D: Ok, so you’ve made a great film, how do you get people to see your film that are not just your friends and family? What specifically have you done to build a following for your films?

R: This is a fantasy film in historical costume inspired by the historical re-enactments of my land Le Marche and especially Acquaviva Picena. I wanted to recount how women lived in the middle ages and especially the freedom of choice of a woman (Kaira, the main character in my film) who decides to go against a destiny imposed upon her by her father. Free will, THE CHOICE OF DECIDING ONE’S OWN LIFE WITHOUT BEING CONDITIONED BY OTHERS. KAIRA ALSO REPRESENTS THE WOMEN OF TODAY, SHE IS A WARRIOR WHO FIGHTS FOR HER RIGHTS. A MODERN SUPERHEROINE who sends a message to the world: we are free and worthy of being respected as human beings equal to men. The story is woven between history and fantasy recreating in a way the fairy tale myth of well-known tales such as Cinderella. But this time, there is no Prince Charming (at least not the one who the main character is supposed to marry) and the stepmother is represented by a tyrannical father. The story is surrounded by magic, spells and banshee spirits concealing ancient prophecies. Of course, to see the happy ending and the superheroine’s victory we have to wait for the third chapter or the feature film (both have to be produced). Why see my film? To dive into the past. It is especially for those who love legends and who identify with the hero and can redeem themselves and the rights of human beings, in particular those of women. The film is an invitation to visit this particular area which holds the fortress of the Acquaviva Picena Castle and which, for one day, can take you back in time.

D: How much time do you spend promoting your film?

R: A lot of time!! As a journalist I personally took care of all the press communication. In Italy, the short film was presented at the 77th Venice Film Festival at the Veneto Region space and it was distributed through the Rai Play platform (national cinema TV). In addition, the short was selected by several international festivals such as London and Cyprus.

D: What has not been effective for you promoting your film?

R: Working alone. Unfortunately this happens when you have a limited budget. When you’re independent and when you work without a production.

D What has been the most creative way that you have promoted your film?

R: At the Venice Film Festival I promoted my film by wearing the clothes of the character that I play on the festival red carpet before international TV stations. This was very effective in attracting the attention of the public. Then, I showed the film at Italian schools to talk to students about the comic from which it is inspired and to convey the message of the struggle that the main character makes regarding violence against women.

D: How many of you have worked collaboratively with influencers, photographers, or other people to help move your film forward. What kind of experiences have you had with collaborations?

R: I collaborated with several photographers and actors of the film who took photo shoots wearing the costumes of the film. We made a calendar with the photos to promote the project. It was beautiful and great fun. I want to thank the Italian press but also part of the international press that follows me and contributes reviews and articles in the media.

D: What is the best thing about collaborating with other creatives?

R: It is important to team up, to exchange ideas and to focus our energies on a single goal: to bring home the result. If you have a winning idea and if there is cooperation, we all win together. During a film, (and the set for me is like being in a family) we all help each other and everyone has to have their own space. It is a meritocratic work.

D: What makes collaborating hard?

R: It’s not good when people compete with each other. I believe that respecting and appreciating each collaborator is fundamental for success.

D: What would your ideal collaboration look like?

R: I would like to work and create synergies with people outside my country, with artists and creatives, especially producers here in America, where I think that comics and the fantasy genre have more commercial and marketing potential compared to the rest of the world. My homeland and other historical towns in Italy offer natural settings. We abound in castles and historical locations so we don’t need to recreate anything in the studios. It is important to find the funds to invest for a project and its distribution, be it a series or a feature film. My project is very ambitious, and aims to create a new Super Heroine, as superheroes from Marvel or other famous American comics have already done.

D: What’s your favorite scary movie?

R: My favourite film is ‘Alien’ but I also like ‘The Fly’. Alien is a Space monsters. The concept is pure B movie and many special effects are reminiscent of that genre but Ridley Scott manages to elevate the low matter. He makes a man wear something simple but designed by Giger, he creates a spaceship from the future but in fact it looks like a cargo ship populated by truckers, he makes a killer collide with a girl who ends up in her underwear but who then becomes an action heroine. It is so full of contrasts that it couldn’t help but come off as a masterpiece. The dining table scene, the phobia of having ingested something that destroys us from the inside out, has rightfully entered the collective imagination. The Fly is a Body horror par excellence. David Cronenberg, obsessed by body mutations and of deformed, bent, open and transitioning human flesh, remakes a very old film because he is passionate about the possibilities of this genre. He imagines a man, who slowly becomes a fly. Kafka’s metamorphoses lie elsewhere, this is a film where nothing changes around Brundle, apart from himself. He experiences delusions of omnipotence, the terror of not recognizing himself and the anxiety of death. It also contains the best beginning ever for a horror film: in media res, cutting out all superfluous conversation.

Claudio Marini