Samantha Casella
Samantha Casella (born in Faenza, Italy on October 1, 1981) is an Italian director and screenwriter. Samantha Casella is defined a visionary director, projected to investigate the dark side which resides in the hearts and minds of her characters. Her style leads to a journey through the unconscious, where the atmospheres recall a pictorial universe full of mystery and darkness. Biography. Samantha Casella studied screenwriting and narrative techniques at the Holden School in Turin and cinema directing at the Scuola Immagina in Florence. Her director essay, the short film “Juliette” has participated in various festivals, winning 19 awards , including two awards at the “Massimo Troisi European Award”. She continued her path by directing some short films including “Silenzi Interrotti”, “Iris” with Elisabetta Rocchetti and “Ágape” with Marina Rocco and Paolo Stella; which have won important international Festival. Later she directs “Giro di giostra”, a medium-length film presented during the Mostra Internazionale d’arte Cinematografica in Venice, the Venice Film Meeting section. In the documentary sector the most important work are "Mediterraneo", centered on the sculptor Giuseppe Spagnulo and presented at the Venice Biennale; “The West according to Civitelli”, on the cartoonist of Tex Willer; “Via Crucis al Pantheon ” which proposes the manufacturing processes of the Via Crucis installed at the Pantheon in Rome and “Self-portrait with Pope”, testimony of a painting by Gianni Bubani and a poem by Davide Rondoni donated to Pope Benedict XVI. In 2019 she directed "I Am Banksy" with Marco Iannitello. On the debut in the charismatic TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles at the Golden State Film Festival won Best International Short. It also won Best Foreign Short at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Award and Best International Short at the Los Angeles Theatrical Release Competition & Award. In total, the short  film collected 15 awards, including Best Director at the Accolade Global Film Competition. In 2020 she directed the short film "To A God Unknown", distributed in the United States by FourWalled and winner of 228 awards at international Festivals organized in 35 different countries, including the Independent Short Award, the Metropolitan Film Festival NYC, the Toronto Short Film Channel Festival, the International Motion Picture Critics Awards, the Royal Society of Motion Picture Award, the Hollywood Gold Awards, the Star Hollywood Awards and the Global Film Competition.