FIlm
Photo
Story

I
Love
Stories.

WHAT I DO

``we don't see things as they are,
we see them as we are``

about

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.

about

/// recent works & projects ///

portfolio
portfolio
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NICOLA ZAMBELLI

AWARDS
2023 – “Actvistis without borders” – Beste 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 – “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)
E’ un filmmaker italiano autore di documentari, reportages e video artistici.
Laureato in Filosofia Ermeneutica con una tesi sull’identità narrativa del Sé, in un confronto tra filosofia, fotografia e documentario, i lungometraggi e cortometraggi a cui ha lavorato sono stati proiettati in Italia e all’estero, ricevendo diversi riconoscimenti ai festival. Si occupa di regia, fotografia e camera.
E’ tra i fondatori della casa di produzione SMK Factory, ideatrice del portale di distribuzione cinematografica indipendente OpenDDB.it basato sull’idea di cultura aperta e dedicato al networking tra autori indipendenti.
Ha all’attivo numerose collaborazioni con case di produzione in Italia e all’estero, teatri, enti pubblici, aziende o istituzioni come: Piccolo Teatro di Milano, Fondazione Brescia Musei, Teatro della Cooperativa, Residenza Idra, C.L.A.P.Spettacolodalvivo, Max Planck Institute, Musil, Fondazione Maffi, Koelliker/Mitsubishi e altri.
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.
A Maggio 2020 vince una menzione speciale agli “EVA – excellence in visual anthropology awards” conferito da Ethnocineca di Vienna per il film “Cracks” e il premio “Best Performance” conferito dalla “Nil Art Gallery” di New York con il film breve “L’Ora del Risveglio”.
Tra Novembre 2020 e Gennaio 2021 realizza tra gli spazi di C.AR.M.E., Bunkervik e Nuovo Eden a Brescia la sua prima mostra multimediale personale “What makes us weaker, makes us closer” attorno ai temi della pandemia e della solidarietà civile durante il primo Lock-down.
Il suo ultimo film documentario “Sarura – the future is an unknown
place” (in uscita prevista nel 2021) è stato selezionato nel 2020 agli “Impact days” del Festival dei Diritti Umani FIFDH di Ginevra e agli “Industry Days” del Festival di Milano “Visioni dal Mondo”.
Is an Italian filmmaker and author of film documentaries, reportages, and art videos.
He graduated in Hermeneutics Philosophy with a thesis on the narrative identity of the Self, in a comparison between philosophy, photography and documentary storytelling, his feature films were screened in Italy and abroad, receiving several awards at festivals. He is responsible for directing, photography and camera.
He is among the founders of the film production company SMK Factory and the cultural association SMK Videofactory, creators of the independent film distribution portal Openddb.it, based on the idea of open culture according to the guidelines of the open-source. He has many collaborations with production companies in Italy and abroad, theatres, public institutions, companies or institutions such as: Piccolo Teatro di Milano, Fondazione Brescia Musei, Teatro della Cooperativa, Residenza Idra, C.L.A.P.Spettacolodalvivo, Max Planck Institute, Musil, Maffi Foundation, Koelliker/Mitsubishi and others.
He conducts educational projects in schools thanks to which in 2019 he wins the first prize and a special mention at the “International audiovisual awards” during the days of the 76th Venice International Film Festival. 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” and the “Best performance” prize given by the Nil Art Gallery of New York.
Between November 2020 and January 2021 he realizes his first personal multimedia exhibition “What makes us weaker, makes us closer” around the themes of pandemic and civil solidarity during the first Lock-down.
His last documentary film “Sarura – the future is an unknown place” (to be released in 2021) was selected in 2020 at the “Impact Days” of the FIFDH Human Rights Festival in Geneva and at the “Industry Days” of the Milan Festival “Visioni dal mondo”.

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