Daniele Gangemi(I)

Daniele Gangemi was born in Catania. At the age of fifteen he was fascinated by the world of photography and began experimenting, photographing and printing with an "analogue" reflex camera and all the tools of the time at his disposal. In those years he too began to work as an author and host in two local TV stations in his city. His versatility soon led him to radio too, where for more than fifteen years he was speaker and author of several and successful Sicilian radio programs. Between 2002 and 2003 in Bologna is the moment for him to make his debut as director, producer and screenwriter of the short film "Alter Ego" (a single sequence shot in super8 film). In 2007 Daniele was hired to take care of the photography of the historical-religious film "Petali di Rosa", with Claudia Koll and Antonella Ponziani, one of Federico Fellini's latest muses. In 2008 he is back in Catania to direct his first film, "Una notte blu cobalto", for which he also writes the story and the screenplay. He thus has the opportunity to select and direct well-known and talented actors and actresses such as Alessandro Haber, Corrado Fortuna, Regina Orioli and Valentina Carnelutti, and to entrust the composition of the original soundtrack to Giuliano Sangiorgi, the Negramaro frontman. In 2009 he was officially invited to compete at the 42nd Worldfest International Independent Film Festival in Houston, Texas (the oldest independent film festival in the world, known for having discovered over the years masters such as Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ang Lee, Ridley Scott , Robert Rodriguez, the Coen Brothers, Spike Lee, Oliver Stone and David Lynch, giving them the first awards and the first opportunity to present their works to the public) where he will present in world premiere his film "A cobalt blue night" obtaining the prestigious award for "Best First Feature", which will give Gangemi the consecration as a leading talent and author of the indie scene of international cinema. In 2010 Bolero Film decided to bring his work to Italian cinemas and in 2011 CG Home Video began to market the DVDs of "A cobalt blue night" on the home video circuit all over the world. In 2013, on the occasion of the "XVII Child Victim Day", the historic organization "Meter", of the brave Don Fortunato Di Noto, contacted him to direct a campaign-spot against pedophilia and dedicated to the children victims. The same year sees the work of Daniele Gangemi appreciated by the "BBC Music Video Festival" with the music video "Safari Now", which he conceived, written and directed. From 2013 to today he also has the opportunity to work as Director of Photography for several young and promising directors, helping them in their debut. Since 2018 he has been the Founder and Artistic Director of the Militello Independent Film Fest, the international festival of independent cinema nicknamed Anti-Venice by the national press (due to its indie vocation and the coincidence with a few days of the Film Festival). the title of best independent Italian festival is taken by right, a record that until a few years ago was an exclusive of the Turin Film Festival, so much so that the much sought-after doors of the Italian Pavillon of the infamous Cannes Film Festival were even opened, for the official presentation of its second edition. Recently Gangemi has made as author and director the award-winning music video of the song "Silence in silence" by the well-known and appreciated Sicilian singer-songwriter Mario Venuti. At the end of October 2020 he launched the now cult Pilot Episode of the series entitled "Fratelli Noir", interpreted by Renny Zapato and Francesco Turrisi, with the original music by Salvo Bruno Dub, who in about a year was officially selected in the competition for almost 100 prestigious international film festivals, bringing home more than 40 awards. In 2021 he made the documentary entitled "Ti racconto tuo padre", on the figure of the well-known actor Fabrizio Bracconeri, undisputed glory of Italian TV of the 80s, who during a sea voyage (between the waves of the Mediterranean and the curves of memory) tries to tell about himself to his severely autistic son Emanuele, hoping that one day he too will understand his words, his story, his choices, his hopes and dreams as a father. On the other hand, 2022 is the time for Gangemi to devote himself to another documentary entitled "Qualcosa brucia ancora", which aims to be the cinematic opportunity to retrace the history of Mario Venuti, one of the most important and beloved contemporary Sicilian singer-songwriters, reviewing his first memories, his first steps in music, in a still underground and mysterious Catania, the "epic" decade with Denovo and subsequent years of success as a soloist that have led him to the present day. The latest "creature" and cinematographic challenge of the Director and Artistic Director Daniele Gangemi is the Latina Independent Film Festival, always under the banner of independence and auteur cinema. In April 2002 Gangemi, at only 41 years old, boasts already more than 60 prestigious awards officially certified by IMDb, the world cinema database.