Marta Donzelli was born in Turin in 1975. Philosophy graduate with a PhD at La Sapienza University in Rome, in 2004, together with Gregorio Paonessa, she established Vivo film, an independent production company that now has a catalogue of over 50 films presented and awarded at prestigious festivals worldwide.
Her credits with Vivo film include Michelangelo Frammartino’s The Four Times (2010, Europa Cinemas Label Award at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight); Emma Dante’s A Street in Palermo (2013, Venice Competition); Laura Bispuri’s Sworn Virgin and Daughter of Mine (2015 and 2018 Berlinale Competition); Susanna Nicchiarelli’s Nico, 1988 (Best Film at Venice Orizzonti, winner of 4 David di Donatello), Miss Marx and Chiara (2020 and 2022, Venice Competition); Abel Ferrara’s Siberia, starring Willem Dafoe (2020, Berlinale Competition). Among recent credits: Diego Lerman’s The Substitute (2022, Toronto Special Presentations); Francesco Lagi’s Il Pataffio (2023, Locarno Competition); Miguel Gomes’ Grand Tour (2024, Best Director Award at Cannes Film Festival) and Andrea Segre’s The Great Ambition (2024, Rome Film Fest).
For her work at Vivo film, Marta Donzelli won the David di Donatello Award for the Best Producer for Miss Marx, and was nominated twice for The Four Times and Nico, 1988. She was also nominated to the Silver Ribbon Awards as Best Producer for Nico, 1988 and Daughter of Mine by Laura Bispuri, while she won the Ciak d’Oro Award as Best Producer for The Four Times.
She was Head Professor of Cinema at the Scuola Holden in Turin in 2017/2019 and a tutor in many international workshops, including Biennale College. She was part of the Juries of many international festivals, including Rotterdam, Karlovy Vary and Turin Film Festival, and was a member of the board of the EFA in 2021/2022. She was the President of the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia from 2021 to 2023.