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Giada Colagrande was born in Italy in 1975. She studied in Italy, Switzerland and Australia. In 1995 she began making video art and documentaries on contemporary art. From 1997 to 2000 she joined the art project VOLUME, making a series of video portraits of 7 contemporary artists: Jannis Kounellis, Alfredo Pirri, Bernhard Rüdiger, Nunzio, Raimund Kummer, Gianni Dessí, Maurizio Savini and Sol Lewitt. She made three short films: Carnaval (1998), "Fetus - 4 Brings Death" (1999), and "n.3" (2000). In 2001 she wrote, directed and starred in her first feature film Open My Heart (2002) (Open My Heart), which premiered at the Venice Film Festival 2002, and then was selected by many international film festivals, such as the Tribeca Film Festival 2003, in competition, and Paris Cinema 2003, where it won the award 'Prix de l'avenir'. Giada was also nominated for Best New Director at the Silver Ribbon 2003. Open my Heart was released in Italy by Lucky Red and in the USA by Strand Releasing. In 2005 she directed her second feature Before It Had a Name (2005), which she co-wrote and co-starred in with Willem Dafoe. The film opened at the Venice Film Festival 2005, was then showed in San Sebastian Film Festival and various other international festivals. It was distributed worldwide by Millennium with the title 'Black Widow'. In 2010 she wrote and directed her third feature A Woman (2010), starring Willem Dafoe, Jess Weixler and Stefania Rocca. It also premiered at the Venice Film Festival 2010 and then screened at many other international film festivals. In 2012 she made the short film The Woman Dress (2012), for the Prada series "The Miu Miu Women's Tales", and the feature film Bob Wilson's Life & Death of Marina Abramovic (2012), a documentary on the opera directed by Robert Wilson, based on Marina Abramovic's biography, starring Willem Dafoe, Antony Hegarty and Abramovic herself, which was screened at MoMA in New York and at the Louvre Museum in Paris. Both films premiered at the Venice Film Festival 2012. In 2013 the film The Abramovic Method (2013), which continues her collaboration with performance artist Marina Abramovic, was presented at the Venice Film Festival and went on to being shown in art museums around the world. In 2016 she wrote, directed and performed in Padre (2016) starring herself, Willem Dafoe, Franco Battiato and Marina Abramovic. After premiering at the Festival Internacional de Cine de Morelia (Mexico), the film is still showing in film festivals around the world, while being theatrically released by The Open Reel. As an actress, she has also performed in Abel Ferrara's Pasolini (2014) and in Wes Anderson's short film Castello Cavalcanti (2013). In 2017 Giada made her debut as a singer, writer & composer in the project THE MAGIC DOOR, created with Arthuan Rebis and Vincenzo Zitello.

Felix Silla was born on January 11, 1937 in a small village outside Rome, Lazio, Italy. Silla trained as a circus performer, came to the United States in 1955, and toured with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Show. His multiple talents -- as a bareback rider, trapeze artist and tumbler -- brought him to Hollywood where he became a stuntman, starting with the Gig Young-Shirley Jones vehicle, A Ticklish Affair (1963).

His best-known roles are the maniacal, miniature "Hitler" who menaces George Segal in The Black Bird (1975) and Cousin Itt on The Addams Family (1964). He had doubled -- often for children -- in such hits as The Towering Inferno (1974), The Hindenburg (1975) and Battlestar Galactica (1978). Between movies, he frequently appears in Las Vegas and Reno nightclubs with his own musical combo, "The Original Harmonica Band".

Silla and wife Sue Silla -- a "little person", like himself -- were married from 1965 until Felix's death on April 16, 2021, and had three children, Bonnie, Michael and Diana.

Felice Orlandi was born on 18 September 1924 in Avezzano, Abruzzo, Italy. He was an actor, known for Another 48 Hrs. (1990), Bullitt (1968) and Killer's Kiss (1955). He was married to Alice Ghostley. He died on 21 May 2003 in Burbank, California, USA.

