Vittoria Rizzardi Penalosa: “KEEP MOVING NEVER GO BACK”
Vittoria is a young Italian writer and director. She was born to an Italian mother and a Colombian father and grew up in the city of Verona. Vittoria is the author and director of short film entertainment, and her works have been screened worldwide, from the London Independent Film Festival to the HBO Arts and Film Festival in Palm Springs. Currently, Vittoria is working on the film script for her next project.
What are the most challenging aspects of being a filmmaker?
It’s hard to say as there is multiple involving the many different aspects of filmmaking. One that comes to mind, arguably, is the most “general” is finding the right balance between making sure your film is clear enough for the audience to be on board while also not compromising your vision.
What is your source of inspiration for this short film?
My inspiration for this film were the many memories of myself and my childhood friends as we were hitting puberty and discovering our womanhood. The story was born by putting all those experiences into one character. In terms of visual style, a big inspiration for this was Eliza Hittman’s work.
What is the theme of this film?
It’s a coming-of-age story revolving around self-discovery, curiosity, and newfound responsibility.
How do you decide on possible ways to promote your film when you are on a tight budget?
There are many ways to promote a film and I think I’ve taken different paths for all of my films. Depends what the film is about and the creative purpose behind it. A key aspect is having a producer that really gets your concept and will be on your side throughout, including distribution.
How important do you think distribution is in today's marketplace?
For those considering self-distribution, what is your advice?
If your budget can afford it, it’s definitely something you shouldn’t do alone – perhaps find help in an executive producer or a distributor. If you must proceed with self-distribution, then do your research.
How significant do you think short films are for someone venturing into directing films?
I can only speak from experience and, to me, short films is where you can experiment and truly find your visual style and language.
What was the worst challenge of your career so far? How did you take it over?
The artist career is one made of many challenges, hard to pick a specific one. What I always fall back on whenever I feel lost is Being self-aware of my work and accepting that if you feel like you’re working too hard, then you’re not working hard enough.
What are the factors to making a good film?
A good story, good dialogue, good casting, and good quality sound.
Is there anything you would change if you could go back to the beginning?
The only time I look back to my life is when looking for story inspiration. I don’t tend to look back and self-reflect on what I could have done differently, I find it’s a bit of a waste of time since you can’t physically go back in time. My advice and what I try to do is to keep moving forward.
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