EW/Timehost: The world premiere of the movie, "Under Hellgate Bridge," is happening as we speak, at the Avignon/New York Film Festival here in Manhattan. When it ends, we'll take you to the questions and answer session with the stars and director. You'll virtually be at the premiere! No ticket needed! Some members of the cast of the movie, some of whom also star in HBO's "The Sopranos" and "Another World," will come online with us here on Yahoo! shortly afterwards...

EW/Timehost: Hello...everyone... The film has just ended...and the cast and director are making their way to the stage. The director, Michael Sergio, is about to speak...Everyone just clapped for him...Lots of applause...You may know Michael Sergio from his character work in such TV hits as "Kojak" and "Law and Order." Mr. Sergio also won an Emmy award for his documentary on the Ringling Bros. Circus.

EW/Timehost: Actor Frank Vincent was just asked what was it like to work with the cast. He said it was lousy...no money...and then everyone laughed...It's great to work with these great young people, he says, and then hope to get a part on the Sopranos.

EW/Timehost: The cast and director will be joining us in just a few minutes to take your questions directly... in the meantime, we'll tell you a little bit about what's going on at the world premiere of Under Hellgate Bridge. The cast is saying why they decided to make this movie... it wasn't for the money... it was because they loved the script and believed in the project. And they certainly seemed to have fun making it.

EW/Timehost: The festival director is now taking one of your questions from online: How did you get the idea for the movie, and is it in any way related to the Sopranos?

EW/Timehost: The director, Michael Sergio, said that he had the idea before The Sopranos, that he cast everyone well before the Sopranos. But the Sopranos, he says, has certainly helped. He said he got the idea about Hellgate Bridge from a song, called Drug Brothers, which was the original name of the movie.

EW/Timehost: Director Michael Sergio says it was difficult to raise the money for the movie....he even took out an ad in the New York Times.

EW/Timehost: Michael Sergio has now been asked another question from online: Were there were any funny moments during the making of the movie?

EW/Timehost: One of the stars, Michael Rodrick, says that he was smashed with a bottle over the head in the movie, and it hurt more than he thought it would.

EW/Timehost: Director Michael Sergio says the funniest moment during the production of the movie was when Rodrick is bound to a chair by thugs, and has a razor blade to his face, and Vincent Pastore said, we wouldn't do that, we'd just pull out a f***ing gun and shoot him.

EW/Timehost: Now, they're talking about the music of the movie... Michael Sergio says that he approached the composer of the music for the movie, Stephan Moccio, and they never really got to meet face to face to do the music... the composer just kept sending the music over, and they would send comments back, and he would send more music over..

EW/Timehost: Right now, they're talking about one particularly difficult scene in the movie... in which the two rivals fight their battle over a woman they both love... that's the scene, a really rough scene, that's really at the heart of the movie.

EW/Timehost: By the way, Michael Sergio hand-delivered the print of the movie himself to the film festival today... he edited on an avid, on video...and so this was the first time that he even saw it on a big screen... it's quite an event...and also a who's who among mob movie actors... They're going to be with us online in just a few minutes... in just as long as it takes them to get from the auditorium where the movie was playing to the room where they'll be online. And then they'll be answering your questions directly.

EW/Timehost: Our guests are here and we're ready to begin! Right now, we're joined by Dominic Chianese, a star of "The Sopranos," and also one of the characters in the film "Under Hellgate Bridge." Welcome, Dominic!

Dominic Chianese: Welcome...and to the audience, it's a wonderful film.

EW/Timehost: Let's go to the first question...

bindyclan asks: What was your favorite scene to perform in the movie?

Dominic Chianese: Every one of the confessional scenes was a wonderful scene. It was interesting to me because I had to administer advice. I play Father Nichols, and I'm often giving advice, very very important advice to a troubled character, the character played by Michael Rodrick.

bindyclan asks: If you could be anything for one day, what would it be and why?

Dominic Chianese: As close as I can get to my true self.

lousy_lyudkha asks: How does the movie end?

Dominic Chianese: Well, if you haven't seen the movie yet, it's a pointless question...we cant give away the end.

loquacious_lucy asks: What would be your dream movie, the one you've always wanted to make? Was this one it?

