Julio Vincent Gambuto only has a couple of rules: 1. No mafia. 2. No guns. See, the filmmaker would rather deal in genuine emotion than dwell on what Hollywood wants Staten Island to be, stereotypically. "In some cases it's been done brilliantly -- in some cases, not so brilliantly, but my stories are about family and the real experience of growing up on Staten Island in the '90s," said Gambuto. "They're a valentine to my family and the people of the South Shore, so the characters have deep heart."

From divorce to bankruptcy to coming out, Gambuto mined his own life to make "The Julie Stories" as down-to-Earth and authentic as possible.  On behalf of borough film fans bored with the status quo, we'd like to say: Kudos to you, Julio. Perhaps you can do the same when Gambuto returns to his alma mater, Staten Island Academy, at 6:30 p.m. Saturday for a free screening of his award-winning short film.