Alessandra Riccardi Infascelli took her first steps into the world of cinema in the 1960s.
Her artistic and professional journey was deeply intertwined with that of director and producer Roberto Infascelli, who later became her husband.
Her debut in the industry came in 1965 when she participated in the adventurous filming of Le soldatesse by Valerio Zurlini in former Yugoslavia.
At the time, Roberto Infascelli was the production manager for Zurlini’s film and convinced Alessandra, his newlywed wife, to join him on this long “honeymoon” in Eastern Europe.
Following a fateful meeting in the mid-1960s with Allen Klein, the famous manager of the Rolling Stones, Alessandra and Roberto traveled to America, where they rode the wave of the spaghetti westerns popularized by Sergio Leone.
These films adopted a distinctively American style, thanks in part to the presence of actor Roger Petitto, known as Tony Anthony, the star of films such as Un dollaro tra i denti and Un uomo, un cavallo, una pistola, both directed by Luigi Vanzi (alias Vance Lewis) in 1967. Another notable work was Blindman (1971) by Ferdinando Baldi, which featured former Beatles member Ringo Starr.
At the beginning of the 1970s, Alessandra and Roberto had a brilliant intuition and were among the pioneers of the Italian crime thriller genre, also known as poliziottesco. They collaborated in producing La polizia ringrazia (1972), directed by Steno (the pseudonym of Stefano Vanzina), who on this occasion signed the film using his real name.
These films emerged during a period of great social and political turmoil in Italy. They reflected the fears and anxieties of a nation marked by organized crime, terrorism, and distrust in institutions. They were characterized by raw and realistic narratives, often inspired by true crime stories of the time.
The Infascellis continued to contribute to the evolution of the genre with films such as La polizia sta a guardare (1973), starring Enrico Maria Salerno and directed by Roberto Infascelli, and La polizia chiede aiuto by Massimo Dallamano. This latter work is considered one of the most successful blends of poliziottesco and giallo (Italian mystery-thriller) genres, with the renowned Roman actress Giovanna Ralli in the unprecedented role of a magistrate.
In 1975, Alessandra and Roberto produced La donna della domenica, a classic thriller directed by Luigi Comencini and starring Marcello Mastroianni, alongside an outstanding cast. The film, based on the bestselling novel by Carlo Fruttero and Franco Lucentini, was both a critical and commercial success.
The same was true for Febbre da cavallo (1976), a cult comedy starring Gigi Proietti and Enrico Montesano. This film became a cornerstone of Italian cinema, though it was not Alessandra’s only foray into comedy. In 1977, she was involved in Tre tigri contro tre tigri, a comedy film directed by Steno and Sergio Corbucci, featuring a stellar comedic cast, including Paolo Villaggio and Renato Pozzetto.
After the untimely passing of Roberto Infascelli, Alessandra took over the management of the production company. Following her earlier production of Gran Bollito by Mauro Bolognini (1977), she personally ventured into crime films, producing Da Corleone a Brooklyn by Umberto Lenzi (starring Maurizio Merli and Mario Merola) and Luca il contrabbandiere by Lucio Fulci (starring Fabio Testi).
Despite her enduring love for fictional cinema, from the mid-1980s onward, Alessandra developed a deep passion for documentary filmmaking.
Alongside intellectual Alessandro Giupponi, Infascelli produced high-profile cultural works, including Alexander Dubček: Le radici del futuro, which was presented at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. This documentary holds great historical significance, as it narrates the history of Czechoslovakia through the figure of Dubček, a key figure of the 1968 Prague Spring.
Infascelli and Giupponi also created another work centered on a historical figure of great importance: Marconi - Il mago delle onde (2007). This documentary explores the youth of the famous Italian inventor and serves as an in-depth look at the world of communication.
In 2018, Alessandra Infascelli, as director and producer, created the special Lo splendore della verità: Paolo VI, which aired on Rai1 in conjunction with the canonization of Pope Montini. This work uniquely portrays the deep connection between art and religion that characterized Pope Paul VI’s papacy.
