Biografia
Born in Rome, he developed a passion for cinema thanks to his father, who took him to Cinecittà as a child. At ten, his British brother-in-law, a documentary director for the London BBC, gifted him a Super 8 camera. He began creating numerous films, involving his friends and handling all aspects himself—writing, directing, and editing. After completing classical studies, he worked as an editing assistant and then as an assistant director. At 20, he made his first Super 8 feature film, "Paure e Realtà." By 25, his film "Pasaggi" won at the 1979 Ischia Film Festival.
In 1981, he debuted in 35 mm with "Difendimi dalla Notte," which won awards at the San Sebastian Film Festival, the Nice Film Festival, and the Annecy Festival. It was also selected for competition at the Berlin Film Festival. However, lacking political connections or a family background in the industry, he struggled to find work in Italy and thus began working internationally, directing many films for the foreign market. All his projects were in English, featuring American and European actors. During this time, he befriended Bruno Mattei, and together they explored various genres including horror, western, science fiction, adventure, thriller, war, and detective films.
After parting ways with Mattei, he continued traveling the world, making more horror, science fiction, and zombie movies. In 1984, an American production invited him to direct rock star Alice Cooper in the film "Monster Dog." In 1985, he directed the cult classic "After Death" in the Philippines. In 1989, he directed the American phenomenon "Goblin," later renamed "Troll 2" by its U.S. distributor, which caused confusion but ultimately contributed to the film’s lasting success. Notably, "Troll 2" was never a sequel to the original "Troll" but a family-friendly comic horror story originally titled "Goblin."
Returning to Italy in 1993, he went back to his first passion: socially conscious cinema. He created the award-winning "Teste Rasate," which was sold internationally. In 1995, he directed his most successful film, "Palermo Milano Solo Andata," produced by 20th Century Fox Italy. The film competed at the Venice Film Festival and was sold in 83 countries. Over his career, he has made more than 40 films, discovered many young actors who have become stars, and mentors young directors. Cinema remains his lifelong passion. Claudio Fragasso is a versatile director, one of the few in Italy to experiment across all genres.