Sara Serraiocco is an Italian actress known for her compelling performances in various acclaimed films and television series. She gained significant attention for her role in the American sci-fi thriller series Counterpart, directed by Morten Tyldum, and the film Vermiglio, directed by Maura Delpero, which has been nominated for multiple awards, including the 2025 Golden Globes and the European Film Awards 2025.

Born in Pescara, Italy, Serraiocco began her acting career after attending the Italian National Film School in Rome. She made her film debut in 2013 with Salvo, which won the Critics' Week Grand Prix at Cannes. Her portrayal of a blind teenager earned her several awards, including the Globo d'Oro for Best Actress and the Nastro d'Argento for Best New Talent.

Notable films in her career include Cloro (2015), which was featured at the Sundance and Berlin International Film Festivals, and Worldly Girl (2016), for which she won the Shooting Stars Award for Best European Talent at the Berlin Film Festival and the Premio Pasinetti at the Venice Film Festival. In 2019, she received the Nastro d'Argento for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Thou Shalt Not Hate.

In 2022, she appeared in leading roles in Il Signore delle Formiche and Siccità, both selected for the Venice Film Festival. In 2023, she starred in Sulla Terra Leggeri and joined the French TV series Becoming Karl Lagerfeld cast. Her upcoming projects include Vermiglio, which won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and The Cilenian, directed by Sergio Castro San Martin.

Lino Guanciale was born in Avezzano, Italy on 21 May 1979. In 2003, he graduated from the Accademia d'arte drammatica "Silvio d'Amico", where he won the Gassman Prize as Best Actor of the previous ten years. Immediately upon graduation, he began working in the theatre, with Gigi Proietti on Romeo e Giulietta, the inaugural show of the Silvano Toti Globe Theatre in Rome.

More work quickly followed, and he started to collaborate with great names of Italian theatre as Luca Ronconi (Atti di guerra), Walter Le Moli (Gli incostanti, Antigone), Massimo Popolizio and Michele Placido. Placido later, upon directing him in the play Fontamara, cast him as Nunzio in his award-winning film Angel of Evil (2010).

Since 2005, Lino has also taught theatre classes and workshops in middle schools, high schools and universities. He made his film debut in 2008, playing none other than Mozart in Io, Don Giovanni (2009) directed by Carlos Saura, followed by The Front Line (2009). In 2011, besides "Vallanzasca", he was also featured in The Jewel (2011) by the director Andrea Molaioli as Filippo Magnaghi, the honest executive devastated by shame over his company's fraudulent activities; Marina Spada's My Tomorrow (2011); and the Rai1 television series Il segreto dell'acqua (2011) directed by Renato De Maria.

His movie career includes Woody Allen's To Rome with Love (2012), La scoperta dell'alba (2012) by Susanna Nicchiarelli and Wondrous Boccaccio (2015) directed by the brothers Paolo Taviani and Vittorio Taviani, in addition to a promising collaboration with the musician and director Davide Cavuti in Un'avventura romantica (2016), Preghiera per la vita (2020), Lectura Ovidii (2019) and Un marziano di nome Ennio (2022).

His work on TV has achieved success of public and critics, as protagonist in shows like The Family (2012), The Lady with the Black Veil (2015), The Good Apprentice (2016), The Red Door (2017), Inspector Ricciardi (2021) and Noi (2022), the Italian adaptation of the american series This Is Us (2016).

Lucrezia Guidone is an Italian actress. She studied at National Academy of drama Silvio D'Amico in Rome and at The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York. She worked in theatre with Luca Ronconi for several years winning many prestigious awards such as the Ubu Award for the role of the Stepdaughter in Pirandello's play "Six characters in search of an author". After that she stars in Francesco Bruni's film "Noi4" winning the International Flaiano Prize. Her credits include the Netflix miniseries "Fidelity", and the movie "The girl in the fog" .