1967 Un dollaro tra i denti directed by Vance Lewis; Un uomo, un cavallo, una pistola directed by Vance Lewis
1968 Luna, la figlia della foresta vergine directed by Bob Raymond
1969 - 1970 I diavoli della guerra directed by Al Albert
1970 Pilgrimage directed by Beni Montresor
1971 Blindman directed by Ferdinando Baldi
1972 La polizia ringrazia directed by Stefano Vanzina (Steno)
1973 La polizia sta a guardare directed by Roberto Infascelli; Piazza pulita by Vance Lewis
1974 Il clan del Quartiere Latino directed by Bruno Gantillon
1975 La polizia chiede aiuto directed by Massimo Dallamano; Appuntamento con l’assassino directed by Gérard Pirès
1976 La donna della domenica directed by Luigi Comencini; Febbre da Cavallo directed by Steno
1977 La bella andalusa directed by Vincente Escriva; Doppio delitto directed by Steno; Gran bollito directed by Mauro Bolognini
1978 Tre tigri contro tre tigri directed by Stefano and Sergio Corbucci
1979 Da Corleone a Brooklyn directed by Umberto Lenzi
1980 Supermarket directed by José Sanchez
1981 Luca il contrabbandiere directed by Lucio Fulci
1981-1982 Una vita a tracolla directed by Stefano Rolla
1982 Carlotta directed by Stefano Rolla
1985 La cantata del caffè directed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Documentaries directed by Alessandro Giupponi: 1987 Il museo Paolo Orsi di Siracusa, 1988 Le quattro Sibari, 1992 Arcipelago Emilia Romagna, 1993 - 1194 Alexander Dubček: Le radici del futuro, 1995 Gallipoli: Dall’esistente a città futura, 1996 Antonio Filigrana, un cittadino dell’Europa del sud, 1996 - 1997 L’altra Italia, 1997 La provincia di Reggio Calabria: Storia e prospettive del suo territorio, 2007 Marconi: Il mago delle onde
2018 - 2019 Special program Rai1: Lo splendore della verità: Paolo VI directed by Alessandra Infascelli
Malou Lévêque is a French director and screenwriter.
Her academic journey began with a film course at the University of Montpellier, followed by a degree from the ESAV – École Supérieure d'Audiovisuel in Toulouse. She quickly became an assistant director while simultaneously working on self-produced films with her team. In 2015, she served as assistant director on Corniche Kennedy, directed by Dominique Cabrera—an experience that greatly inspired Lévêque in developing some of the dynamics she later revisited in her film La vérité, presented at this year’s Ca’ Foscari Short Film Festival. One of her early short films, Dynamique et motivé (2017), was screened at the Lille, Toulouse, Nice Festivals, the Women’s Film Festival in Lisbon, and the European Short Film Festival in Brest. The film tells the story of two young men dreaming of escaping the daily work routine and leaving behind their family troubles. Lévêque chose to depict this kind of “social depression” in an unusual way, using the comedy genre to reflect the disillusionment the protagonists experience due to their socio-economic environment.
Alongside her work in cinema, she has also pursued theatre right from the outset. In 2014, she made her debut as an actress with the Jubilo Label Bleu company. She quickly moved on to become an assistant and then director of the play OGM – Œuvre Génétiquement Merveilleuse: la vie, a staged conference blending botany and literature (2017 and 2022). Her multidisciplinary approach led her to co-found, together with Jules Poulain Plissonneau, the Quasar/Quasar street theater company. Their goal is to break down the barriers between artistic disciplines and reimagine the city as a boundless source of creativity. This project resulted in the live performance Je suis invisible (2022), for which Lévêque directed and wrote the script, as well as the ongoing work Marcel. With her first films, she realized her desire to explore characters who feel out of place in society, often weaving in elements of social critique. These themes are precisely what shaped her latest work, La vérité (2023).
France, 2023, 22’
The short film La vérité, written and directed by Malou Lévêque, tells the story of two young people, Dounia and Keny, who have known each other for a long time but have never had the courage to openly express their feelings. Beyond the fundamental role of bodies in shaping the dynamic between the two protagonists—whose physical presence works in constant relation to one another—the setting is also crucial. The story unfolds over an afternoon in Marseille, and the very layout of the city—with its architecture and its sea, symbolizing their desire for honesty and freedom—visibly influences how the characters interact with both their surroundings and with each other. With this film, the director seeks to explore the transitional period at the end of adolescence, while also challenging stereotypes about young people from the outskirts. Social context becomes a central theme here, as it was in her previous works. Moreover, questions of gender clearly emerge in the film’s portrayal of a social fabric that has forced the two teenagers into predefined roles, leading them to mask their true feelings behind a shield of pride they both carry. Lévêque describes the film as if she were depicting an intermediate, hybrid space with powerful creative potential. She states that its essence is: “Aggression clashing with tenderness, what we hide and what we reveal; it is the dream placed alongside reality. And little by little, the line between vulgarity and poetry fades away.”
