Bronx Filmmaker Dante Hillmedo Announces Digital Release Of Award-Winning Feature Film 'Butterfly'

Winner of Best Feature Film at the Big Apple Film Festival, "Butterfly" arrives June 16 on Amazon Prime, Fandango at Home, Cox, Google Play and more.

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, June 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- After more than a decade working behind the camera for some of entertainment's most recognizable names, Bronx-born filmmaker, visual director, and entrepreneur Dante Hillmedo steps into the spotlight with the wider digital release of his debut feature film, "Butterfly." The award-winning independent drama will be available starting June 16 on Amazon Prime, Fandango at Home, Cox, Google Play, and additional digital platforms in a pay-to-watch model.

"Butterfly" features Tahiry Jose, widely known from Love & Hip Hop: New York; Lea Robinson from First Family of Hip Hop; and Jamaican YouTube pioneer Trabass, making his feature film debut. The narrative drama follows a teenage girl growing up in a single-parent immigrant household in New York City who uses dance to navigate social pressure, identity, and instability, a story drawn directly from Hillmedo's own upbringing by a single immigrant mother in the Bronx.

Hillmedo served as writer, director, producer, cinematographer, and editor on the project, a singular vision brought to life after a crowdfunding campaign yielded only $3,000 of a needed budget. Undeterred, Hillmedo personally invested $90,000 of his own savings to complete the film. The result earned the Best Feature Film award at the Spring 2025 Big Apple Film Festival, where it outperformed projects executive produced by Spike Lee and films featuring Mahershala Ali.

The film's press release campaign includes a morning-of press blast on June 16 featuring the screener link, press kit, trailer, and contact information, alongside targeted digital advertising across Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, and podcast and broadcast outreach across the Bronx and greater New York area.

Raised in the Bronx by Jamaican immigrant parents, Hillmedo's creative perspective was forged in Caribbean immigrant community life in New York City. Though he aspired to animation early on, financial challenges cut short his time at the School of Visual Arts after his first year. He pivoted to videography, landing his first paid work through Craigslist with renowned Caribbean DJ Mad Out, an entry point that introduced him to artists including Shaggy, Ding Dong, and Kranium, and sharpened his ability to translate diaspora culture with honesty and specificity.

Today, Hillmedo leads Team Elite Productions, whose name reflects his core professional values: excellence, discretion, and cultural integrity. His client roster includes Jay-Z (Shawn Carter Foundation Gala), Michael Rubin (Fanatics Fest, the White Party), Roc Nation, and Essence Magazine, high-access environments where trust and nuance are non-negotiable.

Beyond production, Hillmedo has spent six years teaching film and music production at a Riverdale high school, working to open creative career pathways for students from underrepresented communities. He has also recently launched Lunessence, a luxury fragrance brand featuring high-concentration extrait de parfum scents inspired by mood, memory, and cultural expression.

With Butterfly set for wide digital release and Lunessence expanding his creative entrepreneurship. He is actively pursuing long-term brand partnerships with companies including B&H, Sony, and Aperture, and is open to commercial, branding, and documentary projects through Team Elite Productions.

As Dante Hillmedo prepares for the next chapter, "Butterfly" stands as proof that authentic Black Caribbean storytelling, told without compromise, funded through sacrifice, and rooted in lived experience, can win on any stage.

ABOUT DANTE HILLMEDO
Dante Hillmedo is a New York-based filmmaker, visual director, and entrepreneur known for blending cinematic luxury with gritty urban realism. His work centers Black and Caribbean narratives across feature films, celebrity-driven visual storytelling, and high-end branded content. He is the founder of Team Elite Productions and Lunessence.

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Marie Driven Theodore
Playbook MG
+1 646-529-9349
marie@playbookmg.com

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