Biografia
Antonietta De Lillo graduated in Arts and Performing Arts Studies from the DAMS program at the University of Bologna. She started her career as a photojournalist, contributing to various Italian newspapers and weekly magazines.
In 1985, she co-directed her debut feature film, Una casa in bilico, with Giorgio Magliulo, which earned the Silver Ribbon (Nastro d’Argento) for Best Debut Feature. Her second feature, Matilda, also co-directed with Magliulo, was released in 1990.
From 1992 to 1999, she directed multiple documentaries and cinematic portraits such as Angelo Novi fotografo di scena, La notte americana del dr. Lucio Fulci, Ogni sedia ha il suo rumore, and Promessi Sposi, which were recognized and awarded at numerous international film festivals.
Her 1995 film Racconti di Vittoria won the FEDIC Award and the Italian Film Critics’ Union Award at the 52nd Venice International Film Festival. She followed this with Maruzzella (1997), part of the collective film I Vesuviani, and Non è giusto (2001), showcased at the 54th Locarno Film Festival.
In 2004, she directed Il resto di niente, adapted from Enzo Striano’s historical novel. The film premiered as a special event at the Venice International Film Festival and received several accolades, including three David di Donatello nominations, the Flaiano Prize for Best Screenplay, and five Silver Ribbon nominations.
In 2007, she founded the production and distribution company marechiarofilm, building on her earlier experience with Angio Film and Megaris. Through marechiarofilm, she launched Italy’s first participatory film project, Il pranzo di Natale (2011), which was featured at the 6th Rome International Film Festival.
She directed the portrait of poet Alda Merini, La pazza della porta accanto, in 2013, presented at the 31st Torino Film Festival, followed by the documentary Let’s Go in 2014, also screened in Torino.
Her second participatory film, Oggi insieme domani anche, premiered at the 33rd Torino Film Festival in 2015. She was honored with the 2016 Special Silver Ribbon Award for her documentary work.
In 2017, her medium-length film Il signor Rotpeter, inspired by a Franz Kafka character and starring Marina Confalone, was included in the official selection of the 74th Venice International Film Festival. Confalone received a Special Recognition at the 2018 Silver Ribbon Awards for her performance.
In 2021, De Lillo presented Fulci Talks, a conversational portrait of Lucio Fulci, at the 30th Noir in Festival. That year, her photographic exhibition Ritratti di Cinema, showcasing images from the Venice Film Festivals of 1981 and 1982, was exhibited at the 78th Venice Film Festival in partnership with La Biennale Cinema and Giornate degli Autori. Additionally, her exhibition 19:34 — Photographs by Antonietta De Lillo, documenting the 1980 Irpinia earthquake, was held in November 2021.
Her autobiographical film L’occhio della gallina premiered at Venice’s Giornate degli Autori in 2023 and was nominated for the 2025 David di Donatello Award for Best Documentary.
