36 - Mark Pontarelli - Will he set a new Vertical standard in Italy?

Christmas is just around the corner!

I sat down with Mark Pontarelli @markjpont for a cozy little
pre-holiday chat, where we talk about when and how he celebrates
Christmas , his acting goals for the new year , and we look back
on everything the past few months had to offer.

Since — aside from one shoot in the UK — Mark hasn’t had any
other shoots in Europe yet, we start brainstorming together: what
kind of shooting project would actually make sense, which
Vertical title would be the perfect fit, and why Nick Ritacco
@nick.ritacco and Michael Vaccaro @michaelvaccaro might want to
start packing their suitcases for a trip to Italy ️.
And yes… the
Pope may or may not play a role in this entire spectacle — you’ll
have to listen to find out.

We also talk about which Verticals he especially enjoyed in 2025,
which ones carried a deeper meaning for him, what he loves about
this form of creativity and art , and what he’s hoping for when
it comes to Verticals in 2026.

A wonderful, funny, and slightly chaotic conversation about God
(the Pope ) and the world — one you definitely don’t want to
miss.
Happy listening & Merry Christmas vibes!