After the success of the meeting with the director, screenwriter and director of photography Daniele Ciprì on 13 May, the two established Italian directors Paolo Genovese and Sydney Sibilia are coming to RUFA for a moment of valuable discussion with our students.
There will be two meetings at two different times with the Cinema class, on 25 May with Sydney Sibilia and on 26 May with Paolo Genovese. After viewing the two feature films made by the two directors, Sibilia’s “The Incredible Story of the Isle of Roses” and Genovese’s “Superheroes“, an enriching debate will follow, where students will have the opportunity to learn about the point of view of two professionals who have undoubtedly left their mark on the history of Italian cinema.
A moment of open and honest confrontation, to touch and discover what it means to be a film director nowadays, and all the implications that choosing this career entails.
Paolo Genovese
Paolo Genovese is a director, writer, screenwriter, born 20 August 1966 in Rome.
His film debut took place in collaboration with Luca Miniero, with whom he wrote and directed the film Incantesimo Napoletano (2001), winner of a David di Donatello and two Golden Globes, and Nessun messaggio in segreteria (2003) with Carlo Delle Piane, PierFrancesco Favino and Valerio Mastandrea. In 2008, he worked with Nicola Vaporidis on Questa notte è ancora nostra, while in 2009 he wrote and directed Immaturi, a comedy starring Raoul Bova, Ricky Memphis, Luca Bizzarri, Paolo Kessisoglu, Ambra Angiolini, Anita Caprioli and Luisa Ranieri. He also directed La banda dei babbi natale, a film by Aldo, Giovanni e Giacomo released in cinemas at Christmas 2010. In the following two years he signed the sequel to Immaturi, Immaturi – Il viaggio.
He then released at Christmas the film Una famiglia perfetta, in which a powerful man (Sergio Castellitto) decides to hire a company of actors to pretend to have a family on Christmas night. The following year he returned with a choral comedy, starring among others Marco Giallini, Vittoria Puccini and Vinicio Marchioni: Tutta colpa di Freud. After Sei mai stato sulla luna?, starring Raoul Bova and Sabrina Impacciatore, he directed the comedy about friendship, love and betrayal Perfetti sconosciuti (2016), followed in 2017 by The Place, inspired by the TV series created by Christopher Kubasik The Booth at The End. His latest works also include many screenplays, such as the series Tutta colpa di Freud, Immaturi and the comedy Per tutta la vita, but also the direction (and screenplay) of Superheroes.
Sydney Sibilia
Producer, director and screenwriter, Sydney Sibilia (1981) has written and directed several successful short films, including the award-winning Oggi Gira Così (2010).
In 2014 he co-founded the film production company Groenlandia with Matteo Rovere.
He made his film debut with the dazzling Smetto Quando Voglio (2014), produced by Domenico Procacci’s Fandango, Matteo Rovere and Andrea Paris’ Ascent Film and Rai Cinema. The film was a huge success with audiences and critics, was screened at prestigious international festivals (including the BFI – London Film Festival and the RIFF – Reykjavík International Film Festival) received 12 nominations for the David di Donatello and won numerous awards, including the Nastro d’Argento for Best Producer and the Ciak d’Oro as Revelation of the Year.
He also wrote and directed the two sequels Smetto quando voglio Masterclass, produced by Groenlandia, Fandango and Rai Cinema, to be followed by Smetto quando voglio- Ad honorem, both released in cinemas in 2017.
The Smetto Quando Voglio saga totalled more than 1.6 million admissions for over €10 million, and was sold in more than 15 countries, including Spain, where the remake Lo Dejo Cuando Quiera debuted at the top of the box office.
He combines work for the cinema with work for major brands, including Wind and Ferrero, for which he directs.
His latest film is The Incredible Story of the Isle of Roses, Europe’s first Netflix Originals production.
