Giuseppe Avati, better known as Pupi Avati (born 3 November 1938), is an Italian

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, pr ...

, producer, and

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

. He is known to horror film fans for his two

giallo In Italian cinema, ''Giallo'' (; plural ''gialli'', from ''giallo'', Italian for yellow) is a genre of mystery fiction and thrillers that often contains slasher, crime fiction, psychological thriller, psychological horror, sexploitation, and, ...

masterpieces, ''

The House with Laughing Windows ''The House with Laughing Windows'' ( it, La casa dalle finestre che ridono) is a 1976 Italian ''giallo'' film co-written and directed by Pupi Avati. The film was shot in Lido degli Scacchi in the Ferrara province of the Emilia-Romagna region i ...

'' (1976) and '' Zeder'' (1983).

Early life and career

Pupi Avati was born in

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different na ...

in 1938. After attending school and studying

Political Science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and ...

at the

University of Florence The University of Florence (Italian: ''Università degli Studi di Firenze'', UniFI) is an Italian public research university located in Florence, Italy. It comprises 12 schools and has around 50,000 students enrolled. History The first universi ...

, he started working at a frozen food company. At the same time, he developed a passion for

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

, becoming a proficient

clarinetist This article lists notable musicians who have played the clarinet. Classical clarinetists * Laver Bariu * Ernest Ačkun * Luís Afonso * Cristiano Alves * Michel Arrignon * Dimitri Ashkenazy * Kinan Azmeh * Alexander Bader * Carl Baerma ...

. In the second half of the 1950s, he formed and played in the Doctor Dixie Jazz Band, of which

Lucio Dalla Lucio Dalla (; 4 March 1943 – 1 March 2012) was an Italian singer-songwriter, musician and actor. He also played clarinet and keyboards. Dalla was the composer of " Caruso" (1986), a song dedicated to Italian opera tenor Enrico Caruso, and ...

was also a member. Although he initially intended to be a professional musician, Avati felt he lacked the necessary talent. In the mid-1960s, he decided to dedicate himself to

cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ...

after seeing

Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and most ...

's '' 8½'' and its portrait of the role of a director. Avati's passion for music, as well as his love for his hometown, which was the setting of many of his films, were to become recurrent themes found in his productions. His filmography as a director includes almost forty films and television works. As a

, Avati wrote or co-authored the majority of his movies, as well as screenplays for other directors. He cooperated on the script of ''Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma'' (''

Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom ''Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom'' ( it, Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma, billed on-screen ''Pasolini's 120 Days of Sodom'' on English-language prints and commonly referred to as simply ''Salò'' []) is a 1975 horror film, horror art film dir ...

'', 1976) directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini, even though he is not credited for it. He also produced several films for other directors and in his own work. Many of his movies are also produced by his brother Antonio Avati. Avati began his career directing

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, ap ...

s and is considered one of the most notable Italian directors of this genre, with titles including ''La casa dalle finestre che ridono'' (''

'', 1976) and '' Zeder'' (1983), which are considered his masterpieces. According to Avati, the TV series ''

Jazz Band A jazz band (jazz ensemble or jazz combo) is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands vary in the quantity of its members and the style of jazz that they play but it is common to find a jazz band made up of a rhythm section and a h ...

'' (1978), written about the story of the Doctor Dixie Jazz Band marked a turning point for his work. The subject of his movies began coming from his own experience, and his cinema became more nostalgic, introspective, and autobiographic. Moreover, the series was successful and brought Avati to the attention of a wider public compared to his previous films. Throughout his career, Avati successfully directed and produced many genres of film, including horrors, medieval period pieces, dramas, jazz comedies, buddy comedies,

biopic A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudr ...

s and others, proving himself to be a versatile director. During his career as a director, screenwriter, and producer, Avati was nominated for the

Golden Palm The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...

, Silver Ribbons,

David di Donatello Awards The David di Donatello Awards, named after Donatello's ''David (Donatello), David'', a symbolic statue of the Italian Renaissance, are film awards given out each year by the ''Accademia del Cinema Italiano'' (The Academy of Italian Cinema). The ...

, and many others. He won two David di Donatello Awards and five Silver Ribbons. Avati was nominated ''Commendatore Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana'' on 2 June 1995. He has presided over the

Foundation, created in 1995, in memory of the great

Rimini Rimini ( , ; rgn, Rémin; la, Ariminum) is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It sprawls along the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia (the ancient ''Ariminu ...

