Gianfranco Rosi

Gianfranco Rosi (; born 30 November 1963) is an Italian-American filmmaker. Because of the threat posed by the ongoing Eritrean War of Independence, his parents brought him back to Italy when he was 11. He grew up in Italy and Turkey. resulting in the anthropological documentary Boatman, which was presented at various international film festivals, including Sundance, Locarno, Toronto and Amsterdam.

His first feature film, Below Sea Level (2008), was shot over the course of four years among the residents of the unincorporated community of Slab City, California. It won the Best Documentary Award in the Orizzonti section of the 65th Venice International Film Festival.

Having befriended author Charles Bowden during the production of Below Sea Level, Rosi was offered to make a film from his 2009 Harper's Magazine article The Sicario and directed El Sicario, Room 164 (2010), a face-to-face conversation with a Juárez Cartel sicario claiming over 200 killings. Once again, it premiered in competition in the Orizzonti sidebar at the 67th Venice International Film Festival. The film was the first documentary film to ever be entered in the main competition of the Venice Film Festival, and ended up winning the Golden Lion at the 70th Venice International Film Festival, its highest award, becoming both the first documentary in Venice's history and the first Italian film in 15 years to receive the award. It was entered in the main competition of the 66th Berlin International Film Festival, winning once again a festival's highest award, this time the Golden Bear, The film was the first documentary submitted by Italy for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film category, although it didn't make the final shortlist, it was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 89th Academy Awards. The film marked Rosi's return to the main competition of the 77th Venice International Film Festival from a previous marriage which ended in the late 2000s.

Golden Bear

Prize of the Ecumenical Jury

Best Film

Best Director

Best Documentary

People's Choice Award for Best European Film

Academy Awards Best Documentary Feature

César Awards Best Documentary Film

2020 Venice International Film Festival Golden Lion Notturno

Special Jury Prize

Golden Lion