Federico Savonitto (Udine, 1981) is a documentarist from the Friuli region who lived in Sicily for twelve years, currently based in Rome. After graduating in Communication in Trieste with an experimental thesis on Wim Wenders, he attends the Sicilian branch of the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia. While attending this school, he makes several documentaries such as La città sconosciuta (2013) and La fine che non ho fatto - The end I didn’t do (2011), this latter co-directed by Ruben Monterosso. During these years he develops a vision more and more inclined to describe invisible aspects of reality: one’s relationship with the city, the formation and transformation of the characters’ identities in connection with myth and archetype, the contrast between everyday life and dream and between the desire to know and the looming of death.
He deepens his skills by working on commission, often in co-operation with Ruben Monterosso (among the various commissions Un gran Silenzio and La leggenda del castello di Aci are presented at the International Festival in Locarno, Sicily - A tale of taste participates in Expo 2015, La battaglia di Capo Bon is selected at the Taormina Film Fest).
He collaborates with the directors Franco Maresco (Belluscone) and Vittorio Moroni (If I close my eyes I’m not here), and with the writer Andrea Bajani; he covers the role of educational tutor at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia for two years, coordinating the didactics.
Meanwhile he he directs documentaries as Amaro and Pellegrino, this latter in co-direction with Ruben Monterosso and in competition at Biografilm Festival, at Trento Film Festival, at Festival du film insulaire Ile de Groix, at Soleluna Doc Film Festival, at the Lucca Film Festival and selected at the XII edition of the Manifesta Biennial Festival). In 2019, with Francesco Costabile, he direct In a future April, produced by Remigio Guadagnini for Altreforme, distributed in Italy by Tucker Film and abroad by CAT & Docs, in competition at the Minsk InternaDonal Film Festival Listapad, winner of the special mention of the jury at Biografilm Festival, of the Rubino Rubini award at the Soleluna Film Festival, of the prizes Best Art Film and Sky Arte at Asolo Art Film Festival.
At the moment, in addition to The last lesson, he is developing the documentary The Perriera case, produced by Piero Li Donni and Daniele Modina for Zabriskie, with the support of the Sicilia Film Commission and the Turin Piedmont Film Commission. The project had a special mention at the Solinas Award - Documentary for Cinema 2020.
At the moment he is developing the documentary Before the truth, co-directed with Riccardo Campagna, the project The Perriera case with Ruben Monterosso and The last lesson with Andrea Mura.