-born director. In 2008, Avati published his autobiography, ''Sotto le stelle di un film'', edited by ''Il Margine''. Inspired by the autobiography of the director, in 2010, Claudio Costa made a documentary film of interviews and animations, called ''Pupi Avati, ieri oggi domani'' ("Pupi Avati, yesterday today tomorrow"). He is also the author of the novels ''Il ragazzo in soffitta'' (2015), ''Il signor diavolo'' (2018), from which he made a film of the same name the following year, and ''L'archivio del diavolo'' (2020).

Filmography

Films directed

* ''

Balsamus, l'uomo di Satana ''Balsamus, l'uomo di Satana'' () is a 1970 Italian film. It is the debut film of director Pupi Avati. Cast * Bob Tonelli as Balsamus * Greta Vaillant as Lorenza * Giulio Pizzirani as Ottavio * Gianni Cavina as Alliata * Antonio Avati as ...

'' (''Blood Relations'', 1968) * '' Thomas e gli indemoniati'' (''Thomas and the Bewitched'', 1969) * '' La mazurka del barone, della santa e del fico fiorone'' (''The Mazurka of the Baron, the Saint and the Early Fig Tree'', 1975) * ''

Bordella ''House of Pleasure for Women'' ( it, Bordella) is a 1976 satirical comedy film written and directed by Pupi Avati and starring Gigi Proietti, Christian De Sica, Gianni Cavina, Al Lettieri and Vincent Gardenia. Plot A brothel for women is ...

'' (''House of Pleasure for Women'', 1976) * ''La casa dalle finestre che ridono'' (''

'', 1976) * '' Tutti defunti... tranne i morti'' (''All Deceased... Except the Dead'', 1977) * '' Le strelle nel fosso'' (1979) * '' Aiutami a sognare'' (''Help Me Dream'', 1981) * '' Zeder'' (1983) released on video as ''Revenge of the Dead'' * '' Una gita scolastica'' (''A School Outing'', 1983) * '' Noi tre'' (''We Three'', 1984) * '' Impiegati'' (1984) * '' Festa di laurea'' (''Graduation Party'', 1985) * ''

Regalo di Natale ''Regalo di Natale'', internationally released as ''Christmas Present'', is a 1986 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Pupi Avati. It entered the 43° Venice Film Festival, in which Carlo Delle Piane won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor. For his pe ...

'' (''Christmas Present'', 1986) * '' Ultimo minuto'' (''The Last Minute'', 1987) * '' Sposi'' (''Bride and Groom'', 1987, first segment) * '' Storia di ragazzi e di ragazze'' (''The Story of Boys and Girls'', 1989) * ''

Bix Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke (March 10, 1903 – August 6, 1931) was an American jazz cornetist, pianist and composer. Beiderbecke was one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s, a cornet player noted for an inventive lyrical ap ...

'' (1991) * ''

Fratelli e sorelle ''Fratelli e sorelle'', internationally released as ''Brothers and Sisters'', is an Italian drama film directed by Pupi Avati. It was entered in the 1992 Venice Film Festival. For her performance in this film, Paola Quattrini won a Nastro d'Argento ...

'' (''Brothers and Sisters'', 1991) * ''

Magnificat The Magnificat (Latin for " y soulmagnifies he Lord) is a canticle, also known as the Song of Mary, the Canticle of Mary and, in the Byzantine tradition, the Ode of the Theotokos (). It is traditionally incorporated into the liturgical servic ...

'' (1993) * '' L'amico d'infanzia'' (''The Childhood Friend'', 1994) * '' Dichiarazioni d'amore'' (''Declarations of Love'', 1994) * '' L'arcano incantatore'' (''The Mysterious Enchanter'', 1996) * '' Il testimone dello sposo'' (''The Best Man'', 1998) * '' La via degli angeli'' (''A Midsummer Night's Dance'', 1999) * '' I cavalieri che fecero l'impresa'' (''The Knights of the Quest'', 2001) * '' Il cuore altrove'' (''The Heart Is Elsewhere'', also known as ''The Heart Is Everywhere'', 2003) * ''

La rivincita di Natale ''La rivincita di Natale'', internationally released as ''Christmas Rematch'', is a 2004 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Pupi Avati. It is the sequel of the 1986 film ''Christmas Present''. Plot In Bologna, Franco, Lele, Stefano and Ugo ...

'' (''Christmas Rematch'', 2004) * '' Ma quando arrivano le ragazze?'' (2005) * ''

La seconda notte di nozze ''La seconda notte di nozze'' (internationally released as ''The Second Wedding Night'') is an Italian comedy- drama film directed by Pupi Avati. It entered the 2005 Venice Film Festival. For this film Katia Ricciarelli won Nastro d'Argento fo ...

