We are delighted to welcome Italian cinematographer Clarissa Cappellani to this year’s edition of Terre di Cinema.

Born in Palermo, Sicily, Cappellani began her career as a camera assistant working alongside Gigi Martinucci and Caroline Champetier, gaining invaluable experience while shooting television documentaries for Rai and Sky Arte. She later moved on to camera operating, collaborating with cinematographers such as Gherardo Gossi, Daniele Ciprì, and Hélène Louvart.

Her first feature as director of photography was Salvo Cuccia’s Hidden Identity, which premiered in competition at the Torino Film Festival in 2017 and was later screened at Annecy. In 2019 she lensed Jonathan Nossiter’s Last Words(Festival de Cannes 2020 – Official Selection), a bold futuristic tale starring Nick Nolte, Stellan Skarsgård, and Charlotte Rampling.

Recent years have further established her as a distinctive voice in contemporary cinematography. In 2023 she collaborated with Egyptian artist Wael Shawky on I am Hymns of the New Temples (IFFR 2024), produced for the contemporary art collection of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii. She received a Silver Ribbon nomination in 2024 for her cinematography on Misericordia by Emma Dante, with whom she shares a long-standing artistic partnership. In the same year, she was honored with the Efebo d’Oro – Mestieri del Cinema Award.

Her latest film, Brides by British director Nadia Fall, premiered in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at Sundance Film Festival 2025.

Alongside her feature film work, Cappellani has shot numerous documentaries with directors such as Sabina Guzzanti, Federica Di Giacomo, Adele Tulli, and Luca Guadagnino, demonstrating her remarkable versatility and sensitivity across different forms of cinema.

Terre di Cinema is proud to host Clarissa Cappellani, whose career embodies the international spirit, artistic excellence, and creative courage that inspire our community of emerging filmmakers.