Ruggero Pasquarelli was born on 10 September 1993 in Città Sant'Angelo, Abruzzo, Italy. He is an actor and composer, known for Soy Luna (2016), Violetta (2012) and Supernova (2022).

Andrea Arcangeli was born in Pescara, Italy, in 1993. He started acting in a theater company when he was 17, and joined his first projects in cinema and television after moving to Rome in 2012. He got his first leading role in the movie "The Startup" in 2017, and in 2018 was chosen by Danny Boyle for his TV series "Trust" for FX Channel.

Floria Sigismondi is a photographer and director. Apart from her art exhibitions she is best known for directing music videos. Her trademark dilating, jittery camerawork, noticeable as early as her video for Marilyn Manson's "The Beautiful People", has been replicated by a great number of directors since. Her parents, Lina and Domenico Sigismondi, were opera singers. Her family, including her sister Antonella, moved to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada when she was two. In her childhood she became obsessed by drawing and painting. Later, from 1987 she studied painting and illustration at the Ontario College of Art, today's Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD). When she took a photography course, she became obsessed once more, and graduated with a photography major. Floria started a career as a fashion photographer. She came to directing music videos when she was approached by the production company The Revolver Film Co., and directed music videos for a number of Canadian bands. Her very innovative, but also very disturbing video works, located in sceneries she once described as "entropic underworlds inhabited by tortured souls and omnipotent beings", attracted a number of very prominent musicians. With her photography and sculpture installations she had solo exhibitions in Hamilton and Toronto, New York, Brescia, Italy, Göteborg, Sweden and London. Her photographs also were included in numerous group exhibitions, together with those of photographers like Cindy Sherman and Joel-Peter Witkin. The German art press Die Gestalten Verlag has published two monographs of her photography, "Redemption" (1999) and "Immune" (2005).

Chieti on November 14 1980 She's an actress and a burlesque performer. After several years of theater training she beginning her career on stage and in front of the camera, till she met in 2010 the art of burlesque, starting a career as burlesque diva and combining it with her versatility as interpreter.

Chosen by Paolo Sorrentino to star in the award-winning film The Great Beauty (2013), as strong appearance, characterized by another reference to the nuances of seduction, in the movie she tests the senses of the protagonist Toni Servillo.

In 2018 she co-stars in the film comedy Non è vero ma ci credo (2018) and in 2019 she was in the cast of the Soap Opera Un posto al sole (1996) where she plays the role of Clara Fiorito. She also appeared in the branded content The Red Stain (2018) ; the short film produced by Roman Coppola for Coppola Winery, where she plays the beautiful and mysterious Monica. The short film was screened at the opening of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.

Nominated Best Italian Performer 2015 by the GQ magazine, there are many events where she has taken part, as a diva of this performing art, from the most important Italian and international festivals (Berlin, Stockholm, Istanbul). From the Australian Burlesque Festival, (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane) to the stage of Salone Margherita, Italian's temple of variety show, till all major events linked to international brands such as Yoox, Mazda and Bacardi.

In 2016 he published her first book "Eros e burlesque" for Gremese Editore.

She can speak English and Italian.

Gianluca Ginoble was born on 11 February 1995 in Abruzzo, Italy. He is an actor, known for Entourage (2004), Il Volo: L'amore si muove (2015) and Il Volo: Grande amore (2015).

Tonino Valerii was born on 20 May 1934 in Teramo, Abruzzo, Italy. He was a writer and director, known for My Name Is Nobody (1973), A Girl Called Jules (1970) and Day of Anger (1967). He was married to Rita. He died on 13 October 2016 in Teramo, Abruzzo, Italy.