'' (2005) * '' La cena per farli conoscere'' (2007) * '' Il nascondiglio'' (''The Hideout'', 2007) * '' Il papà di Giovanna'' (''Giovanna's Father'', 2008) * '' Gli amici del bar Margherita'' (''The Friends at Margherita Café'', 2009) * '' Il figlio più piccolo'' ("The youngest son", 2010) * '' Una sconfinata giovinezza'' ("A boundless youth", 2011) * '' The Big Heart of Girls'' (2011) * ''

Il bambino cattivo ''Il bambino cattivo'' ("The naughty child") is a television film released in 2013, directed by Pupi Avati and produced by Rai Fiction. It was broadcast on November 20, 2013 on Rai 1 and Rai HD on the occasion of International Children's Day. Th ...

'' (2013) * '' A Golden Boy'' (2014) * '' Il Signor Diavolo'' (2019) * '' Lei mi parla ancora'' (2021) * ''

Dante Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: ' ...

'' (2022)

TV productions

*''Jazz Band'' (1978) *''Cinema!!!'' (1979) *''Dancing Paradise'' (1982) *''Accadde a Bologna'' (1983) *''È proibito ballare'' (1989)

Written screenplays

* ''Thomas e gli indemoniati'' (''Thomas and the Bewitched'', 1970) * '' The Kiss'' (1974) (1974, directed by Mario Lanfranchi) * ''La mazurka del barone, della santa e del fico fiorone'' (1975) * ''Cav. Costante Nicosia demoniaco, ovvero: Dracula della Brianza'' (''Dracula in the Provinces'', 1975, directed by

Lucio Fulci Lucio Fulci (; 17 June 1927 – 13 March 1996) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Although he worked in a wide array of genres through a career spanning nearly five decades, including comedies and Spaghetti Westerns, he ga ...

) * ''Bordella'' (''House of Pleasure for Women'', 1976) * ''La casa dalle finestre che ridono'' (''

'', 1976) * ''Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma'' (''

'', 1976, uncredited, directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini) * ''The Mistress Is Served'' (1976, directed by Mario Lanfranchi) * ''Tutti defunti... tranne i morti'' (1977) * ''Le strelle nel fosso'' (1979) * ''Macabro'' (''Frozen Terror'', also known as ''Macabre'', 1980, directed by

Lamberto Bava Lamberto Bava (born 3 April 1944) is an Italian film director. Born in Rome, Bava began working as an assistant director for his director father Mario Bava. Lamberto co-directed the 1979 television film ''La Venere d'Ille'' with his father and in ...

) * ''Aiutami a sognare'' (''Help Me Dream'', 1981) * ''Dancing Paradise'' (1982) * ''Zeder'' (1983) * ''Una gita scolastica'' (''A School Outing'', 1983) * ''Noi tre'' (''We Three'', 1984) * ''Impiegati'' (1984) * ''Festa di laurea'' (''Graduation Party'', 1985) * ''Regalo di Natale'' (''Christmas Present'', 1986) * ''Ultimo minuto'' (''The Last Minute'', 1987) * ''Storia di ragazzi e di ragazze'' (''The Story of Boys and Girls'', 1989) * ''Bix'' (1991) * ''Fratelli e sorelle'' (''Brothers and Sisters'', 1991) * ''Dove comincia la notte'' (1991, directed by Maurizio Zaccaro) * ''Magnificat'' (1993) * ''Dichiarazioni d'amore'' (''Declarations of Love'', 1994) * ''L'amico d'infanzia'' (''The Childhood Friend'', 1994) * ''La stanza accanto'' (''Bitter Chamber'', also known as ''The Room Next Door'', 1994, directed by Fabrizio Laurenti) * ''Voci notturne'' (TV serial, 1995, directed by Fabrizio Laurenti) * ''Festival'' (1996) * ''L'arcano incantatore'' (''The Mysterious Enchanter'', 1996) * ''Il testimone dello sposo'' (''The Best Man'', 1998) * ''La via degli angeli'' (''A Midsummer Night's Dance'', 1999) * ''I cavalieri che fecero l'impresa'' (''The Knights of the Quest'', 2001) * ''Il cuore altrove'' (''The Heart Is Elsewhere'', also known as ''The Heart Is Everywhere'', 2003) * ''La rivincita di Natale'' (''Christmas Rematch'', 2004) * ''Ma quando arrivano le ragazze?'' (2005) * ''La cena per farli conoscere'' (2007) * ''Il nascondiglio'' (''The Hideout'', 2007) * ''Il papà di Giovanna'' (''Giovanna's Father'', 2008) * ''Gli amici del bar Margherita'' (''The Friends at Margherita Café'', 2009) * ''Il figlio più piccolo'' (2010) * ''Una sconfinata giovinezza'' (2011)

