Luca Guadagnino Biography Luca Guadagnino born 10 August 1971 is an Italian film director and producer known for his emotionally complex films, eroticism, and opulent visuals. Throughout his career, Guadagnino has earned several accolades, including a Silver Lion, Academy Award nominations, and three BAFTA Award nominations. Born in Palermo, Italy, Guadagnino spent part of his childhood in Ethiopia. His family relocated to Italy in 1977 to escape the Ethiopian Civil War. Guadagnino began his career by directing short films and documentaries before making his feature-film debut with The Protagonists (1999), marking the start of his long collaboration with actress Tilda Swinton. His 2005 film Melissa P. was a commercial success in Italy, though it received mixed reviews.
Luca Guadagnino Biography
Luca Guadagnino is an Italian director, screenwriter, and producer, renowned for his visually captivating style and deeply emotional psychological portrayals. He has worked on films across both America and Europe, earning critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe nomination for Best Foreign Film for I Am Love and an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture for Call Me by Your Name. Born in Palermo to a Sicilian father and an Algerian mother, Guadagnino spent much of his childhood in Ethiopia, where his father worked as a professor. He later studied literature at the University of Palermo and cinema history at Sapienza University in Rome. His thesis focused on the work of director Jonathan Demme, and soon after, Guadagnino began making his own films.
Luca Guadagnino Biography Details
Born |
10 August 1971 (age 53)
Palermo, Italy |
Alma mater |
Sapienza University of Rome |
Occupations |
Film director
film producer
screenwriter |
Years active |
1997–present |
Partner |
Ferdinando Cito Filomarino (2009–2020) |
Category |
Singers Bio |
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About Luca Guadagnino
Luca Guadagnino is an Italian film director and producer. His films are characterized by their emotional complexity, eroticism, and lavish visuals. Guadagnino has received numerous accolades, including a Silver Lion, alongside nominations for an Academy Award and three BAFTA Awards.
- Born: 10 August 1971 (age 53 years), Palermo, Italy
- Upcoming movie: Atropia
- Partner: Ferdinando Cito Filomarino (2009–)
- Height: 83 m
- Awards: Silver Lion for Best Director
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Early Life and Education
Guadagnino was born in Palermo on 10 August 1971 to an Algerian mother from Casablanca, Morocco, and an Italian father from Canicattì, Sicily. His family moved to Ethiopia when he was young, as his father taught history and Italian literature at a technical school in Addis Ababa. They returned to Italy in 1977 due to the Ethiopian Civil War, settling in Palermo.
From a young age, Guadagnino was fascinated by filmmaking, starting with a Super 8 camera his mother gave him when he was nine. His passion for cinema grew during his adolescence, and he would program VHS tapes of films shown on television. Some of his early cinematic influences include Psycho (1960), Suspiria (1977), and Starman (1984), with a particular admiration for the works of Ingmar Bergman. As a teenager, Guadagnino was a member of the Italian Communist Party and contributed to the Palermo youth wing newspaper.
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Personal Life
Guadagnino previously lived and worked in a 17th-century palazzo in Crema, but he no longer resides there, citing a loss of privacy following the success of Call Me by Your Name. As of 2024, he resides in Milan. From 2009 to 2020, he was in a relationship with Ferdinando Cito Filomarino.
Career
Guadagnino made his directorial debut with the feature film The Protagonists (1999), which premiered at the Venice Film Festival. The film also marked the beginning of his long-term collaboration with actresses Tilda Swinton and Fabrizia Sacchi, as well as editor Walter Fasano. In 2002, he directed Mundo Civilizado, a musical documentary presented at the Locarno Film Festival in 2003. His 2004 documentary, Cuoco Contadino, which follows Italian chef Paolo Masieri, was also showcased at the Venice Film Festival. Guadagnino’s second feature film, the erotic drama Melissa P., starring Spanish actress María Valverde, was released in 2005 and gained commercial success.
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Influences and Style
Guadagnino has described his first cinematic impression as seeing the desert in Lawrence of Arabia at age five, a moment that had little to do with the actual film but left a lasting visual impact. While he acknowledges being influenced by Italian filmmakers like Bernardo Bertolucci, Roberto Rossellini, Luchino Visconti, Dario Argento, Pier Paolo Pasolini, and Federico Fellini, Guadagnino does not identify strictly as an Italian filmmaker. He prefers to see himself as Algerian, noting, “I grew up in Ethiopia. I came to Italy when I was seven. In my mind, deep emotions and visual landscapes are from Ethiopia, not Palermo or any other place in Italy. I arrived in Italy as an outsider.”
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Luca Guadagnino Net Worth
Luca Guadagnino |
Networth |
Luca Guadagnino Networth 2025 |
20.4 Million |
Luca Guadagnino Networth 2024 |
18.4 Million |
Luca Guadagnino Networth 2023 |
16.3 Million |
Luca Guadagnino Networth 2022 |
14.3 Million |
Luca Guadagnino Networth 2021 |
12.2 Million |