Marcello Paolillo

Film Executive with extensive experience in production, distribution, acquisitions, international sales, and film festival organization and programming.

He has worked for companies such as Mikado Film (Head of Acquisitions, Co-productions, and Sales), Kimmel International (Vice President of Sales and Acquisitions), Nexo Digital (International Sales and Production), Eagle Pictures (Director of Acquisitions and Production), and Dude Originals (Head of Creative Development and Production). He has also served on the official selection committee for the Rome Film Festival and as Senior English Writer at the Doha Film Institute. He is also a member of the European Film Academy.

Currently, he is the co-founder of the production company Art of Panic and Director of Projects at the Locarno Film Festival, where he manages StepIn, an invitation-only international think tank where renowned film executives discuss the state of the industry to apply new behaviors, practices, and business models. He also oversees U30, an international training program aimed at the new generation of film professionals.

His credits as a producer include Nel Mio Nome, a documentary directed by Nicolò Bassetti and produced by Elliot Page, which premiered at the Berlinale in the Panorama section; the feature film Tigers, written and directed by Ronnie Sandahl, which won several awards, including Best Film and Best Performance at the Gothenburg Film Festival, and was Sweden’s official entry for the 2022 Oscars; the short films Shark by Nash Edgerton and Baradar by Beppe Tufarulo; and The Man Who Stole Banksy, a documentary by Marco Proserpio about the famous street artist, narrated by Iggy Pop, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Producer and director of StepIn and U30 & Project Manager Locarno Pro of the Locarno Film Festival

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