Titles produced

*''Aiutami a sognare'' (1981) *''Sposi'' (1987) *''Storia di ragazzi e di ragazze'' (1989) *''Bix'' (1991) *''Io e il re'' (1996, directed by Lucio Gaudino) *''Il Sindaco'' (''The Mayor'', 1996, directed by Ugo Fabrizio Giordani) *''Caro domani'' (1999, directed by Mariantonio Avati, TV series) *''La prima volta'' (2000, directed by Massimo Martella) *''Gli amici del bar Margherita'' (2009)

Awards and nominations

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films ...

*1991:

(''Bix'', nominated) *1993:

(''Magnificat'', nominated) *2003:

(''Il cuore altrove'', nominated)

*1990: Best Director (''Storia di ragazzi e di ragazze'', nominated) *1990:

Best Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

(''Storia di ragazzi e di ragazze'', nominated) *1990: Best Script (''Storia di ragazzi e di ragazze'', won) *1995: David "Luchino Visconti" Award *2003: Best Director (''Il cuore altrove'', won) *2004: Best Director (''La rivincita di Natale'', nominated) *2009: Best Director (''Il papà di Giovanna'', nominated) *2009: Best Producer (''Il papà di Giovanna'', nominated) Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists – Silver Ribbon *1984: Best Director (''Una gita scolastica'', won) *1984: Best Story (''Una gita scolastica'', won) *1990: Best Director (''Storia di ragazzi e di ragazze'', won) *1990: Best Screenplay (''Storia di ragazzi e di ragazze'', won) *1997: Best Producer (''Festival'', won) *2000: Best Screenplay (''La via degli angeli'', nominated) *2003: Best Director (''Il cuore altrove'', nominated) *2003: Best Original Story (''Il cuore altrove'', nominated)

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...

*2008: Little Golden Lion (''Il papà di Giovanna'', won) *2008:

Golden Lion The Golden Lion ( it, Leone d'oro) is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most prestigious and distinguis ...

(''Il papà di Giovanna'', nominated)

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the fest ...

*1998: Golden Berlin Bear ('' Il testimone dello sposo'', nominated)

Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film The Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF), previously named Brussels International Festival of Fantastic Film (french: Festival international du film fantastique de Bruxelles, nl, Internationaal Festival van de Fantastische Fil ...

*1998: Silver Raven (''L'arcano incantatore'', won)

Fantafestival The Mostra internazionale del film di fantascienza e del fantastico (English: ''International Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Show''), commonly known as Fantafestival, is a film festival devoted to science fiction, fantasy and horror film th ...

*1985: Special Award 'FantaItaly' (won) Fantasporto *1983: International Film Festival Award (''La casa dalle finestre che ridono'', nominated)

Istanbul International Film Festival The Istanbul Film Festival ( tr, İstanbul Film Festivali) is the first and oldest international film festival in Turkey, organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts. It is held every year in April in movie theaters in Istanbul, Tu ...

*1986: Special Prize of the Jury (''Noi tre'', won) Montreal World Film Festival *2000: Best Screenplay (''La via degli angeli'', won) *2000: Grand Prix des Amériques (''La via degli angeli'', won)

Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival The Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (), or BiFan, is an international film festival held annually in July in Bucheon, South Korea. Prior to 2015, it was known as the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival or PiFan. Inaugurat ...

*1998: Jury's Choice Award (''L'arcano incantatore'', won) Sannio Film Fest – Capitelli d'oro *2009: Silver Raven (''Il papà di Giovanna'', nominated)

Valladolid International Film Festival The Valladolid International Film Festival, popularly known as Seminci (short for ; ), is a film festival held annually in Valladolid, Spain. First held in 1956 as ('Valladolid Religious Film Week'), the Seminci is one of the longest-standing fi ...

*1979: Golden Spike (''Le strelle nel fosso'', won)

References

External links

*
Interviewed by Inside Film Magazine's Phillip Cenere
{{DEFAULTSORT:Avati, Pupi 1938 births Living people Film people from Bologna Italian film directors Italian male screenwriters Giallo film directors Horror film directors David di Donatello winners Nastro d'Argento winners Ciak d'oro winners Italian jazz musicians Italian jazz clarinetists 20th-century Italian screenwriters 21st-century Italian screenwriters 21st-century clarinetists