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Visual artist, filmmaker, photographer
/// art / documentary / stories ///

FILMMAKING

FILMMAKING

social documentaries,
institutional corporates,
theatrical and cultural arts,

PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTOGRAPHY

reportages, performing arts,
events, travels,
people, life.

STORYTELLING

STORYTELLING

communities, brands,
schools, cultural organizations,
personal stories.

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NICOLA ZAMBELLI

Filmmaker e autore di documentari, reportage fotografici, installazioni e video per il teatro, la danza e l’arte. I lungometraggi a cui ha lavorato sono stati proiettati in Italia e all’estero, ricevendo diversi riconoscimenti in festival nazionali e internazionali
Si occupa di regia e direzione della fotografia.
E’ laureto in Filosofia Ermeneutica con un tesi sull’identità narrativa del Sè, ha conseguito un master in cinema documentario presso lo IED di Milano.
E’ tra i fondatori della casa di produzione cinematografica SMK Factory (Kissing Gorbaciov, Sarura, The Milky Way, The Harvest), ideatrice del portale di distribuzione indipendente OpenDDB.it basato sui valori della cultura aperta, secondo le linee guida dell’open-source.
Il suo ultimo film documentario “Sarura – the future is an unknown place” è selezionato ad oltre trenta festival internazionali vincendo più di dieci premi tra cui il primo premio Best Human Right Film conferito dall’Arab Network for Human Rights Film”, Best Human Rights Doc al Festival del Cinema dei diritti umani di Napoli, il premio per la miglior fotografia al festival Documentaria di Palermo, il premio Human Right Valentina Pedicini al Life After Oil Film Festival. Il film è stato coprodotto da Al Jazeera e distribuito a livello internazionale da Jourmeyman Pictures.
A Maggio 2020 vince una menzione speciale agli “EVA – excellence in visual anthropology awards” conferito da Ethnocineca di Vienna per il film “Cracks”.
Conduce progetti educativi nelle scuole con cui nel 2019 vince il primo premio ed una menzione speciale agli “International audiovisual awards” nelle giornate della 76° Mostra Internazionale d’Arte Cinematografica di Venezia.
Director and author of documentaries, photographic reportages, installations and videos for theatre, dance and art. The feature films he has worked on have been screened in Italy and abroad, receiving several awards at national and international festivals.
He is responsible for the direction of photography.
Graduated in Hermeneutic Philosophy with a thesis on the narrative identity of the Self, he obtained a master’s degree in documentary cinema at the IED in Milan.
He is one of the founders of the film production company SMK Factory (Kissing Gorbaciov, Sarura, The Milky Way, The Harvest), creator of the independent distribution portal OpenDB.it based on the values of open-source culture.
His latest documentary film “Sarura – the future is an unknown place” is selected in over thirty international festivals winning more than ten awards including the first Best Human Right Film awarded by the Arab Network for Human Rights”, Best Human Rights Doc at the Napoli Human Rights Film Festival, the award for best photography at the Palermo Documentary Festival, the Valentina Pedicini Human Right Award at the Life After Oil Film Festival. The film was co-produced by Al Jazeera and distributed internationally by Jourmeyman Pictures.
In May 2020 he won a special mention at the “EVA – excellence in visual anthropology awards” awarded by Ethnocineca of Vienna for the film “Cracks”. He conducts educational projects in schools with which in 2019 he wins first prize and a special mention at the “International Audiovisual Awards” in the days of the 76th Venice Film Festival.
FILM DIRECTION & CINEMATOGRAPHY

“11 GIORNI tra le mura del carcere” (2024 – 35′)
“Damore. About love” (2023 – 22′)
“SARURA. The future is an unknown place (2022 – 79′)
“What Makes Us Weaker, Makes Us Closer” (2020 – 22′)
“The Awakening hour” (2020 – 20′)
“Vite al Centro. Storie di commesse nell’epoca dei centri commerciali” (2025 – 75′)

CINEMATOGRAPHY

“Kissing Gorbaciov” (2023 – 95′)
“The Sky is Mine” (2023 – 65′)
“Cracks” (2018 – 52′)

