Fausto Brizzi
- Writer
- Director
- Producer
He didn't become famous until 2006, although he had been working in
movies and television for over a decade. Like many other aspiring
filmmakers living in the Rome area, Fausto Brizzi studied at the Centro
Sperimentale, and after graduating in 1994 he started looking for work.
Initially, the 28-year old was employed exclusively in the production
of stage plays, and it took Brizzi another four years before he got his
first major job: writing the script of the TV series _"Lui e lei"
(1998)_. Other small-screen projects followed, cementing his reputation
as one of Italy's most prolific screenwriters.
The transition from television to cinema took place in 1999, when
renowned producer
Aurelio De Laurentiis, nephew of
Dino De Laurentiis, asked
Brizzi to write _Tifosi (1999)_, a Christmas comedy starring
Massimo Boldi and
Christian De Sica. The film performed
quite well at the Italian box office (as is customary with the Boldi &
De Sica movies), prompting De Laurentiis to keep Brizzi on board. Fame,
however, kept remaining elusive. Something different was needed...
That something was a screenplay he had written and offered to several
high-profile directors, all of whom turned down the project: they
didn't believe a low-budget comedy revolving around high school
students graduating in 1989 would have any mainstream appeal. At this
point, Brizzi took the risk of directing the film himself. This kind of
decision could have ruined his career, but instead it made him a
celebrity: despite, or perhaps because of, the unfamiliar names behind
and in front of the camera, Notte prima degli esami (2006) became the
most successful film made by a first-time director in Italian movie
history. A sequel of sorts, Notte prima degli esami- Oggi (2007), was
released a year later to equal success, confirming Brizzi's status as
the most popular filmmaker among Italian teenagers. His new movie, Ex
(2009) was a success and, after 10 nominations at David di Donatello
Award, gained the Silver Ribbon for the Best Comedy in Italy.
movies and television for over a decade. Like many other aspiring
filmmakers living in the Rome area, Fausto Brizzi studied at the Centro
Sperimentale, and after graduating in 1994 he started looking for work.
Initially, the 28-year old was employed exclusively in the production
of stage plays, and it took Brizzi another four years before he got his
first major job: writing the script of the TV series _"Lui e lei"
(1998)_. Other small-screen projects followed, cementing his reputation
as one of Italy's most prolific screenwriters.
The transition from television to cinema took place in 1999, when
renowned producer
Aurelio De Laurentiis, nephew of
Dino De Laurentiis, asked
Brizzi to write _Tifosi (1999)_, a Christmas comedy starring
Massimo Boldi and
Christian De Sica. The film performed
quite well at the Italian box office (as is customary with the Boldi &
De Sica movies), prompting De Laurentiis to keep Brizzi on board. Fame,
however, kept remaining elusive. Something different was needed...
That something was a screenplay he had written and offered to several
high-profile directors, all of whom turned down the project: they
didn't believe a low-budget comedy revolving around high school
students graduating in 1989 would have any mainstream appeal. At this
point, Brizzi took the risk of directing the film himself. This kind of
decision could have ruined his career, but instead it made him a
celebrity: despite, or perhaps because of, the unfamiliar names behind
and in front of the camera, Notte prima degli esami (2006) became the
most successful film made by a first-time director in Italian movie
history. A sequel of sorts, Notte prima degli esami- Oggi (2007), was
released a year later to equal success, confirming Brizzi's status as
the most popular filmmaker among Italian teenagers. His new movie, Ex
(2009) was a success and, after 10 nominations at David di Donatello
Award, gained the Silver Ribbon for the Best Comedy in Italy.