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Matteo Pagliarusco is a director, screenwriter, and video editor who has made a significant mark in the world of Italian and international independent cinema. Born in Vicenza, Italy, he pursued his education by earning a degree in Communication Sciences at the University of Verona and later honed his skills with a Master's degree in Cinema, Television, and Multimedia Production at the University of Bologna.
His love for storytelling and his passion for cinema have driven him to explore new ways of narrating and creating, working not only in the film industry but also as a writer, teacher, and educator. He is a true creative, with a deep love for dinosaurs, space, and pirates-elements that often feed his imagination and influence his artistic vision.
From a young age, Matteo displayed an extraordinary passion for cinema, seizing every opportunity to pick up a camera and tell stories through the lens. This innate passion evolved over the years, turning into a full-fledged career, and Matteo is one of the fortunate few who managed to turn his dreams into reality thanks to determination and constant hard work.
Matteo's true debut in the world of cinema came at just 19 years old when he founded his first independent production company with a friend, "Cinema Pirata Ratto di Sentina," later renamed "Bilge Rat Studios" to give it an international flair. Despite his young age and the demands of university and work, Matteo and his team produced a series of short films and web series, including "Trashman", the grotesque superhero inspired by his hometown, and "Master Special Cops Of Police", a noir parody of 1980s cop movies. These early projects were raw, rough, and made with minimal budgets, but they reflected Matteo's great enthusiasm and immense ambitions.
His first major recognition came in 2015, when Matteo won the "Jolly di Gesso" award for his film "Di ritorno dal Vento", a love story set during World War II. This film marked a significant milestone in his career: venturing into feature films with a wealth of creativity and initiative, Matteo directed a group of friends as actors and used old clothes and objects purchased at flea markets to recreate the historical atmosphere of the 1940s. Filming took place in the Italian countryside, using abandoned ruins as sets and facing curious situations, such as often finding themselves in dangerous and accidental settings-thankfully without incidents.
Following this project, fascinated by the world of B-movies and cult films, Matteo embarked on an experimental and surreal project: "L'invasione zombie delle creature aliene della morte" ("The Zombie Invasion of the Alien Creatures of Death"), a production that started as a joke but ended up opening doors to international cinema. This film won several festivals worldwide, including the Corn Fresh Film Festival in Canada, the The Fear Fair Film Festival in Las Vegas, and the Zombiepaloosa Film Festival in the United States, demonstrating that even a zero-budget production can captivate a global audience.
2017 marked another milestone in Matteo's career with the release of "Romeo, Giulietta e Omicidi", his personal reinterpretation of Shakespeare's tragedy, filmed in iconic locations from the original story, such as Verona, Vicenza, and Venice. The film was made on a zero budget, but Matteo's ambition and creativity, along with his team, overcame logistical challenges. Legendary anecdotes from the production include filming in historical castles and an episode where the police, alerted by citizens who had seen them speeding around with prop weapons, stormed the set with sirens blaring, suspecting a terrorist attack. Despite the difficulties, the film made its way into local cinemas and garnered moderate success, even being mentioned at the 76th Venice International Film Festival.
Between 2017 and 2020, Matteo focused on experimentation, working in various roles within different productions. He was an assistant cameraman and cinematographer for the film "Tutto il tempo del mondo", which was presented at the 76th Venice International Film Festival and won the first prize at the Alvsbyn Film Festival. Matteo also earned a drone operator license and worked as a drone operator for music videos, documentaries, and corporate projects. Two of his documentary works were shot abroad, in London and Bratislava.
In 2019, Matteo explored new horizons by publishing his first book, Ephemeridium, a fantasy-sci-fi novel that was enthusiastically received by readers, who hailed it as "one of the greatest space epics of recent years." This project, born from his passion for space and science fiction, solidified his reputation not only as a director but also as a writer.
In 2020, during the pandemic, Matteo was involved as an assistant director, video editor, colorist, and drone operator for the short film "Desiderio Imperfetto" ("Imperfect Desire"), which won the Best LGBTQ+ Film award at the Alvsbyn Film Festival. This project marked a turning point in his career, showcasing his ability to adapt to complex technical roles and work on projects with great sensitivity.