Dominic Chianese: The next one Michael Sergio makes, that would be it.

EW/Timehost: Thank you , Dominic. We know you have to go now.

Dominic Chianese:: Thank you very much.

EW/Timehost: Now we're joined by Michael Rodrick of Another World Welcome, Michael.

Michael Rodrick: Thank you everyone, and I hope everyone is having fun logging on.

EW/Timehost: Could you tell us a little bit about the role you play in this movie?

Michael Rodrick: I play Ryan, and basically he's the eldest brother of a family, who he's responsible for getting addicted to heroin. This film is about redemption, about Ryan trying to save his brother and his ex-girlfriend, and they donŐt want to be saved. Basically, there's a rivalry between him and another character -- they wanted the same woman, Carla, and when Ryan went away to jail Carla married his nemesis. That's where the rivalry comes from.

CAJCsoapfan asks: Michael, you are great on Another World. Have you thought about doing other films and such?

Michael Rodrick: Well, I've been doing independent films for a while, and I consider myself an independent film actor, and always have been, and I was fortunate enough to get a role on Another World, and it was unfortunate that it was canceled. So I will look for other projects, though I have preferred film -- always have.

loquacious_lucy asks: Completely honestly speaking, would the actors here tonight do this movie again? What were your favorite scenes, or not-so favorite scenes?

Michael Rodrick:: I think all the actors would do this film again. Every role was challenging. Every role was great. And challenging roles are great for actors. And we would all work with Michael again because he's an actor's director, and he's a great storyteller.

kino_kutie asks: Not to sound too soap opera-ish, but, Michael, what do you consider has been your biggest failure in life, and how did you overcome it?

Michael Rodrick: I actually donŐt want to respond in terms of being a private person, but I have had a few failures in terms of staring into an abyss, but I had a catharsis, and I overcame it. And as an actor, I have used that experience in my life in my acting. But this is Michael Sergio's night, and I'd like to hand the stage over to him.

EW/Timehost: We're now joined by the movie's director, Michael Sergio. Welcome, Michael.

kino_kutie asks: How did you get the idea for the movie, and is it at all related to the Sopranos?

Michael Sergio: It's actually no relationship at all to the Sopranos. We shot the film before the Sopranos had a go from HBO, so there's no relationship. I've written music for years, and it came out of a phrase, Drug Brothers, and wrote the story based on that one inspiration.

EW/Timehost: Can you give the audience a quick run-down on the story line...They've only heard bits and pieces so far.

Michael Sergio:: The film is a film of redemption -- one brother's quest for redemption to save his younger brother from a world that he created. What I really set out to do was write a Western, but set it in modern day. I set it in Astoria, Queens.

newmedia_nana asks: What's a Hellgate Bridge?

Michael Sergio: In New York City, there's a place called Astoria, Queens.

Michael Sergio:: There's a bridge there...there's two bridges, the Triboro Bridge, and there's a train bridge, called Hellgate Bridge, and the bridge itself spans a body of water called Hellgate. It's a very small body of water where the Atlantic Ocean and the Long Island Sound meet, and funnel through. It has horrendous currents, and legend has it that sailors used to call it the gate to hell...There's actually a ship with gold on it that's sunk there -- there's a sunken treasure ship, right off of New York City, but the currents are so strong that no one can go get it.

reetz_1 asks: Will the movie be released nationwide soon? When?

Michael Sergio::This is the first festival the film has been in. So if anyone knows anyone, who knows anyone -- a sister, a girlfriend, a boyfriend, who can help us get to a distributor, let us know!

beautifulboris asks: Do you see a day when movies like yours would be previewed over the Web, and not in a building in New York? Would you welcome a screening like that?

Michael Sergio:: It's absolutely coming. Lucas is going to start direct digital projection, and the next thing that will happen is that people will figure out how to put it on the internet. It's coming. They're going to do it, and you better like it.

EW/Timehost: Thank you, Michael We know you have to go.

Michael Sergio: Okay, I'm outta here!

EW/Timehost: Thanks for spending some time with us.

WRITE TO US