Christian Filippella

{{Short description|Italian film director}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Christian Filippella

| image = Filippella golden globes.jpg

| caption = Filippella at the 2015 Golden Globes

| birth_place = Benevento, Campania, Italy

| occupation = Producer/Director

| years_active = 1998–present

}}

Christian Filippella is an Emmy Award Nominated and winning producer, {{Cite web |url=https://theemmys.tv/day-51st-nominations/ |title=The 51st Daytime Nominees are… - the Emmys |work=The Emmys - The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences |date=19 April 2024 }} cinematographer and director, current active member of the Producers Guild of America (PGA) and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS/NATAS).

Mr. Filippella began working as an independent filmmaker in Spain and Ireland. He was accepted to the directing program of the prestigious Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome and was awarded his diploma in 2005 with his thesis film Thermae. {{Cite web |url=http://www.snc.it/events_detail.jsp?IDAREA=26&ID_EVENT=164>EMPLATE=cscprod_home.jsp |title=Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia: " Thermae 2'40" " di Christian Filippella selezionato al Butterfly Effect – Short Film Event di Hollywood" |access-date=2009-07-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727195023/http://www.snc.it/events_detail.jsp?IDAREA=26&ID_EVENT=164>EMPLATE=cscprod_home.jsp |archive-date=2011-07-27 |url-status = dead }}

Subsequently, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship{{Cite web|url=http://www.unmondoditaliani.com/christian-filippella-giovane-stella-italiana-nel-firmamento-di-hollywood-oltre-oceano-la-creativita--e-il-genio-del-belpaese.htm|title=Un Mondo di Italiani: "Giovane stella Italiana nel Firmamento di Hollywood. Oltre Oceano la Vreativita' e Il Genio del Belpaese"}} and completed MFA studies at the American Film Institute (AFI)[http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/article.aspx?art_id=1755 Culture Northern Ireland: "Claire Falconer Set To Soar"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308152030/http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/article.aspx?art_id=1755 |date=March 8, 2012 }} in 2008.

Mr Filippella won twice the Philip Morris Cinema Award, the Panavision, Arri and Fuji grants and the Sergio Corbucci Prize.{{Cite web|url=http://www.lagazzettadelmezzogiorno.it/notizia.php|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120804155430/http://www.lagazzettadelmezzogiorno.it/notizia.php?IDNotizia=379559|url-status=dead|title=La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno.it | Un noir italiano per Eric Roberts|archive-date=2012-08-04|access-date=2010-11-13}}

His first feature film Silver Case stars Academy Award nominees Seymour Cassel and Eric Roberts in the lead role of the Senator, and features Shalim Ortiz, Chris Facey, Brian Keith Gamble, Vincent De Paul (actor), Fernanda Romero, Scarlett Chorvat and Claire Falconer.{{cite web|url=http://www.35mm.it/notizie/con-silver-case-ritorna-il-noir-all-italiana.html |title=Con "Silver Case" ritorna il noir all'italiana - Notizie - 35MM.it |access-date=2010-11-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203053930/http://www.35mm.it/notizie/con-silver-case-ritorna-il-noir-all-italiana.html |archive-date=2010-12-03 }}

Silver Case, which premiered at Rome International Film Festival, won 5 Indie Awards with Best of Show. The movie has been released worldwide.{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-xpm-2013-mar-21-la-et-mn-silver-case-review-20130322-story.html|title=Review: 'Silver Case' is pointless fun|date=March 21, 2013|website=Los Angeles Times}}

The Los Angeles Times reviewed the film as "brisk, good-looking and never dull"

Mr Filippella has since then produced and shot several other feature films, documentaries and TV shows including Nandor Fodor and The Talking Mongoose, distributed by Paramount, starring Academy Award actress Minnie Driver, Christopher Lloyd and Simon Pegg, Hellfire starring Academy Award Nominee Harvey Keitel, Stephen Lang and Dolph Lundgren, Mafia Wars starring Tom Welling and Cam Gigandet, the award winning documentary The Genius of Gianni Versace about the life and career of fashion designer Gianni Versace,{{Cite web|url=https://citynews.com.au/2023/versace-film-promises-to-be-a-festival-hit/ |title=Versace film promises to be a festival hit |date=18 September 2023 }} the multiple Emmy Award Winning series The Bay,{{Cite web|url=https://michaelfairmantv.com/mike-manning-the-bay-coming-out-hate-crime-story-two-part-special-set-in-italy/2023/12/24/ |title=Mike Manning Shares, "Representation is Important" as 'The Bay's' Coming Out and Hate Crime Story is Featured in Two Part Special Set in Italy |date=25 December 2023 }} Swifty & Veg with Tommy Flanagan and Mark Boone, the holiday films Christmas Couples Retreat, This is Our Christmas and Beverly Hills Christmas starring among others Dean Cain, Academy Award Nominee John Savage, Ronn Moss and Academy Award Winner Margaret O'Brien.{{Cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4076824/fullcredits|title=Beverly Hills Christmas (2015) - IMDb|via=www.imdb.com}}

In 2018 Filippella received the Halo Award and the Life Achievement Award from the Motion Picture Council in Hollywood.{{Cite web|url=https://www.aise.it/comunit%C3%A0/christian-filippella-maie-premiato-dal-motion-picture-council/124939/157|title=AISE - Agenzia Internazionale Stampa Estero|website=www.aise.it}}

His latest documentary Aloha Spirit Rising Cosmic Consciousness (2024), shot in Hawaii, follows the lives of a free-spirited community living off-the-grid in the secluded Hawaiian jungle. {{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27421075/reference/ |title=Aloha Spirit Rising Cosmic Consciousness - IMDb |website=IMDb }}