Luca Guadagnino

Some of the films cited as his early influences include Psycho (1960), Suspiria (1977) and Starman (1984).

He also developed a particular fondness for the films of Ingmar Bergman.

As a teenager, Guadagnino was a registered member of the Italian Communist Party, and wrote for the Palermo youth wing newspaper.

He resigned his membership after a dispute with the newspaper editor, over the content of one of his interviews.

Guadagnino studied literature at the University of Palermo.

He then transferred to the Sapienza University of Rome and completed his degree in literature and cinema history, with a thesis on the American filmmaker Jonathan Demme.

At Sapienza he met actress Laura Betti and would often attend her parties and cook for guests, such as Bernardo Bertolucci and Valerio Adami.

Guadagnino would later describe that experience as his "film school".

Luca Guadagnino (born 10 August 1971) is an Italian film director and producer.

His films are characterized by their emotional complexity, sensuality, and sumptuous visuals.

He is also known for his frequent collaborations with actors Tilda Swinton, Dakota Johnson, Timothée Chalamet and Michael Stuhlbarg, editor Walter Fasano and screenwriter David Kajganich.

Born in Palermo, Guadagnino spent part of his childhood in Ethiopia, but moved back to Italy with his family to escape the civil war.

He began his career directing short films and documentaries.

Guadagnino was born on 10 August 1971 in Palermo to an Italian father from Canicattì, Sicily, and an Algerian mother who grew up in Casablanca.

He spent his early childhood in Ethiopia, where his father taught history and Italian literature at a technical school in Addis Ababa.

The family left Ethiopia for Italy in 1977 to escape the Ethiopian Civil War, settling in Palermo.

Guadagnino became interested in filmmaking from around the age of nine, and started making amateur films after receiving a Super 8 camera from his mother.

He developed a passion for cinema in earnest during adolescence and programmed VHS recordings of films shown on television.

He made his feature-film debut with The Protagonists (1999), the first of his many collaborations with Swinton.

Guadagnino made his directorial debut with the feature film The Protagonists (1999), which was presented at the Venice Film Festival.

The film also marks his first collaboration with actresses Tilda Swinton, Fabrizia Sacchi, and editor Walter Fasano.

In 2002, he directed Mundo Civilizado, a musical documentary, presented at the Locarno Film Festival in 2003.

His 2004 documentary film Cuoco Contadino, which follows Italian chef Paolo Masieri, was presented at the Venice Film Festival.

His second feature film, erotic drama Melissa P. starring Spanish actress María Valverde, made a successful debut the following year.

His follow-up Melissa P. (2005), based on the book of Melissa Panarello, was a commercial success in Italy but was met with mixed critical reception.

Guadagnino gained further acclaim with his Desire trilogy, which consists of the films I Am Love (2009), A Bigger Splash (2015), and Call Me by Your Name (2017).

The latter brought him international recognition and marked the start of his creative partnership with Chalamet.

In 2009, he directed, wrote, and produced the cult hit I Am Love.

The first installment in Guadagnino's self-described Desire trilogy, was co-produced, and developed by Tilda Swinton—who also stars in the film—over a 7-year period.

Presented at a number of international festivals, the film was an immediate success with critics and audiences alike.

In 2010, it was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film, and the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language.

In 2011, Guadagnino directed Inconscio Italiano, a feature-length documentary film presented at the Locarno Film Festival.

In 2012, Guadagnino founded the production company Frenesy Film Company.

Guadagnino has directed several documentaries including Bertolucci on Bertolucci (2013) and Salvatore: The Shoemaker of Dreams (2020).

Aside from filmmaking, he has also been involved in the world of fashion, having directed advertisements for brands such as Fendi and Salvatore Ferragamo.

His work in documentary continued with Bertolucci on Bertolucci (2013), which was shown at the Venice Film Festival, the London Film Festival and Paris Cinemathèque, and 50 other festivals in 2013 and 2014.

Aside from his recent films, he produced Belluscone: A Sicilian Story (2014), The Truffle Hunters (2020), Salvatore: The Shoemaker of Dreams (2020), Holiday, and Enea (2023)

Suspiria (2018) marked his first foray into the horror genre; a remake of the 1977 film, it polarized critics and was deemed a box office failure.

The film was followed by We Are Who We Are (2020) a coming-of-age miniseries for HBO, and the romantic horror film Bones and All (2022).

Over his career he has received numerous accolades, including a Silver Lion, alongside nominations for an Academy Award and three BAFTA Awards.