Marcello Macchia in art Maccio Capatonda (Vasto, August 2, 1978), is an actor, director and Italian comedian. Born in Vasto, Abruzzo, Molise as original mother of the nearby town of Montenero of Bisaccia and father of Chieti, he grew up in Chieti, is known by his stage name "Maccio Capatonda", his famous character. Starting with "no budget" projects, he participated in television programs "Mai dire Lunedì" and "Mai dire Martedì". Previously he had founded in Milan the Shortcut Productions, along with Enrico Venti. In 2013 he is the creator, director and lead actor in the television series "Mario". He studied in Perugia advertising techniques.

Alessia Barela was born on 13 June 1974 in Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy. She is an actress and writer, known for Me, Myself & Her (2015), Velocità massima (2002) and Mr. Teddy (2012).

Giacomo Ferrara was born on 24 November 1990 in Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy. He is an actor, known for Suburra (2015), Guarda in alto (2017) and Show Dogs (2018).

Elisa Di Eusanio was born in Teramo August 12th, 1980. She began training as an actress and a dancer at her mothers "Mariella Converti" art workshop. In 2002, Elisa graduated from the Silvio D'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Arts in Rome, and began working in theatre. In the years that follow, Elisa would work on many classical and contemporary theatre productions. In 2007 Elisa appears in her first movie, 'Come tu mi vuoi' (dir. Vollfango de Biasi), and went on to work on many projects, such as "Benedetta Follia" (dir. Carlo Verdone), "Tutti per Bruno" (Netflix), "Fedeltà" (Netflix), "Doc nelle tue mani" (main cast - RAI 1), and "Bang Bang Baby" (Amazon Prime). For her work in the feature film "Good as you" (dir. Mariano Lamberti), Gloria garnered a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Nastri D'Argento in 2002. Additionally, Eusanio also received a Special Mention from the Arcipelago International Short Film Festival for the short film "Au Pair" (dir. Giulio La Monica), and a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Graal theatre festival for the comedy "Trappola per topi" (by Agatha Christie).

Milly Carlucci was born on 1 October 1954 in Sulmona, Abruzzo, Italy. She is an actress and writer, known for The Taming of the Scoundrel (1980), Tomorrow I'm Getting Married (1984) and Pappa e ciccia (1983). She has been married to Angelo Donati since 21 April 1985. They have two children.

Bruno Leopoldo Francesco Sammartino was an Italian-born American professional wrestler, best known for his work with the World Wide Wrestling Federation (WWWF, now WWE). There, he held the WWWF World Heavyweight Championship (WWWF Heavyweight Championship during his second reign) for more than 11 years (4,040 days) across two reigns, the first of which is the longest single reign in the promotion's history at 2,803 days. He is overall a two-time world champion in professional wrestling.

Dubbed "The Italian Strongman" and "The Strongest Man in the World" early in his career, Sammartino later earned the title "The Living Legend". Known for his powerful bear-hug finishing move, he is widely regarded as the greatest professional wrestler of all time. Sammartino became a vocal critic of the drug use and raunchier story-lines that became prevalent in the professional wrestling industry after his retirement but he reconciled with WWE in 2013 and headlined their Hall of Fame ceremony that year. Terry Funk commented that Sammartino "was bigger than wrestling itself".

Cinzia de Ponti was born on 3 October 1960 in Pescara, Abruzzo, Italy. She is an actress, known for The New York Ripper (1982), Devil Fish (1984) and Killer contro killers (1985).

Ivo Garrani was born on 6 February 1924 in Introdacqua, Abruzzo, Italy. He was an actor, known for Waterloo (1970), The Leopard (1963) and The Slave (1962). He was married to Lidia Gheducci. He died on 25 March 2015 in Rome, Italy.

Maria-Pia Casilio (5 May 1935 - 10 April 2012) was an Italian film actress, best known for her roles in "Umberto D". and "Un americano a Roma". Born in San Pio delle Camere, L'Aquila, Casilio was pretty active between 1952 and 1960, usually with the typical characterization of a querulous and naive small-town girl, then, after her marriage with the voice actor Giuseppe Rinaldi, she semi-retired from acting. On the Criterion Collection DVD release of "Umberto D". Vittorio De Sica comments she was a lucky charm to have her in his films.

