Veteran Baltimore writer Rafael Alvarez is moving his beloved family story, The Fountain of Highlandtown, from page to screen. The film, set in the historic Highlandtown neighborhood, will feature local landmarks such as Karella’s Café on Newkirk Street and will showcase the community’s evolving ethnic fabric.
From memory to manuscript
Alvarez’s inspiration began after his Spanish grandfather passed away. While cooking a familiar family meal in his childhood kitchen, he imagined his grandfather alive again, sparking the idea for a story that blends romance, autobiography, and the spirit of Baltimore’s immigrant past.
The narrative follows Basilio, a young artist living with his aging grandfather, and Katherine, a doctor from Hopkins who arrives in the neighborhood. Their meeting in a slice of the east side that Alvarez calls “the Holy Land” becomes a window onto the changing face of Highlandtown.
Local talent brings the script to life
New York‑based actor Ralph Feliciello has been cast as the grandfather, while Los Angeles‑based Matt Ippolito, a Yale graduate, portrays Basilio. Amelia Alvarez, the writer’s daughter, now a mother of two in Los Angeles, plays Katherine.
Director Richard Yeagley, a respected Baltimore documentary filmmaker, is producing the project. Yeagley’s experience securing financing, equipment, and a skilled crew has been crucial to moving the film from script to set.
Highlandtown on camera
Key scenes were shot at Karella’s Café, one of the few remaining Greek eateries in the area. Owner Manoli Karela and his wife Eugenia welcomed the cast and crew, serving meals on the spot and even appearing on screen as themselves. Former Baltimore City Councilman Tony Ambridge also makes a cameo, adding authentic local flavor.
The production reflects Highlandtown’s long history of immigration. The neighborhood began with German breweries and butcher shops, grew Italian, Polish, Finnish, and Estonian by the late 1920s, and later welcomed a large Greek community after World War II. Today, tacos outnumber gyros, illustrating the ongoing cultural shift.
Supporting local artists
To depict Basilio’s artwork, the filmmakers hired Mara Bernhardt, a Maryland Institute College of Art student from Northeast Baltimore now studying in Scotland. Bernhardt created four paintings for the film on a modest budget, echoing Alvarez’s own early days delivering the City Paper on a Ford Granada.
Independent filmmaking has presented challenges—such as a neighbor refusing backyard access—but the team’s resourcefulness, aided by donations from friends, family, and the local church, has kept the project on track.
Looking ahead
The film is slated for release in 2027 and will enter a range of festivals. Alvarez hopes a private screening at Karella’s Café will bring together the neighborhood’s longtime patrons and new faces, celebrating the shared heritage that the story portrays.
For more information, contact Rafael Alvarez at [email protected].
Original reporting: Baltimore Fishbowl — read the source article.
