller The Legend of Jack and Diane starring Tom Sizemore, and A View to Die For with Eric Roberts, has partnered with senior executive, strategist, and creative investor Matt Klein, former EVP and Chief Commercial Officer of a major airline. Together, they are launching Thirteen Media Group LLC, combining Bellocchi's passion for emotionally resonant indie filmmaking with Klein's high-performance operational leadership and strategic financial backing. They are focused on building a slate of projects that connect with audiences through humanity, intensity, and craft. Productions will range from micro budgets to low seven figures.

The first project under the Thirteen Media banner currently in production includes THE LAST MILE - On her eighteenth birthday, a rebellious teen is forced on a cross-country road trip with her fractured parents - only to be stranded at a seedy roadside motel where temptation, danger, and buried family secrets collide. As the night spirals out of control, her hardened father is forced to prove how far he'll go to protect her - turning what was meant to be the worst birthday of her life into the one that changes everything. Casting is underway, and filming will take place in the Greater Los Angeles area.

Bellocchi and Klein have previously worked together, along with Paul Faust, under the banner B. Bellocchi Films, which produced two films: LOVE KILLS and PATCH. As the initial executive producer, Faust was instrumental in both films' vision and investor participation.

PATCH has garnered awards on the festival circuit, including Best Feature and Best Actor (Bruce Bellocchi). Inspired by actual events, the story follows an aging boxing trainer whose life is shattered by the murder of his wife and young children. Haunted by grief and guilt, he must confront the hardest fight of his life - the decision to keep living. In addition to his executive producer role, Paul Faust (The Office, Alley Boys) also starred in PATCH, alongside Diana Popick (Criminal Minds, Fuller House), Kate Duffy (The Legend Of Jack and Diane) and Xavi Israel (Alien Predator). Bellocchi is putting the final polish on a new Director's Cut in preparation for distribution.

In future development under the new Thirteen Media banner is STRONG ISLAND, an approximately $5+ million film based on Bellocchi's 2017 book of the same name, tentatively planned to shoot in New York City. Also under development is COURAGE, a film about a gay boxer inspired by his real-life boxing trainer, Emil Griffith. Additionally, two books written by Bellocchi are being adapted into future film projects.

Bruce Bellocchi is an award-winning independent filmmaker whose work explores the raw edges of human experience - trauma, resilience, masculinity, and consequence. Born in Merrick, New York, Bellocchi spent years as a professional boxer and mixed martial arts fighter before turning to film. He brings the physicality, discipline, and unflinching honesty of the ring to every frame, crafting character-driven stories that refuse to look away.

Klein's interest in film has always been personal, bringing him into independent film and into partnership with filmmaker Bruce Bellocchi. He believes film can do something business rarely does: slow people down long enough to feel something real—to see themselves, their honest struggles, and their hope reflected back in a way that feels true. He's drawn to stories that are emotionally honest and audience-driven, whether they unfold through quiet character moments or through tension, suspense, and momentum.

Bellocchi states, "Partnering with Matthew Klein has brought a rare level of operational discipline and strategic clarity into our film ventures. Matt's background as a senior executive in the airline industry gives him a deep understanding of scale, infrastructure, and leadership - skills that translate seamlessly to the business of filmmaking."

ABOUT MATT KLEIN

Matt Klein is a senior executive, strategist, and creative investor with more than two decades of leadership experience building high-performance commercial organizations. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Spirit Airlines, where he led the company's global commercial strategy spanning network planning, pricing and revenue management, digital commerce, loyalty, distribution and partnerships. Klein has overseen multi-billion-dollar revenue portfolios and large cross-functional teams, earning a reputation for operational discipline, strategic clarity, and growth leadership. Through Thirteen Media Group LLC, he now applies that same disciplined approach to independent filmmaking, helping build a slate of character-driven films designed for both festival recognition and commercial distribution.

ABOUT BRUCE BELLOCCHI

As a director and producer, Bellocchi's credits include The Legend of Jack and Diane, A View To Die For, and the forthcoming Patch and The Last Mile. He frequently writes roles for himself, blurring the line between creator and subject. His acting work spans War, 21 Jump Street, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. His writing credits include Melrose Place, Home Improvement, Pacific Blue, Patch, and Strong Island. Beyond filmmaking, Bellocchi is committed to anti-bullying advocacy, channeling his own experiences with violence and survival into protecting the next generation.

Media Contact

Nadine Jolson, Thirteen Media Group, LLC, 1 310-614-3214, jolsoncreativePR@mac.com, www.13mediafilms.com

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SOURCE Thirteen Media Group, LLC