By Charlie Huisking
Staff Writer

Director Michael Sergio says his film "Under Hellgate Bridge" is structured like a classic Western.

"There's a tragedy, and the reluctant hero rides into town to set things straight," he said. "Only in this case, it's set in modern-day Queens, and the hero rides in on the bus."

The gritty story of a wrongly accused ex-con who returns to New York's mean streets will be screened at 6:30 p.m. today at the Sarasota Film Festival at the Hollywood 20 downtown.

Sergio's first feature, the film was shot on location for well under $1 million - a tiny budget even for an independent film.

In an unusual arrangement bypassing traditional distribution deals with studios, Regal Cinemas will present the film in its theaters nationwide in the spring. The film won Regal's Dreammaker Award, as well as Best Film at the Nashville Independent Film Festival last year.

Michael Rodrick, whom soap fans may remember as Cameron Sinclair on "Another World," plays the lead role. The cast also features two members of the HBO hit "The Sopranos" - Vincent Pastore, who played the now-sleeping-with-the-fishes Pussy, and Domonic Chianese, who plays Uncle Junior.

"But this film isn't 'The Sopranos," even though there are underworld characters in it," Sergio said. "It's a totally different thing. It's really a journey of redemption."