AWARDS
2024 – Annaba Mediterranean Film Festival – “Grand Prix Award” (Sarura. The future is an unknown place)
2024 – Tulipani di Seta Nera – “Premio Sorriso RAI CInema Channel” (11 GIORNI tra le mura del carcere)
2024 – Tulipani di Seta Nera – “Miglior Fotografia” (11 GIORNI tra le mura del carcere)
2024 – Tulipani di Seta Nera – “Miglior Montaggio” (11 GIORNI tra le mura del carcere)
2023 – Actvists without borders – “Best Feature Film” (Sarura. The future is an unknown place”)
2023 – Arab Network for Human Rights Film – “Best Human Rights Film” (Sarura. The future is an unknown place)
2023 – Festival del Cinema dei Diritti Umani – “Best Human Rights Doc” (Sarura. The future is an unknown place)
2023 – Rajgir International Film Festival – “Best Cinematographer” (Sarura. The future is an unknown place)
2023 – Rajgir International Film Festival – “Special Jury Award”(Sarura. The future is an unknown place)
2023 – Rajgir International Film Festival – “Best Director” (Sarura. The future is an unknown place)
2023 – International Festival Signes de Nuit – Urbino – “Jury Award” (Sarura. The future is an unknown place)
2023 – International Festival Signes de Nuit – Berlin – “Special Mention” (Sarura. The future is an unknown place)
2023 – Visioni dal Mondo – “Riconoscimento Rai Cinema” e la “Menzione Speciale giuria studenti” (Il cielo è mio – regia di Ayoub Naseri)
2023 – Life After Oil FF – “Best Film – Human Rights Award Valentina Pedicini” (Sarura. The future is an unknown place)
2023 – Nawada International FF – “Award Winner Best Foreign Film” (Sarura. The future is an unknown place)
2023 – Documentaria Film Festival – Miglior Fotografia (Sarura. The future is an unknown place)
2022 – Terra di tutti Film Festival – “Menzione speciale Premio Senni” (Sarura. The future is an unknown place)
2022 – Film Festival del Garda – “Menzione Speciale” (Sarura. The future is an unknown place)
2022 – Al Ard Festival – “Audience Award (“Sarura. The future is an unknown place”)
2021 – Visioni Urbane / Urban Visions – “Resilient Communities Award”, “Audience Award” (What Makes Us Weaker, Makes Us Closer);
2020 – Ethnocineca – International Documentary Film Festival Wien – “EVA – excellence in visual anthropology awards” (“Cracks”)
2020 – Nil Art Gallery New York – “Best Perfomance Film” (“The Awakening Hour – L’ora del Risveglio”);
2020 – International Teen Short Film Festival, Bejing – “Special Mention” (“Fermata Prealpino” – school film project)
2019 – Liberazioni Film Festival – “Cinema Diritti Globali Award”, “Cinema Giovani Special Mention” (“Wherever you go, there you are”)
2019 – International audiovisual awards (within the 76th Venice Film Festival) – “First Prize” (“Fermata Prealpino” – school film project)
2019 – International audiovisual awards (within the 76th Venice Film Festival) – “Special Mention” (“Art Trailer – se fosse una canzone” – school film project)
2019 – The Stone Flower Youth Film Festival, Russia – “Special Mention” (“Art Trailer – se fosse una canzone” – school film project)
2017 – Filmagogia Awards (within the 74th Venice Film Festival) – “Documentary and Education Special Mention (“Art Trailer – se fosse una canzone)
2015 – Festival del Documentario d’Abruzzo – “Best Documentary” (Vite al Centro)
2012 – Al Ard Festival – “Public award”, “Al Ard award” – Tomorrow’s land – how we decided to tear down the invisible wall”
2012 – Mediterraneo FF – “Juree award” – Tomorrow’s land – how we decided to tear down the invisible wall”
2012 – Festival delle Terre – “Crocevia prize” – Tomorrow’s land – how we decided to tear down the invisible wall”
2012 – Docunder30 ff – “Best Trailer”, “Juree’s special mention” – Tomorrow’s land – how we decided to tear down the invisible wall”
2012 – Mediterraneo FF – “Juree’s award” – Tomorrow’s land – how we decided to tear down the invisible wall”
2012 – Valdarno Fedic FF- “Special mention”, “Giorgio Napolitano award”

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