By Luca Ciuti CCS, Vice President of Collettivo Chiaroscuro
When the president of one of the most important historical associations of international cinematographers greeted me during the symposium on the essential issue of gender equality at the 32nd Energa Camerimage Festival by saying, “How wonderful, Chiaroscuro, I know you’re doing great!” I realized for the first time that we had truly achieved something significant. This creation, born out of the need to find a home for all of us, had finally taken flight and, in a way, had already slipped out of our hands.
At the symposium, we stood alongside all the major sister associations worldwide, as the sole representatives of the category from Italy. It was, in my opinion, a necessary moment, organized by the Women in Cinematography collective together with the Polish Society of Cinematographers (PSC), following the controversy that preceded the start of the festival. The dialogue with the Camerimage organization was honest—at times intense but always civil—and the resolution, a decision to establish an inter-associative group dedicated to dialogue with the festival to improve selection processes and make categories as equitable as possible, was, in my view, an undeniable step forward.
At the meeting, alongside me were Valentina Caniglia CCS and Emilio Maria Costa CCS. Emilio, I must say with no small amount of satisfaction, also represented us artistically by competing at the festival in the new talents category with Il mio posto è qui by Cristiano Bortone and Daniela Porto.
Overall, our presence did not go unnoticed. Italian and international colleagues, who have always warmly welcomed us at any international event so far, were no different at Camerimage. Every person I spoke with showed great interest and genuine affection for our small reality, a desire to learn more, and to connect with us. This energy, I assure you, is contagious but also a great responsibility for the future—it will be our task to make the most of it. We have now become an integral part of the national and international cinematography association landscape, a remarkable achievement in such a short time.
It’s incredible that 2024 was only the first year of Chiaroscuro—technically just six months, since the official launch took place on June 29, even though work had been ongoing behind the scenes for over a year. To the 27 founding members, many more have since joined, and others have applied for membership either through sponsorship by current members or on their own initiative. We are now 85 members strong, and who knows how many we’ll be in the future. What is most rewarding for all of us, however, is having taken an important first step toward achieving our programmatic goals, clearly expressed in the words of our manifesto, drafted by the founders and guiding the decisions made so far by the Board of Directors and the President.
2024 also saw many of our members nominated for prestigious awards. Our President, Paolo Carnera, was awarded the David di Donatello for Io Capitano by Matteo Garrone, the Nastro d’Argento for Io Capitano and Adagio by Stefano Sollima, and the Globo d’Oro for Adagio. The Commission Supérieure Technique at the 77th Cannes Film Festival awarded the “CST Award for Best Artist-Technician” to Daria D’Antonio CCS AFC for the cinematography of Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope. At the 29th edition of the Gianni Di Venanzo International Cinematography Award, Francesco Di Giacomo CCS received the “Esposimetro d’Oro” for Rapito by Marco Bellocchio, and Giuseppe Maio CCS received the Jury Plaque “Marco Onorato”. All these awards are well-deserved and a true point of pride for the collective. Finally, the most-watched Italian film of 2024 was Il ragazzo dai pantaloni rosa by Margherita Ferri, shot by Martina Cocco CCS.
Thanks to the commitment of Federico Angelucci CCS and Stefano Paradiso CCS, the Collettivo participated, alongside other professional associations, the group Siamo Ai Titoli Di Coda, and trade unions, in discussions and negotiations with the government in an effort to make a substantial contribution toward resolving the issue of halted productions awaiting corrective decrees for the Cinema Law. Unfortunately, the sector has not yet fully resumed, with the percentage of active productions still too low. However, Collettivo Chiaroscuro remains present and actively engaged in efforts to unblock the situation.
I’m happy to say that the website, which we all strongly wanted and to which I contributed substantially during the planning phase with the help of Mirco Sgarzi CCS, along with all its content (interviews, podcasts, videos, news, opinions, etc.), created with the contributions of many of our members under the tireless guidance of Silvia Tarquini, founder and director of Artdigiland Editions and our editorial director, and the social media managed by Alessandro Chiodo CCS and Antonio Mascoli, our social media manager, has brought renewed interest in our work and encouraged many colleagues to come forward, open up, and engage in dialogue. We also initiated a collaboration with Tutto Digitale magazine, directed by Stefano Belli, reviving the Italian Cinematographer supplement entirely dedicated to the Collettivo, which is now an integral part of the bimonthly publication.
This visibility has attracted the interest and sponsorship of major brands in the film industry, which see Chiaroscuro as the new reference point for cinematography in Italy. During 2024, we gained the trust of (in alphabetical order): AdCom, Angenieux, ARRI, Artdigiland, Canon, Cartoni, Daylight, DVision-Movie People, Fillex, Flat Parioli, Fowa-Nital, Frame By Frame, Kiwii Digital, Leitz, M74, Panalight, REC, Reel One, Sony, and TAV. After our visit to Torun, we are now in contact with Astera, Blackmagic Design, Cooke, Creamsource, Kodak, Nanlite, RED, Second Reef, Vantage, Zeiss, and others such as Godox, InLusion, etc.
Thanks to our partners, we were able to:
- – Create the website;
- – Organize our launch party, a miracle achieved thanks to Timoty Aliprandi CCS with the help of Image Hunters (Leonardo Signoretti and Brando Bartoleschi);
- – Send a delegation and secure a dedicated space at the 81st Venice International Film Festival with the initiative Casa Chiaroscuro, coordinated by the social media and website managers as well as Claudia Sicuranza CCS, Camilla Cattabriga CCS, and Eleonora Contessi CCS;
- – Obtain the necessary equipment to record our podcasts, brilliantly managed by Martina Cocco CCS, Corrado Serri CCS, and Stefano De Pieri CCS;
- – Create more content for the website and social media and, finally, ease the administrative burden through the establishment of a secretariat, supporting those like Carlo Rinaldi CCS, Stefano Paradiso CCS, and Alessandro Chiodo CCS, who have always stepped up for the Collettivo’s management.
- – Host an in-person year-end aperitif gathering—held in two locations, Rome and Bologna—organized by Daria D’Antonio CCS and Sara Purgatorio CCS.
2024 closed on a positive note—not bad for a first year!
I thank you personally and on behalf of everyone.
2025 has just begun, bringing many opportunities and the desire from colleagues and all our partners to collaborate with us. In the coming weeks and months, we already have initiatives planned that I hope will interest all members and beyond, providing further opportunities for connection, exchange, and inspiration. Together, we can create new projects to improve, grow, and actively contribute to the development of the tools we use daily to train and educate ourselves, bringing to life indelible images, unforgettable stories, and who knows what else.
The sky is the limit. Happy 2025 to everyone!
L.C.
