Press release from Rick Raftos Management
Director Franco Di Chiera has announced his return to drama – his most recent offering being the romantic comedy “Big Mamma’s Boy” starring Holly Valance and stand-up comic Frank Lotito.
Currently in the later stages of post production, the feature was written by Lotito and produced by Matteo Bruno of Melbourne-based Valarc films.
Di Chiera is excited about his renewed commitment, “After having started out in drama and then turning to documentary for close to a decade, it’s nice to be enveloped in the world of fiction once again. But I can’t see my interest in documentary ever waning”.
His body of work is known for its range, quality, popularity and emotional impact. “I guess I’m a bit old fashioned that way – whether it’s documentary or drama I think you have to move and entertain people.
You can impart information and dialogue until you’re blue in the face but unless you present it in such a way that it engages and affects people, it’s not going to make much difference. For me, the most important thing is honesty in the storytelling, direction and performances. Authenticity is everything”.
Di Chiera’s early works include the short dramas “Waiting ‘Round Wynyard”, now considered somewhat of a ‘coming out’ classic, “La Scala, Lo Scalone” (Stairs and Staircases) the first subtitled film to be made at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School and the comedy “Bad News Bachelors” which screened theatrically around Australia and sold internationally.
He also produced the drama series “Under The Skin” which won an 1994 AFI Award for Best Telefeature/Miniseries as well as directing the miniseries “Three Forever” (2 x 100 mins), an Italian-Australian co-production involving Rolf de Heer’s and Domenico Procacci’s production companies Vertigo and Fandango respectively.
He’s written and directed a number of other spectacularly successful projects, many of which have had dramatised elements.
These include the critically acclaimed “The Joys of the Women” (nominated Best documentary in the Australian Film Critics Circle Awards and released theatrically around Australia before screening on the ABC), “No Milk, No Honey” (SBS’s highest rating local documentary in 1997), “Hoover’s Gold” (broke ratings records for SBS’s Storyline Australia timeslot), “Pipe Dreams” (one of ABC’s highest rating documentaries in 2007, attracting an audience of nearly 1.1 million), Ita Buttrose and Dennis Cometti episodes of the first Australian series of “Who do you think you are?” (highest rating local production in SBS history), The Fabulous Flag Sisters (doubled the usual ratings on Fox Italy’s Cult Channel and Winner Best Documentary Romafictionfest) and the feature- length “Death of The Megabeasts”, (screened on National Geographic US and Winner of two Gold Remi Awards at Worldfest in the US).
His last documentary “Skin Deep”, an Australian, Italian and French co-production, was recently launched at MIP-COM in Cannes generating considerable interest. The film saw him reunited with producer Andrew Ogilvie of Electric Pictures with whom he’s worked on several previous projects.
Di Chiera has just finished writing the latest draft of the mini-series “In the Mouth of the Wolf” based on the life of Australian boxing champion Rocky Gattellari. So far, development has taken seven years, but he insists he’s in no rush.
“I’ve always had a philosophy of not being in any rush to fail. As far as I’m concerned, that approach is working. I’ve slowly been realising all my directing ambitions so I’m happy with that. I said In the Mouth of the Wolf would take ten years to develop and finance and that’s proving to be true!”, he laughs.
He's been writing the series in between his directing work and with five years of back to back production it’s been a highly productive but demanding time in his 25 year career.
The script has attracted the interest of Cristaldi Pictures in Rome, the family dynasty that produced Fellini’s “Amacord” and Tonatore’s “Cinema Paradiso” among many other gems.
Di Chiera has also held senior positions at SBS, Screen West and Film Australia, experiences which he believes have been critical to his success.
“These opportunities have given me an insight into audience feedback as well as how gate keepers operate. But it’s also allowed me to give something back to the industry, to support newer filmmakers and others who might otherwise not have been able to get their foot in the door. It’s important to help address some of the imbalance that exists”.
Di Chiera has been somewhat of an advocate of diversity on the screen and tapping into what he calls “the extraordinary talent Australia has to offer”.
He recently joined agent Rick Raftos Management as a client. “Rick has seen it all – he’s been around a long time. His advice is invaluable when it comes to making career choices. He represents both screenwriters and directors, so that suits where I’m at right now.”
It’s the kind of professional support that Di Chiera says has been pivotal in his life from national treasures like producer Tony Buckley to John Politzer, former manager at Greater Union and the late theatre director Richard Wherrett, “They’ve all been great sources of knowledge and skills which I’ve carried around with me like a tool box. And they’ve never let me down.“
“Big Mamma’s Boy” is due for theatrical release next year. So what’s the word on the film?
Di Chiera refuses to comment saying he doesn’t want to jinx the project, "Suffice to say that the test audience screenings went well. I’ve always loved Doris Day and Rock Hudson movies and one of my favourite romantic comedies is My Big Fat Greek Wedding. So, I’m hoping that’s somehow rubbed off on the film.”