South African born SAG Award nominee Stelio Savante, also known as ‘Ajax’ in the Call Of Duty video game series and ‘Moses’ in the historical world-wide hit biblical series The Chosen, is starring in key roles in three upcoming films, all based on true stories. Sarah’s Oil, Between Borders, and Hazel.
Sarah’s Oil, is an Amazon MGM drama starring Zachary Levi, Naya Desir Johnson, Sonequa Martin Green, Garret Dillahunt, Bridget Regan, Kenric Green, Adyan Copes, Stelio Savante and Mel Rodriguez. Sarah’s Oil is inspired by Tonya Bolden’s book Searching for Sarah Rector: The Richest Black Girl in America, and tells the true story of Sarah Rector, an African American born in Oklahoma in the early 1900s. Filmed in Oklahoma, the drama chronicles Sarah’s journey to becoming the first African American teenage millionaire. Cyrus Nowrasteh (who also directed Savante in the action thriller Infidel) directed Sarah’s Oil from his script written with Betsy Giffen Nowrasteh. Producers include John Shepherd, Cyrus Nowrasteh, Derrick Williams, Kevin Downes, Andrew Erwin, Daryl Lefever, Jon Erwin, and Zachary Levi. Why Not You Productions’ Russell Wilson and Ciara are executive producing alongside Sherry Kang, Tony Young, Katelyn Botsch, and Robert Scott Fort. The film will be released in theaters on December 25, 2025.
Between Borders, shares the true journey of an Armenian refugee family escaping persecution and racial discrimination in Azerbaijan and Russia, who are desperately seeking asylum in the United States. The drama stars Elizabeth Tabish, Patrick Sabongui, and Stelio Savante with Michael Paul Chan, and Elizabeth Mitchell and is directed by Mark Freiburger. Based on real events that took place in the late 80s during the conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which created hundreds of thousands of refugees, “Between Borders” follows the perilous journey of Violetta (Tabish) and Ivan Petrosyan (Sabongui), and their two young daughters, and the challenges they face in their search for a place to call home, and aims to capture the desperation and resilience at the heart of the refugee experience. Between Borders was filmed earlier this year in and around Bucharest, Romania. The film was written by Adam Sjoberg, Isaac Norris, and Mark Freiburger, and produced by Isaac Norris, Jude S. Walko (“Rumors of War,”), Mark Freiburger and Ken Carpenter (“Finding You,” “The Shift”). The film is scheduled for a limited engagement release in theaters nationwide from January, 26th, through Pinnacle Peak Pictures.
Hazel, is a survival thriller based on the true story of Hazel Miner and stars Madelyn Dundon, Stelio Savante and Laurie Fortier with Genevieve Bielinksi, Xavier Bielinski, David Reardon, Timothy Goodwin, Franni Rae Cash Cain, and Todd Terry filling out the lead ensemble.
The synopsis reads as follows: A gentle March snowfall suddenly transforms into a furious blizzard. The Miner children, Hazel (Madelyn Dundon), Emmet, and Myrdith; struggle to make it home from school as they become lost in the blinding wind and snow. As their parents (Stelio Savante and Laurie Fortier) and friends hunt desperately for the lost children, Hazel must keep her younger siblings alive in the face of impossible odds.
Filmed on location in North Dakota, Hazel is written and directed by Daniel Bielinski (Sanctified, End Of The Rope) for Canticle Productions. Canticle Productions has produced three feature films: A Heart like Water, Sanctified (distributed by Film Rise), and End of the Rope, which recently signed with Saban Films for distribution.
Savante is 140 international credits into his 4th decade as an actor & producer, a prolific product of leading, large supporting, & recurring roles in television, independent, & international theatrically released studio features that have accumulated almost $400million in world-wide box office. His most recent credits include Fresh Kills directed by Jennifer Esposito starring opposite Annabella Sciorra & Domenick Lombardozzi, the animated series Captain Fall for Netflix, and in the psychological thriller Nefarious opposite Sean Patrick Flanery. His producing credits include What Remains starring Cress Williams, Kellan Lutz and Anne Heche (STARZ and Gravitas Ventures), comedy Angry Neighbors (Lionsgate) starring Frank Langella, Bobby Cannavale, and Ashley Benson for, football drama Under The Stadium Lights (SABAN) starring Laurence Fishburne, and Summer Of Violence, released by Quiver Distribution, directed by Nicki Micheaux, nominated as Best Narrative Feature at the Austin film festival.
Savante is represented by Opus Entertainment, Exclusive Artists Agency, VOX, Treasure Coast Talent, and Beverly Hills attorney Kevin Mills of Kaye & Mills.
