If you think about the most famous Italian directors your mind will surely jump to the main big names of the past. Since the start of the 21st century a few Italians have reached worldwide fame thanks to big co-productions or the most renowned prizes, e.g. the Academy Awards. But what about the new generation of Italian filmmakers born between the 70s and 80s?
1) Gabriele Mainetti
Although his filmography only comprehends two features, they are some of the most successful and ground-breaking titles in the Italian panorama, adding the supernatural and superhero elements to a national filmography that mainly consists of neorealist or Fellini-inspired features. They Call Me Jeeg (Lo chiamavano Jeeg Robot, 2015) was praised by audience and critics alike, gaining both the Best New Director and the Best Producer awards at the 2016 David di Donatello. His second feature Freaks Out was an even bigger production and premiered in October 2021, after being severely delayed due to the pandemic.
2) Sydney Sibilia
Not only a director but also a producer and scriptwriter, in 2014 he gained 12 nominations at the David di Donatello thanks to his greatest success I Can Quit Whenever I Want (Smetto quando voglio). In that same year, he also co-founded a production company called Groenlandia with Matteo Rovere. His latest feature film is Rose Island (L’incredibile storia dell’isola delle rose, 2020), inspired by the true story of engineer Giorgio Rosa who established his own republic on an artificial island in the 60s.
3) Alice Rohrwacher
Her first feature film debuted at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and with her second movie, The Wonders (Le meraviglie), inspired by her family beekeeping activity, she won the Grand Prix in 2014. Her latest success is Happy as Lazzaro (Lazzaro Felice), presented at Cannes in 2016. It’s a dreamy tale about the exploitation of farmhands on a feudal tobacco farm.
4) Alessio Cremonini
His career is mainly focused on television and screenplays but since 2013 he turned also to directing feature films. His last movie, On My Skin (Sulla mia pelle), was screened at the 2018 Venice Film Festival, gaining huge popularity and acclaimed by the critics. The screening was followed by a very emotional standing ovation as it tells the true story of a deeply felt national court case, regarding the death of 31-year-old Stefano Cucchi in 2009, as a victim of police brutality while he was in preventive custody.
5) Emma Dante
Although being mainly a playwright and theatre director, she recently turned to filmmaking with the 2020 adaptation of her own acclaimed play that debuted at the 77th Venice International Film Festival in the main competition. It is a melancholic although romantic story about sisterhood, grief and growing up through different stages of life.
6) Damiano/Fabio D’Innocenzo
Twin brothers Fabio and Damiano D’Innocenzo are internationally known as the screenwriters behind Matteo Garrone’s Dogman (2018). Their first feature film Boys Cry (La terra dell’abbastanza, 2018) is a tale about adolescence, poverty, love and violence. Their two subsequent movies – Bad Tales (Favolacce, 2020) and America Latina (2021) – are both psychological thrillers with dreamlike atmospheres that reflect on familial dynamics.
7) Jonas Carpignano
This young Italian-American director is considered to be the true heir of neorealism of this generation. His first feature Mediterranea (2015) blends documentary with fiction telling the true story of a man’s journey from Burkina Faso to the south of Italy. His greatest success, A Ciambra (2017), relies on a cast of non-professional actors and it’s inspired by their true lives, as Romany gypsies living in Calabria. His latest film A Chiara just premiered at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
