Paolo Sorrentino

Paolo Sorrentino is a globally recognized film director and screenwriter, celebrated for his visually distinct and narratively intricate films. After his feature-length directorial debut One Man Up was selected at the 2001 Venice Film Festival, Paolo Sorrentino quickly established himself as a prominent filmmaker, earning the Nastro d’Argento for Best First Time Director for the same film. His career as a screenwriter began in 1998 with The Dust of Naples, transitioning to directing short films such as L’amore non ha confini (1998) and La notte lunga (2001). This early recognition paved the way for his critically acclaimed The Consequences of Love (2004), which was selected in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival and garnered five David di Donatello awards.

Sorrentino’s international profile continued to rise with his third film, The Family Friend (2007), also selected in Competition at Cannes. In 2008, he directed Il Divo, a biographical drama that won the prestigious Prix du Jury at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for Best Make-Up at the Academy Awards®. He made his English-language feature debut with This Must Be the Place (2011), starring Sean Penn, further expanding his reach. A pivotal moment in his career came with The Great Beauty (2013), which achieved global acclaim and secured an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA for Best Foreign Language Film in 2014, in addition to five EFA Awards.

Beyond his prolific film and television work, he has also authored successful literary works, including the novel Hanno tutti ragione (Everybody’s Right) in 2010, which was short-listed for the Premio Strega, and short story collections Tony Pagoda e i suoi amici (2012) and Gli aspetti irrilevanti (2016). His significant contributions to cinema will be recognized in 2025 with the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award.