Maurizio Forestieri is an internationally renowned Italian director, animator, and producer, considered one of the most influential figures in Italy’s animation landscape.
His career has unfolded with steady quality for over thirty years, alternating original projects with prestigious collaborations.
In 1988 he founded the production company Graphilm Entertainment, based in Rome, which has made its mark with animated TV series, feature films, and short films. During the 1990s he worked as a storyboard artist and animator on some of the sector’s most iconic titles. In 1996 he contributed to La freccia azzurra, adapted from a story by Gianni Rodari and directed by Enzo D’Alò, followed in 1998 by La gabbianella e il gatto, again directed by D’Alò and based on the novel by Luis Sepúlveda. In 2001 he collaborated on Aida degli alberi, a musical animated film directed by Guido Manuli.
In 2003 he directed his first feature film, Totò Sapore e la magica storia della pizza, a lively fairy tale set in eighteenth-century Naples. Further notable projects include Cenerentola – Una favola in diretta (2012), which blends animation and live action, and the animated series Bu Buum (2015) aimed at younger viewers.
Forestieri has continued with works of strong cultural and social relevance: Hanukkah – La festa delle luci (2020), an educational short focused on Jewish tradition, and La custodia (2021), created with Rai Ragazzi, UNICEF, and UNAR to address the plight of refugee children.
In 2025 he presents his new film To Be, produced by Graphilm in collaboration with Rai Kids: an adventure that speaks directly to young audiences, sensitively exploring identity in the age of social media and the pressure to appear perfect.
Throughout his career Maurizio Forestieri has earned major honors, including two nominations at the Cannes Film Festival and one for the Golden Bear at the Berlinale. His works have been exhibited at New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), attesting to their artistic and cultural significance.
From 2015 to 2019 he served as president of ASIFA Italia, the Italian association of animation authors and professionals. He is also a teacher and trainer at institutions such as the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, the Istituto Europeo di Design, and the Scuola Romana dei Fumetti.
