Giovanni Maderna

Born in Milan in 1973, he interrupts his studies in Modern Literature to move to Lyon where in 1995 he buys a 16mm movie camera and directs the short La Place, dedicated to the square in which he lives, and its regular dwellers. The film receives the Sacher d’oro prize at Nanni Moretti’s Festival. After a period of few months at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, a new short: Jahilia (Occidente), the story of a Maghreb immigrant on the hills of the “Oltrepo pavese” inspired by the characters and situations in a novel by Flannery O’Connor. In 1997 he takes part in the collective film Com’è bella la città, coordinated by Goffredo Fofi. In 1998, he makes Dolce Stil Novo, story of adolescents living in the suburbs of Milan traced on a novel by Checov; presented at the Locarno Film Festival and winner of numerous international awards.

With Questo è il giardino, written with Carolina Freschi, the film’s main actress, he makes his debut in feature film. The film tells the story of two young Conservatoire musicians and is subdivided into four phases (falling in love, passion, separation e reunion), with reference to the four gardens in the Bible (Genesis, Canticle of Canticles, Gospel and Apocalipse).

Best First Film Award at the Venice Film Festival in 1999.

In 2001, he makes L’amore imperfetto, a film in competition in Venice, inspired by true facts and tells the story of the parents of a  child who suffers from a severe deformity.

Bologna, 16-2-05, Giovanni Maderna and Antonio Moresco meet Alberto Grifi, it is a documentary-interview dedicated to the works of the great Italian experimental filmmaker.

In 2006 feature film Schopenhauer is in competition in Locarno (Cineasti del Presente) and in many festivals all around the world (BAFICI Buenos Aires, “Open Roads” at Lincoln Center, New York City).

As a producer he founds in 2007 “Quarto Film”, a company which produced the feature film Il figlio di Amleto by Francesco Gatti (Locarno Official Selection 2009), and Et mondanaordinare di Daniela Persico (Locarno Official Selection 2009, BAFICI Buenos Aires).