Francesco Maselli

Very young, Francesco Maselli enrolls to the Resistence (against the fascism). He graduates very young at Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in 1949. During this period he works as assistant director and coscreenwriter with Luigi Chiarini and Michelangelo Antonioni. His first work as director is the documentary Bagnaia paese italiano (1949), awarded at the Venice Film Festival. Among other titles these years: Bambini (1951), Ombrellai (1952), Zona pericolosa (1952). His first full length film is in 1955: Gli Sbandati, starring Lucia Bosè, Jean Pierre Mooky, Isa Miranda, Mario Girotti, Giuliano Montaldo awarded with a special mention from the Venice Film Festival. In his next film, La donna del giorno (starring Virna Lisi, Serge Reggiani, Haya Harareet), Maselli brings forward the theme of how Show-business influence lives, awarded from the festival of Karlovy Vary.

In 1960 directs I delfini, starring Claudia Cardinale, Gérard Blain, Antonella Lualdi, Anna Maria Ferrero, Sergio Fantoni, Tomas Milian, Betsy Blair, Claudio Gora. In 1961, with Zavattini, Maselli directs the episode Le adolescenti for the film Le italiane e l’amore. Based on the novels by Alberto Moravia, he directs two Gli indifferenti (1964), starring Claudia Cardinale, Thomas Milian, Paulette Goddard, Rod Steiger, Shelley Winters (awarded from the festival of Mar del Plata). With the following two titles Maselli moves toward the sophisticated comedy: Fai in fretta ad uccidermi… ho freddo starring by Monica Vitti and Jean Sorel and Ruba al prossimo tuo… starring by Claudia Cardinale and Rock Hudson. Just after the 68 movement Maselli directs two political movies: Lettera aperta ad un giornale della sera (1970, starring by Nanni Loy, Piero Faggioni, Giovanna Marini, Goliarda Sapienza) and Il sospetto (1975) starring by Gian Maria Volontè, Annie Girardot, Renato Salvatori.

In the following decennium Maselli dedicates himself to the television: Tre operai (1980), four episodes based on the novel by Carlo Bernari and Aventura di un fotografo (1984) based on a novel by Italo Calvino. In these years Maselli continues his work of political documentaries. In 1986 Maselli starts a teatralogy about women: the first one Storia d’amore with Valeria Golino, was awarded gran premio speciale della giuria and migliore attrice at the Venice Film Festival. Among other titles: Codice privato (1988) starring by Ornella Muti; Il segreto (1990) starring by Nastassja Kinsky. Maselli coordinated Cinema nel Presente, a foundation of Italian directors involved in political projects. He directed Civico zero starring by Ornella Muti, Letizia Sedrik and Massimo Ranieri. His film Le ombre rosse was selected for Venice Film Festival in 2009.

Festival Internacional de Cine de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria