Film Director

Federico Emilio Cornacchia, an Italo-Romanian Film Director, was born and raised in Altamura, a town of Apulia in Southern Italy.

He has been greatly influenced by the scenic and environmental parameters he inhabited, gravitating towards the Sun and Light as philosophical metaphors connected to his existential truth and purpose. From a young age he developed a profound interest in his surroundings, attempting to discover and comprehend the psychological and existential foundation and reasoning behind his own perceptions and the external factors that formed and shaped his reality.

Introduced to photography by his brother he consequently forms an instinctive and distinct appreciation for the visual world which gradually led him to focusing solely on filmmaking. An outline of his directing related works consist of getting involved in the commercial music scene where he collaborated with artists such as Plant and in the fashion industry with brands such as L’Officiel Uckraine. Moving away from commercial experience, at the age of nineteen Federico decides to acquire academic knowledge in the field of Film directing, and therefore, enrolls at the University for the Creative Arts in the UK, in which he graduated from in 2022 with a first class honors degree in Film directing.

Having worked on a vast and diverse selection of films with multiple appearances in Festivals internationally, TART (2022) WINNER of the Unisalento Award at the XXIV edition of the Festival del Cinema Europeo, WINNER Best shortfilm at New Wave Shortfilm Festival, WINNER Best student film at Lift-OFF Global Network (Jury Award) and WINNER of Best Editing at the New York Tri-State Film Festival, ANGELS ENVY (2023) WINNER of Best Edit and NOMINATED Best Film and Best Photography at the 48H Film Project Rome, FROG AND MOUSE (2022) Special Mention at AIMAFF 2024 and selected at the Matera Film Festival IV in the category Focus Italia.

His filmmaking is highly appreciated by critics in consideration of his distinct visual aesthetic and conceptual approach that he establishes in each project. Furthermore, each film can be determined by a strong force of realism mixed with magical elements which is manifested through the actors’ performance and creative visual techniques.

Creating with the intention of demolishing the conventional idea of what we perceive as reality and instead integrating imaginary and challenging concepts is essential.

Tools that have supported this approach is meditation which guide and construct the creative process intuitively and deliver a more liberal result.