Festival della Biodiversità

Andrea D'Ambrosio was born in Roccadaspide (Sa) on the 19th of March 1975. He graduated in cinematography. He has won, together with  Paolo and  Vittorio Taviani Premio Giacomo D’Onofrio 2009 in range of Laceno d’oro 2009. D’Ambrosio is the author of the documentary “I giorni della merla” in co-direction with Carla del Mese produced by Leonia association, province of Salerno, Legambiente Campania. It is participating in Cinemambiente 2010. He is the author of the documentary “Campania Burning” produced by Gruppo Ambra. The film talks about the immigration and is set in Piana del Sele. It is participating in Nododocfest 2010 in Trieste and in the  festival of journalism “A chiare lettere” of Marsala.

D’Ambrosio has just finished the production of the documentary “Di Mestiere faccio il paesologo” about a writer and a poet Franco Arminio, produced by Lama film,  Ministry of art and culture and Film Commission of the region of Campania. This documentary is participating in the section “Terrealte” in Trentofilmfestival 2010.  D’Ambrosio is also a director of “Biutiful cauntri” produced in co-direction with Esmeralda Calabria and Peppe Ruggiero. The documentary produced by Lionello Cerri for Lumiere and co, is competing in Torino Film Festival 2007, and is a winner of a special mention of the jury “For attaining balance between civil involvement and expressive rigour”. It is participating in Italiafilmfest 2007 festival directed by Felice Laudadio and is a winner of a special mention of the jury, competing in International Film Festival in Rotterdam 2008. A winner of the section “environmental visions” of the festival “Visioni Italiane” 2008 in Bologna. A  special mention at Festival of Bellaria 2008. Ciak d’oro for Esmeralda Calabria for the best montage. A finalist of  Premio del Reportage Mediterraneo of Marseille. A winner of Nastro D’Argento as the best documentary  2008.  FAC prize 2008 at days of cinema in Sorrento. Gran Prix of the Jury at Invisiblefilmfestival 2008 in Cava dei Tirreni.  “Marcello Torre” prize 2008 for civil involvement given to Pagani in Dicember 2008. A special prize of the honorable committee at Food in festival 2008. Festambiente prize 2008, as the best documentary. Giancarlo Siani prize 2009.

Carla del Mese was born in Rome on  1st May 1980. In 2006, she graduated in modern languages with a focus on art history and cultural heritage from “Federico II” university in Naples. She has always been a regular visitor of film forums and debates, she has promoted and organized film screenings in the open air, near the sports centre “Villaggio del Sole” in Salerno. A passionate environmentalist of Legambiente in the eco-archeological park of Pontecagnano, Carla del Mese deepened her knowledge of  the dynamics of biodiversity and eco-sustainable agriculture. As an author and a director, she realized a video “I Tre giorni del Cigno” on behalf of Legambiente. It documents a series of meetings and debates on the study and practice of organic agriculture with indisputable positive effects of garden therapy for disabled or depressive persons. Later Carla del Mese realized a video dedicated to the celebration of a Mediterranean diet that promotes eating naturally cultivated organic food. It was from this experience that the idea to realize a documentary “I giorni della merla”, which would unite the ideas of previous videos,  was born. The documentary was made in co-direction with Andrea D’Ambrosio, an author and a director of a multi-awarded “Biutiful Cauntri”.

Michele Conforti was born in Bibbiena on 27th August 1948. In 1972, having completed his university studies in architecture, he won a scholarship at Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia.
From 1975, after having coordinated one of the experimental projects of Mostra del Cinema di Venezia (Biennale Cinema e Scuola), he started to work as a TV director, collaborating extensively with Rai and developing experience in the field, from prime time studio programmes (Cinquanta anni fa la guerra of Arrigo Petacco) to experimental (La notte della Repubblica of Sergio Zavoli) and cultural programmes (Donne al bivio of Enza Sampò), from “containers” of day time (Mattina in Famiglia of Michele Guardì) and the afternoon (Sereno Variabile-Viaggiando Viaggiando of Osvaldo Bevilacqua) to scientific programmes  (Quark of Piero Angela, Nel mondo degli animali of Giorgio Celli), from documentaries (La terza rivoluzione industriale with Mario Salvatorelli), to “lives” of events, with an experience as a “special correspondent” of the programme of Lio Beghin “Linea Continua” produced for Fininvest. Lately Conforti has collaborated as a director of the programme “Linea Verde” of Rai uno.

He was a member of Cda di Cinecittà Holding spa and of Cinecittà Studios spa. Now Conforti is an adviser of Cinecittà Digital Factory. He is a member of David di Donatello jury, EFA (European Film Accademy), and a  Secretary General of Associazione Registi della Fiction televisiva (ART).

Davide Marengo was born in Naples in 1972. His first long film was “Notturno Bus”, a noir commedy with Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Valerio Mastandrea and Ennio Fantastichini. The film, which received high critical acclaim, won David di Donatello prize as “The best song” composed by Daniele Silvestri. Continuing his work for the cinema, Marengo directed “Craj” – a documentary on popular music from Puglia, that participated in numerous international festivals and was awarded at the Festival di Venezia 2005 with “Lino Micciche” prize  as the best first film, received the first award at “Libero Bizzari” festival and  the second – at the Festival of Italian film in Paris. The movie was also a candidate in the run for Nastri d’argento 2006 as “The best documentary”. In January 2009 Rai Uno channel started to transmit “Il commissario Manara”, a TV series of 12 episodes that participated in Roma Fiction Festival 2008. Marengo directed “Boris 3”, a cult TV series in transmission on FX channel from March 2010. In May 2009 Marengo as a photographer realized an ample reportage on the credit crunch in the USA, written by Beppe Severgnini for “Il Corriere della Sera” magazine. Having directed different publicity spots and musical videoclips, among which “Fiori d’arancio” and “L’ultimo bacio” of Carmen Consoli (the last one awarded with “Italian Music Award”), in 2007 Marengo directed the video “Mi persi” of Daniele Silvestri and, in co-direction with Dario Baldi, “Ricordati di me” and “Cade la pioggia” of Negramaro, with Jovanotti as  a guest star.

Michele Bozzano graduated in Forestry in 1998 and gained his PhD in 2003 with a thesis on the role of biodiversity for sustainable development.  Since joining Bioversity International in 2001, Michele has worked primarily with programmes on forest biodiversity and, in 2002, he began work with the EUFORGEN Secretariat, a collaborative programme to promote conservation and sustainable use of forest genetic resources.  Presently, he is also the Coordinator of advanced training programmes on forest biodiversity conservation in developing countries.