About Me
I am a film critic and journalist based in Rome, 🇮🇹 Italy, with extensive experience across festivals, markets, and international film journalism.
Background
I was born in Bari, 🇮🇹 Italy, in 1991. After spending eight years between 🇪🇪 Estonia and 🇮🇪 Ireland, I returned to Italy in 2022.
I hold:
- MA in Documentary Directing – Tallinn Baltic Film and Media School, 🇪🇪 Estonia
- Professional Diploma in Stage Directing – International Theatre Academy of the Adriatic, 🇮🇹 Italy
- BA in Communication Studies – University of Bari Aldo Moro, 🇮🇹 Italy
I was previously a PhD Excellence Scholar in Film and Screen Media at University College Cork, 🇮🇪 but left the program to fully dedicate myself to journalism and criticism.
Journalism & Criticism
I began working as Ireland Correspondent for 🇧🇪 Cineuropa in September 2017 and was promoted to International Reporter in January 2021. For the Brussels-based portal, I cover the business of European film, producing daily news, interviews, reports, and reviews of new releases.
My bylines have also appeared in international outlets, including:
- 🇺🇸 Variety, Documentary Magazine, Celluloid Junkie, Cinema Femme
- 🇳🇴 Nordisk Film & TV Fond
- 🇬🇧 Business Doc Europe, The Calvert Journal, New Scientist, Al Jazeera English, The New Arab, Reader’s Digest, The Location Guide, Independent Cinema Office blog
- 🇨🇦 POV Magazine
- 🇩🇪 Projektor
- 🇨🇭 Filmexplorer
- 🇫🇷 Le Film Français’ Cannes Market News
- 🇮🇹 8½, Cinecittà News
- 🇧🇪 Europa Distribution blog
- 🇮🇪 Film Ireland
Festivals & Markets Covered
I regularly report from 30–40 festivals and markets each year, including:
- 🇩🇪 Berlinale/European Film Market, European Work in Progress
- 🇫🇷 Cannes/Marché du Film, Cartoon Movie, Cartoon Forum, Cartoon Next, Lux Film Prize
- 🇮🇹 Venice Film Festival, Turin Film Festival, Giffoni Film Festival, Rome’s MIA Market
- 🇨🇭 Locarno Film Festival, Nyon’s Visions du Réel
- 🇳🇱 International Film Festival Rotterdam, IDFA
- 🇨🇦 Toronto International Film Festival, Festival Regard
- 🇪🇪 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival
- 🇱🇹 Vilnius International Film Festival
- 🇱🇻 Riga International Film Festival, Baltic Sea Docs
- 🇪🇸 San Sebastian Film Festival
- 🇬🇷 Thessaloniki Docfest, Evia Film Project
- 🇨🇾 Cyprus Film Days
- 🇧🇦 Sarajevo Film Festival
- 🇮🇪 Galway Film Fleadh, Cork Film Festival, Dublin Film Festival
- 🇨🇿 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Jihlava Docfest, Serial Killer
- 🇨🇭 Visions du Réel, Locarno Film Festival
- 🇸🇪 Nordisk Panorama
- 🇫🇮 Finnish Film Affair
- 🇮🇸 IceDocs, Stockfish, Skjaldborg, Reykjavík International Film Festival
- 🇦🇲 Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival
- 🇺🇸 Sundance, Tribeca
- 🇲🇹 Malta Film Week, Mediterrane Film Festival
- 🇳🇴 Haugesund
- 🇩🇰 CPH:DOX
- …and many other international markets and festivals
davideabbatescianni.com 