The film has been showcased at numerous film festivals, including Festival Côté Court in Pantin, where it was nominated for the Grand Prix and won both the Coup de Cœur des Lycéens Award and the Prix Bande à Part (2024). Most recently, it achieved further recognition at the Angers Festival (2025), winning the Librarians' Award, the International Youth Award, the Audience Award, and the Female Actor Award for Oumnia Hanader.
Who, as a child, has never imagined bringing dolls and puppets to life, making them the protagonists of extraordinary adventures and imaginary worlds? Barbara Biddulph, originally from Manchester, has turned play into a career, working in animation and stop-motion since the 1980s. After starting in the Paint and Trace Department at Cosgrove Hall Productions, she entered the world of stop frame production in Manchester.
An expert in animation design and special effects, Barbara Biddulph carries out meticulous behind-the-scenes work, designing and creating miniature sets and props. Every detail demands artisanal precision and dedication, which she never fails to provide. From designing objects and characters to constructing entire sets, everything is prepared with accuracy. When filming begins, her role transforms: as an Art Director, she works alongside the director to coordinate cinematography, set design, and every visual aspect of the project, ensuring that each element comes to life on screen exactly as envisioned.
Barbara Biddulph's journey as an art director began with the British animated series The Enchanted World of Brambly Hedge. Inspired by the children’s book series of the same name by Jill Barklem, the show aired from 1996 to 2000 and depicted the adventures of a world of mice set in the English countryside.
In 1997, one of the episodes, A Winter Story, for which Barbara served as a supporting illustrator in production, was nominated for a BAFTA award in the Children's Animation category. Working on the set of Brambly Hedge was undoubtedly a creative training ground for Barbara; it was here that she developed and refined her design skills, which she then solidified during the making of the stop-motion animated series Bob the Builder. The main character, a cheerful handyman, became a central part of Barbara's career as she oversaw the art direction for no less than 120 episodes of the series.
In 2003, Bob the Builder won the BAFTA award in the Children's Animation category with the episode A Christmas to Remember.
Later, in 2004 and 2008, Barbara Biddulph took on the role of creative supervisor for two feature films expanding the universe of the beloved children's series: When Bob Became a Builder and Bob the Builder on Site: Roads and Bridges, the latter also featuring live-action child actors. Faithful to the style of the original production, the films were praised for their animation quality and the warmth of their characters, contributing to the franchise's global success.
Just like Bob, Barbara also made the most of these experiences, building her own personal toolbox and acquiring the skills that made her a respected professional in the industry, defining her role as an art director.
In the following years, after establishing a long-standing collaboration with the British animation studio Mackinnon and Saunders, Barbara Biddulph worked on puppet building in Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) and in Frankenweenie (2012), a dark-styled feature film by Tim Burton that was widely praised by critics for its animation quality and meticulous attention to detail.
Created with stop-motion animation that highlights the characters and their actions, the film features compositions that resemble watercolor paintings, much like the original illustrations in Dahl’s book. Colors and cinematography blend into a stunning result: A true gem of irony, offering multiple interpretations and layers of meaning. (Erbamagazine on Fantastic Mr. Fox).
In an interview about her contribution to the British live action puppet series Strange Hill High (2013), produced by Factory™, Barbara Biddulph describes the technical challenges she faces daily in her work, where creativity is the key to problem-solving. The production of Strange Hill High also uses rod puppets, giving Barbara's team the opportunity to experiment with live-action effects that turn the set into a dynamic and inspiring place to work.
In 2015, she worked as a Concept designer on the first season of the British animated series Scream Street, which was nominated for Best Children's Series at the 2016 British Animation Awards.
Thanks to her refined attention to detail and passion for her craft, Barbara Biddulph continues to stand out in the world of stop-motion animation, collaborating with prestigious international studios and leaving an indelible mark on every project she takes part in.
