BPS 309: How I Sold My Project to Netflix with Ferdinando Cito Filomarino

How do you sell a movie to Netflix, this episode will give you a
bit of insight. We're getting deep into the weeds on Italian
director and screenwriter, Ferdinando Cito Filomarino American
cinema debut film, Beckett, which I absolutely enjoyed! Beckett
stars the incomparable John David Washington and Swedish actress,
Alicia Vikander. This action thriller follows an American tourist
(Beckett) who had been in a tragic car accident in Greece and
suddenly finds himself at the center of a dangerous political
conspiracy and on the run for his life. He sets to reach the USA
embassy to clear his name. Elements of romance and questions of
political power are rolled up into a 90-minute manhunt.

Beckett's world premiere was at the Aug 2021 74th Locarno Film
Festival and is now distributed exclusively on Netflix.Filomarino
talks about the cultural diversity on set - having seven languages
spoken. I assume that would include, English, Italian, Greek,
Swedish, etc. I was fascinated by the film’s meticulously crafted
visual elements and screenplay. Filomarino’s work may be new to
American screens, but he’s gained notoriety in European cinema
directing or writing on films like The Other Man, Academy
award-winning 2017, coming-of-age romantic drama, Call Me by Your
Name (Second Unit Director).

The story sets in a 1980s rural Northern Italy --- romance blossoms
between a seventeen-year-old Jewish Italian, Elio, and a
24-year-old research assistant, Oliver, who’s living with the
family over the summer to help Elio’s father, archaeology professor
with his academic paperwork. Call Me By Your Name.

Filomarino shadowed Call Me By Your Name's director, Luca
Guadagnino while working the second unit on the film and forge a
good professional relationship which led to a collaboration in
2010. He was fortunate to have Luca produce his directorial debut,
Diarchy in 2010. Diarchy is a Locarno and Sundance Film Festival
award-winning short film. Giano and Luc are traveling through the
woods when a storm breaks, forcing them to take shelter in Luc's
villa. Gradually and insidiously, a competition emerges between
them, with terrible consequences.We also chatted about Richard
Eyre's, The Other Man, fresh out of university, and how that
experience prepared him for his own films. We know that experience
is the best teacher, so I am always down for hearing knowledge
bombs filmmakers learn from other filmmakers in this line of
business. Sort of like an unofficial masterclass.

Go watch Beckett! But first, enjoy my conversation with Ferdinando
Cito Filomarino.

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