Mariska

Director’s bio:

Luca Caserta is an Italian filmmaker, graduated in film direction and screenwriting at the Movie Academy of Cinecittà (Rome), where he studied under renowned masters such as Carlo Lizzani, Giacomo Scarpelli, Mario Brenta, and Giuseppe Pinori. At Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome he deepened the study of direction of photography with Giuseppe Lanci.

After writing and directing several plays, achieving important recognitions (including the “Premio Calcante” by SIAD – Italian Society of Dramatic Authors), he has dedicated himself exclusively to cinema and audiovisuals for several years now. He’s author of medium-length films, short films, documentaries, and art videos. His work has been presented at many Festivals including Cannes Film Festival, David di Donatello Awards, Burbank International Film Festival, Sedona International Film Festival, Flickers’ Rhode Island Film Festival (Oscar-qualifying), Carmarthen Bay Film Festival (BAFTA-qualifying), and San Diego International Film Festival (Canadian Screen Award Qualifying).

He wrote, directed and co-produced the short film “Inside the Mirror”. The editing supervision is by Ugo De Rossi, editor, among others, of Fellini, Pasolini, Bertolucci, Petri and Rosi. The film, along with the following “Out of the Depths” and “The Other Side of the Moon”, is part of a trilogy exploring the double and the hidden depths of the human soul. His experimental documentary “The Canvas Forge” focuses on the birth of a painting and the crafts behind it.

His acclaimed short film “Tell Me Who I Am” won 181 awards globally, including the Award of Excellence for Direction at the Best Shorts Competition (USA). The film explores with deep intensity important and contemporary themes such as memory, violence against women, and the search for one’s lost identity and dignity. The soundtrack includes the song “Piccola stella senza cielo” by the Italian rockstar Luciano Ligabue.

In 2024, he wrote and directed “The Reach,” which is officially based on the eponymous short story by Stephen King. The soundtrack features the song “Moonlight Motel” by Bruce Springsteen, courtesy of the artist and Sony Music. The film is currently touring the festival circuit and gaining important awards, including the Best Foreign Short Film Award at 17th Burbank International Film Festival (USA), the Best International Short at 32nd Sedona International Film Festival (USA), and the Best Live Action Award at 59th Balticon Film Festival (USA).

Luca Caserta’s works are characterized by touching different genres, styles and themes, from comedy, to social/civil commitment and human rights, to the investigation of the most obscure aspects of the human psyche, to the supernatural, highlighting a certain artistic versatility. Most of his short films are available on YouTube, Vimeo and Prime Video.

He’s a member of ANAC (National Association of Film Authors), of SIAD (Italian Society of Dramatic Authors) and SIAE (Italian Society of Authors and Editors) and he’s a juror for the Sunset Film Festival (Los Angeles) and served as curator for the Short Film Section at Schermi d’Amore Film Festival (Italy). He is also an Honorary Full Board Member of the Independent Film Festival Association (IFFA), an international organization that brings together the leading figures of global independent cinema.