Stefano Da Frè

Stefano Da Frè is an Italian-Canadian director, producer, and actor. He is the co-founder and president of Rosso Films International.

Da Frè is best known for directing, screenwriting and producing the crime drama Stolen Dough on Apple TV. Da Frè is also recognized for the documentaries The Girl Who Cannot Speak featured on NBC's Meet The Press Film Festival in collaboration with the American Film Institute and the social activism film The Day I Had to Grow Up. His films have been screened at multiple film festivals including the Cannes Film Festival and the Chelsea Film Festival in New York.

Early life and education Born in Italy, Da Frè initially received training from the Ryerson Theatre School before attending the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City.

Career After graduating, Da Frè began his career with a role in Taking Woodstock, a film directed by Ang Lee, which premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. Later that year, Da Frè appeared in Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Later that year, it was screened at the Cannes Film Festival and at the Meet The Press Film Festival in Washington, D.C., a festival co-hosted with the American Film Institute. The film was also selected for screening at St. Louis International Film Festival and the Saguenay International Short Film Festival in 2019. The film was featured at the 2021 St. Louis International Film Festival and won the Jury Prize at Switzerland International Film Festival. The documentary also won the FFTG Spirit Award in 2021. In the same year, Da Frè co-directed another film titled The Moon in Deep Winter with Laura Pellegrini. Subsequently, the film was screened twice at the Cannes Film Festival. The film explores the battle between Italian-American inventor Anthony Mongiello and Pizza Hut over the patent for stuffed crust pizza.

In July 2023, Da Frè advocated in support of the SAG-AFTRA union strike against AMPTP Producers.

In October 2023, Stolen Dough screened at the DOC LA Los Angeles Film Festival for its California Premiere. Da Frè received an Honorable Mention Award in the feature film category of the festival. The festival ran from 15 November to 18 November. Stolen Dough'''s Scottish Premiere was part of its Gala series that included the film Bitter Taste, directed by Harry Holland and starring Spider-Man actor Tom Holland, followed by Da Fre's Stolen Dough as the main feature film.

Apple TV premiered Stolen Dough on its international streaming platform in January 2024.

Following the Stolen Dough launch on Apple TV, Da Frè was invited to screen the film in official selection at the Croatia International Film Festival in Sibenik, Croatia during the month of August 2025. The festival opened with Bleecker Street's The Friend, starring Bill Murray and Naomi Watts. Da Frè won the jury prize for "Best Director" for Stolen Dough at the Croatia International Film Festival. During the festival, he was interviewed by Variety about the business of filmmaking and about receiving the festival award for "Best Director" for Stolen Dough.

In 2026, Stefano released a concept TV pilot called A Slice Of The Family Business, which was funded by National Italian American Foundation in association with Aurelio De Laurentiis Film Prize. The pilot is currently being developed with Netflix Italia to become a six episode season.

In January 2026, Da Frè was invited to be on the judging committee for the Storyteller Universe. The film event took place on January 17th, 2026 in New York City. That same month, Da Fre was one of eight Canadian producers selected for the Quebec English Language Council's business accelerator cohort. This initiative is supported by the Canada Media Fund's Sector Development Program and SODEC's Mission Assistance Program. He is currently working on an upcoming narrative feature film about a blind painter that is scheduled for a release in 2027. The couple were married at the Chateau Coindre Hall on Long Island, New York on April 23, 2023.

Filmography FilmTaking Woodstock (2008) Tu Me Manques (2017)Sarah Q (2018)The Moon in Deep Winter (2018) The Girl Who Cannot Speak (2019) Pandora's Box: Unleashing Evil (2016–2018)

Awards and recognition 2018: Best Screenplay Award for The Moon in Deep Winter at the Chelsea Film Festival 2023: Best Documentary Award for Stolen Dough at the Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival 2023: Honorable Mention Award for Stolen Dough at DOC LA Los Angeles Film Festival 2023: Best Director Award for Stolen Dough at The North Film Festival 2023: Best Documentary Film of the Fest Award for Stolen Dough at the FFTG Awards Film Fest. 2025: Best Director Award for Stolen Dough'' at the Croatia International Film Festival