Samanta Gandolfi Branca
Notable For:
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Mysteries of the Faith (2023)
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Augusto Guidini - Il castello della memoria (2022)
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Fellini and the Shadow (2021)
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Pope Francis: A Man of His Word (2018)
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Evviva Giuseppe (2017)
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L'esercito più piccolo del mondo (2015)
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Elena un giorno d'estate (2012)
Born in Cochabamba (Bolivia) , Swiss citizenship.
Samanta Gandolfi Branca studied art and cinema at the University of Fine Arts Brera in Milan. She started as Art Consultant and Art Filmmaker, in 2000, in collaboration with Nino Mustica, for a serie of multimedia works exhibited in several international Museums. Since 2002 She gained the position of Art Director for the Galleria Spazio Montenero in Milan, Italy where she presented different solo exhibitions (Marco Lodola – Mimmo Paladino – “Combines Art”of Marco Nereo Rotelli – The group shows: “Doping” – “Sixteen Artists from South America” in collaboration with theMaimeri Foundation. In 2005, she worked as Art Director at the Galleria Stendhal 36 in Milan, and organized a series of art and design exhibitions; including “Volume I”, edited by Gianluca Marziani and “The Launch” first collection of Established & Sons firm.
Her first experience in film dates back to 1998-99 while in London. She had the chance to collaborate with Hollywood’s David Winters and take the path in the complex world of film and production. During 2007-2010 she worked on different projects in Switzerland: as a Producer Coordinator on developing a project for Riforma Films; as Head of Marketing for Archangel SA.
In December 2011 she founded the independent film production company Célestes Images based in Lugano Switzerland and started her collaboration with Fondazione Solares delle Arti based in Parma, Italy.
In 2012 she produced and presented the video installation “Burqa Boxers” directed by the independent film maker Alka Raghuram at the Locarno film festival. Burqa Boxers is a project for a documentary about three young Indian women of Muslim upbringing, who learn the “noble art” of boxing in a Calcutta gym, training for the amateur championship under the guidance of Razia Shabnam, one of the first Indian women to act as trainer and official International umpire. 2011-2012 – She produced in collaboration with Fondazione Solares delle arti, a short film “ Elena un giorno d’estate” directed by Mateo Zoni. It is focused on a summer day of a young student living in Parma, telling her emotions, her thoughts and relationships in a extremely delicate and deep way.
2014-2016- She started her collaboration with Vatican Television Center and coproduced the first documentary that Vatican has made with outside filmmakers “The world’s smallest army” directed by Gianfranco Pannone, Swiss Guards at the time of Pope Francis. Leo and René are a forester and a student of theology of Aargau. They have decided to enter the Pontifical Swiss Guard. The documentary was presented in 2015 at the 72nd Venice Film Festival and at the Bellinzona Film Festival in Switzerland. In March 3rd 2016 at the United Nations in Geneva and October 18th 2016 at the United Nations in New York.
2015-2018- In collaboration with Vatican Television Center, she coproduced the second documentary that Vatican has made with outside filmmakers “Pope Francis – A Man of His Word” directed by Wim Wenders distributed by Focus Features. In this documentary the Holy Father ,responds to questions submitted from around the globe, will comprise exclusive footage from the Vatican TV archive, showing the Pope on his world travels, sharing his ideas and ideals in different parts of the world.
2016-2017- She coproduced with Verdiana and Cineteca di Bologna the documentary ”Evviva Giuseppe” directed by Stefano Consiglio, presented at the 74th edition of Venice Film Festival and selected for Donatello Italian’s academy award.
June 2018- She Organized the screening of the film “Pope Francis – A Man of His Word” with the intervention of Wim Wenders at the United Nations in Geneva CH. She collaborates with the Permanent Mission of Honduras and the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See at the United Nations.
September 2018-2021 – She coproduced the documentary ” Architetto Augusto Guidini-Il castello della memoria” in collaboration with RSI , directed by Olmo Cerri.
2019-2020– She coproduced the short documentary “La partita perfetta” with CISA and RSI , directed by Matteo Verda.
2021- She coproduced with Verdiana -Istituto luce and RSI the documentary “Fellini e l’ombra”
directed by Catherine McGilvray, presented at the 78th edition of
Venice Film Festival for “Le giornate
degli autori” and awarded to
Mercurius Prize Zurich 2024.