Michele D'Attanasio was born on 18 June 1976 in Pescara, Abruzzo, Italy. He is a cinematographer and editor, known for Freaks Out (2021), Capri-Revolution (2018) and Caravaggio's Shadow (2022).

Gianni Di Venanzo was born on 18 December 1920 in Teramo, Abruzzo, Italy. He was a cinematographer, known for 8½ (1963), Juliet of the Spirits (1965) and Le amiche (1955). He died on 3 February 1966 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.

Giulia Rubini was discovered by the director Luciano Emmer who spotted her photo in her art photographer uncle's shop window. Emmer, casting for a heroine for his comedy High School (1954), auditioned 18-year old Giulia who passed the test and went on to star in the picture. Giulia then tended to be typecast as naïve ingénues in romantic drama (Le ragazze di San Frediano (1955)) or comedy (La banda degli onesti (1956)). She had a string of supporting roles in foreign productions (El Hakim (1957), The Night They Killed Rasputin (1960)) and peplum (Goliath and the Barbarians (1959), David and Goliath (1960), with Orson Welles as King Saul) and rounded off her career as female leads in a trio of spaghetti westerns (Ringo and His Golden Pistol (1966), Adios, Hombre (1967), Uno straniero a Paso Bravo (1968)). At her most ornamental in colourful adventure spectacles, filmed in exotic locales, Giulia enhanced pictures like Edgar G. Ulmer's Atlantean fantasy Journey Beneath the Desert (1961), the swashbuckler Rage of the Buccaneers (1961) (as Ricardo Montalban's love interest) and, as an Indian girl, in the German-Italian co-production The Mystery of Thug Island (1964), set against the background of the British Raj versus a sect of fanatical Kali worshippers. The latter was produced by Bavaria Film and released in the U.S. by Columbia, who offered Giulia a studio contract. However, having just learned of her second pregnancy and wanting to remain in Italy, she turned the offer down, choosing family life over career.

He is a film producer, director and distributor. He was born in Pescara (Abruzzo, Italy) and lives in Rome, where he graduated cum laude in 2016 in Modern Literature with the thesis "Virtual reality and image culture in the civilization of entertainment". He founded the production company called Il Varco and produced 22 short films, 4 feature films and the edition of 7 books. He was the director of Il Varco International Short Film Festival from 2017 to 2014. He also founded the Short Days in Rome and the Abruzzi's film screening "New Abruzzi Cinema" in Pescara and the film distribution Gargantua Film. His film productions were featured in more than 200 festivals all around the world including Cannes Quinzaine, Locarno, Venice SIC@SIC, Camerimage, Rotterdam IFFR, In the Palace, Drama, Cyprus, Rome Film Festival. As a director, he shot "Onyricon" in 2015, "Spettri" in 2017, "Materia Celeste" in 2019 and "Polepole" in 2021. In 2020 he worked alongside Werner Herzog for his film Accelerator in Leticia, Colombia, in which he developed the filmed correspondence "Letters to Herzog" and the short film "Flores del precipicio", featured on FranceTV. He was among the finalists of Premio Zavattini 2021/2022. His short film "Happy New Year, Jim" premiered at Cannes Film Festival during the 54. Quinzaine des Réalisateurs. In 2023, he was chosen to participate in Locarno Spring Academy with Radu Jude where he shot "Eschaton Ad", that premiered in Locarno that same year. In August 2023, he participated to Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Creator's Lab in Yucatan, Mexico. In November 2023, his debut feature documentary "A Stranger Quest" was presented at the 41. Turin Film Festival. He was invited to be part of Berlinale Talents in 2024 and he is a voting member of EFA - European Film Academy as since 2024. In 2024, his new film "The Eggregores' Theory" opened Venice Film Critics' Week, and was nominated as the European Film Awards candidate from ZINEBI Film Festival where it won the Grand Award.