BrUnO BoZzEttO - Biography

BIOGRAPHY Bruno Bozzetto

(Born in 1938, Milan, Italy) Bruno Bozzetto created his first animated short "Tapum, the weapons' story" back in 1958 at the age of 20. This animated short sparked interest amongst the audience as well as the critics who brought recognition to the talented young emerging Bozzetto. One of Bozzetto's most famous creations was a character known as "Mr Rossi", a middle-aged man who appeals to most viewers and audiences, able to associate with Mr. Rossi's qualities.
Mr Rossi has starred in many animated short films and three feature films destined to both TV and cinema : Mr. Rossi Looks for Happiness (1976), Mr. Rossi's Dreams (1977), and Mr. Rossi's Vacation (1977).
In 1965 , Bruno Bozzetto was the only Italian to create and produce an animated feature film in over 20 years of stillness. "West and Soda", based on the Great American Western genre. In 1968 he produced a super-hero spin off titled "Vip my brother superman" and in 1976, "Allegro non Troppo" the italian answer to the famous "Fantasia" by Walt Disney.
In 1987 Bozzetto also produces one live action feature film, "Under the chinese Restaurant", featuring Nancy Brilly, Amanda Sandrelli and Bernard Blier.
Bozzetto has used animation as a visual communication tool to make hard scientific concepts more understandable to the common audience. In conjunction with Piero Angela he delivered about 100 shorts belonging to the scientific TV column "QUARK".
Throughout his career, Bruno Bozzetto produced many animated shorts which were sold and screened all over the world and for which he received many awards including The Golden Bear Award for "Mr Tao" at the Berlin Film Festival and an Oscar Nomination for "Grasshoppers" in 1991.
Among his collaborators, Maurizio Nichetti, Guido Manuli, Giuseppe Laganà and many others are now successful professionals of this field.
Bruno Bozzetto took part to many international juries all around the world and his works have been the core focus for the thesis for animation studies in more than 10 universities.

Since 2000 onward a few exhibitions dedicated to his works are being set up. Thanks to his keen interest in 2D animation technique he creates “Europe&Italy”, the very first of the many animated shorts created with macromedia flash. The short “to bit or not to bit” is immediately followed by Tony&Maria that advances the announces the series of 4 Web animation films “Tony&Maria” destined to the Future Film Festival.

By exploiting the same technique (2D) he makes “Yes&No” and “The World's history for those who are in a hurry”. Bruno Bozzetto also created the Tv series “Spaghetti family” (26 episodes of 26' each), produced by RAI and realized by the Animation Band. Later he receives the Pulcinella Award 2003 for the best TV series addressed to all audiences.

In 2002 the Province of Bergamo produces “Sport or Spork”, against Sport bad teaching imposed by parents and mass media. Still in strict collaboration with The Animation Band he worked on a few minutes' pilot for a feature film project titled “Mammuk” which was produced by RAI CINEMA.

The following year, 2003, “Adam”, “Olympics” and “Life” are released. Short after, The Province of Bergamo commissions first “Baby Scanner” and 2 years later “I am the Law”, both realized by Studio Alienatio.

In the meantime Antonio Vincenzo Boscarino writes “L'estetica di Bruno Bozzetto” . Bendazzi and De Berti release “La fabbrica dell' Animazione, Bruno Bozzetto nell' industria culturale italiana”. The cineteque of Milan produced a DVD compilation of the most popular TV highlights of the 1960's and 1970's made by Studio Bozzetto ( “Sigle animate. Le sigle TV della Bozzetto Film realizzate da Guido Manuli “). In 2004 it's the turn of “Neuro” and “Female&Male” followed by “Mr otto in 17” , gags interpreted by Mr Otto, the unlucky protagonist of “Olympics”.

“Freedom”, produced by the Council of Bergamo in 2005, celebrates 60 years of freedom in only one minute. In the meantime Bruno Bozzetto devotes his time to explore 3D animation by directing “Looo”, an animation short that mocks the 3D Italian world with its subjection to the fully developed American technology.

Still to the 3D field belongs “Things”, a Tv serial for children completed in 2006, produced by Rai Fiction and The Animation Band and realized by MAGA Animation Studio. In April of the same year, Bruno Bozzetto is awarded the Pulcinella Lifetime Achievement Award 2006 and along with him Roy Edward Disney, Walt Disney's nephew, is awarded too. Short after that, he sets out to work on “The beauty of difference”, made to support the Campaign of cultural and social Information, “So that it doesn't happen in Italy too”, focused on the ADHD problem.This is soon followed by another short Flash film that, on request of Arpav-Veneto, looks into the problems of the sustainable tourism (“Travellers and Travellers”).

June 2006, the notorious Guglielmo Marconi Foundation awards Bruno Bozzetto the “Calamaio” prize for the innovation of languages. Furthermore, he doesn't only direct the film “The jungle of road signs” realized by Andrea Bozzetto for ACI in Bergamo , but also 4 short films realized by Alienatio Studio for Farmindustria and dedicated to medicines.

March 2007, Bergamo University confers an honorary degree on Bruno Bozzetto ("Teoria, Tecniche e Gestione delle Arti e dello Spettacolo").

Born in Milano , Italy , in 1938, Bruno Bozzetto produced three animated feature films "West&Soda", "Vip my brother superman", "Allegro non troppo" and many animated shorts. He has been awarded many prizes among which the Golden Bear to "Mister Tao" at the Berlin Film Festival in 1990 and the Oscar nomination to "Grasshoppers" in 1991. Together with Piero Angela he has also directed a hundred animated shorts of educational scientific matter. Bruno Bozzetto's best known character is Mister Rossi. Since 2000 he has been devoting his time to Flash animations for the web gaining great success. His website is www.bozzetto.com.