During the same period, Matteo worked closely with other directors, refining his technical skills and expanding his professional network in the film industry. Together with the Olympus Production team, he worked on the short film "Red", which combines action and emotion, and was presented at numerous international festivals, including the prestigious Venice Shorts in California.
2020 was also the year Matteo co-founded the independent publishing and production house Vela Viola Edizioni. This period marked an important turning point in his career, allowing him to broaden his storytelling possibilities, no longer limited to the screen but also expanding into the world of publishing.
Between 2020 and 2021, Matteo developed one of the most ambitious projects of his career, "Pannocchia non ha più paura" ("Pannocchia is No Longer Afraid"), an animated film entirely created with the help of children from the preschool where Matteo completed his graduate internship. The project generated great enthusiasm and was presented at the 78th Venice International Film Festival. Following the success, Matteo wrote a manual titled "Let's Make a Cartoon Together! - Multimedia and Film Productions for Preschoolers", which quickly sold out, requiring several reprints.
The success of "Pannocchia non ha più paura" attracted the attention of film producers, leading Matteo to develop more animation projects, culminating in the creation of the Vela Viola Animation Studio, his independent animation studio. In 2022, he presented the project "La dinosaura che voleva camminare all'insù" ("The Dinosaur Who Wanted to Walk Upwards"), based on his book published the previous year, at the 79th Venice International Film Festival, an animated film exploring universal themes such as love, adventure, overcoming fears, and the courage to chase dreams.
In addition to cinema and animation, Matteo worked as a dubbing director at the CL Music Production recording studio for over three years, overseeing the creation of audiobooks, voice-overs, and dubbing for films and TV series. In parallel, he wrote and directed a web series titled "Gunswood District", another parody of 1980s cop movies, which he loves, but had to halt when he was called to Cinecittà to work on a film that turned out to be a scam, an experience that taught him much about the darker side of the film industry.
Over the years, Matteo has collaborated with numerous film professionals, learning and refining his craft through unique experiences. He also worked as a Green Screen technician for the film "Night of Doom", distributed on Amazon Prime Video and in Blu-ray by MegaCity Media.
Between 2023 and 2024, Matteo Pagliarusco directed, wrote, and edited his ambitious film "Lo chiamavano Marcus" ("They Called Him Marcus"), an epic story set in the medieval era. The project, entirely self-produced, is distinguished by its meticulous historical reconstruction, achieved through collaboration with several historical reenactment companies that contributed to the creation of authentic sets and costumes. Matteo's attention to detail and meticulous approach made "Lo chiamavano Marcus" a unique work in the landscape of Italian independent cinema.
The film premiered at the Hotel Excelsior on the Lido of Venice during the 81st Venice International Film Festival, an event organized by the Venice Biennale. The presentation attracted the attention of critics and industry professionals, thanks in part to the film's originality, blending historical elements with universal themes such as power, love, and fate. Matteo's vision brought to life a film that captures the spirit of the medieval era while maintaining a strong emotional component. "Lo chiamavano Marcus" received numerous endorsements from several historic-medieval Italian cities, further strengthening the project's visibility. The film was also supported by a creative promotional campaign, culminating in the team's participation in TV broadcasts (RAI and Mediaset) and a spectacular medieval parade at the previous year's Venice Film Festival, building anticipation for the film's release.
Today, Matteo continues to explore new storytelling possibilities through cinema, literature, and animation. His creative vision has expanded beyond the traditional boundaries of the big screen, encompassing teaching and pedagogy, with the goal of inspiring the next generation to become not just consumers of content but active creators.
With over a decade of experience in the world of cinema, Matteo Pagliarusco is a versatile figure, capable of seamlessly transitioning from directing to writing, from animation to teaching. His passion for storytelling, combined with an insatiable curiosity, has led him to create projects that vary greatly in form, content, and genre, while always maintaining a strong connection to his creative identity.
His journey is far from over, and with the same enthusiasm he had at the beginning, Matteo continues to dream big, hoping that one day he will travel among the stars-not just those in cinema.
