Raymond De Felitta

Raymond De Felitta is an acclaimed American independent film director and screenwriter, known for his award-winning works at major film festivals and his contributions to film and music. After earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film in 1991 for his AFI thesis short film, ‘Bronx Cheers,’ Raymond De Felitta went on to establish a distinguished career in independent film. The same year, he received a prestigious Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting for his screenplay, ‘Begin The Beguine,’ highlighting his dual prowess as a director and writer. A graduate of Bard College (1985) and the American Film Institute’s directing program (1990), De Felitta continued his ascent by writing and directing ‘Cafe Society,’ which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1995.

In 2009, De Felitta wrote and directed ‘City Island,’ which secured the First Place Audience Award at the Tribeca Film Festival and enjoyed a significant theatrical run, underscoring his ability to connect with both critics and audiences. He then explored documentary filmmaking with ‘Booker’s Place: A Mississippi Story’ (2012), a project that also inspired an episode of ‘Dateline NBC’. His directing talents extended to diverse narratives, including the crime-drama ‘Rob the Mob’ in 2014, marking his second collaboration with acclaimed actor Andy Garcia. De Felitta also directed the television mini-series ‘Madoff’ in 2016, starring Richard Dreyfuss, for which he received a Directors Guild of America Award nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Mini-Series.

This ongoing engagement further demonstrates his passion for storytelling and his deep expertise across multiple artistic disciplines, making him a compelling voice in both the cinematic and musical worlds.