Biography
Dario Di Mella is an Italian cinematographer and camera operator based in Bari, working professionally since 2006. His career includes more than two hundred productions across feature films, television series, documentaries, short films and advertising, developed within both Italian and international production environments. His work combines lighting, visual storytelling and a direct understanding of camera movement. His professional journey began in television production and later developed into cinema, while his work on set has been complemented by direct experience in production and executive services for Italian and international projects. This broader knowledge of the filmmaking process allows him to balance visual research, organisation and the practical requirements of each production. His most significant international credits include Abel Ferrara’s Padre Pio, on which he worked as camera operator for cinematographer Alessandro Abate, and Enrico Maria Artale’s French series Un prophète, where he served as both camera operator and split-unit cinematographer alongside Ferran Paredes Rubio. He also photographed a segment of Scott Weintrob’s American action thriller Paradox Effect, starring Harvey Keitel and Olga Kurylenko, working in visual continuity with cinematographer Tobia Sempi. His camera operating credits also include Stéphane Freiss’ Where Life Begins, alongside cinematographer Michele Paradisi, and Pietro Malegori’s Shukran, working for cinematographer Tommaso Fiorilli. For Chris Gero’s international music documentary The Sound of Us, he was responsible for the cinematography and camera work of the Italian section. His international experience also includes the Nickelodeon and Rainbow series Club 57 and the Brazilian feature film Detetives do Prédio Azul 2. The relationship between lighting and camera movement lies at the centre of his approach. Even when leading the cinematography, Di Mella feels an almost symbiotic need to operate the camera himself, seeing movement as an integral part of the visual construction. When operating for another cinematographer, this dual experience allows him to understand the visual language, narrative intentions and relationship with the director, placing his own sensitivity at the service of a shared vision. As a cinematographer, he has developed an extensive and diverse body of work across feature films, documentaries, short films and television projects. Representative titles from a much broader filmography include Poveri noi, Un’altra me, Il meglio di te, I nostri ieri and Alessandro Piva’s documentary Fratelli di Culla. Throughout his career, he has shared the set with Italian and international performers including Alessandro Borghi, Roberto Herlitzka, Riccardo Scamarcio, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Shia LaBeouf, Harvey Keitel and Olga Kurylenko. Alongside his film work, he has developed extensive experience in commercials and branded content, contributing to campaigns for Sammontana, Adidas, Natuzzi, Fiat Professional, Samsung and Sky. In this field, he has worked with directors including Max and Joseph Weiland, Maki Gherzi, Pippo Mezzapesa, Alessandro Piva, Luca Medici and Enrico Poli, moving between emotional storytelling and product-focused communication. His cinematography has received awards at Italian and international festivals. Since 2013, he has combined his work on set with teaching at film schools, universities and Fine Arts Academies. He is also the author of Da zero al set. La luce, il linguaggio e gli strumenti del direttore della fotografia, published by Ardesia, which brings together a working method developed through professional practice, teaching and collaboration across film departments.
