Biography

Francesco is an award-winning film director. Animata resistenza (2014) is Francesco's debut documentary, which he produced, shot, and directed with Alberto Girotto. The film premiered in the 71. Venice Film Festival and was awarded the Venice Classics Award for Best Documentary on Cinema. It was selected for more than 20 festivals worldwide and received 10 awards. Francesco's second feature documentary Brotherhood (2021), a Czech-Italian production, premiered at the 74. Locarno Film Festival and was awarded the Pardo d'oro of Cineasti del presente. The film has been selected in other 40 festivals worldwide (IFFR, True/False, RIDM, CPH:Dox) and awarded at several. Brotherhood is co produced by broadcasters like ARTE, Aljazeera, Rai cinema, and Ceska Televize. Francesco's short film Asterión (2022) premiered at the 75. Locarno Film Festival in the section Corti d'autore, and won RIGA IFF 2022 becoming its official candidate for the EFA awards 2023. It was nominated for the Magnesia Short Film Award at the Czech Lions National Awards.

Since 2017, Francesco has been working as a film lecturer at FAMU International, where he teaches Tools of Documentary Directing, and as a mentor in the directing workshop for first-year students APP (Academy Preparation Program - FAMU). Since 2021, he has been mentoring at the Swiss film school CISA, leading a workshop on documentary directing, and conducting mentorship programs at the Cuban film school EICTV as an external lecturer.
- IMDb mini biography by: Francesco Montagner