A crushing scene in the intense Mediterranea, the first feature by New York City native Jonas Carpignano, exemplifies the nearly unbridgeable chasm that separates recent black African migrants from their reluctant white hosts in contemporary Italy, where the filmmaker has lived for the past five years. Ayiva (Koudous Seihan, an immigrant himself and currently an advocate for migrants’ rights), the single father of a seven-year-old daughter and a recent arrival from Burkina Faso, rides in a truck driven by his boss, Rocco (Davide Schipilliti), on whose estate in the Calabrian town of Rosarno — near the toe of the geographical […]
by Howard Feinstein on Nov 19, 2015Jonas Carpignano made Filmmaker‘s 25 New Faces list in 2012 on the basis of his astonishing short, A Chjàna, about violence between African immigrants and police in Rosarno, Italy. His debut feature, Mediterranea, develops a similar storyline and premiered in Cannes this year. Check out the film’s foreign trailer, which just dropped.
by Scott Macaulay on Aug 31, 2015Few films at Cannes were as reonant as Mediterranea, the first feature from director Jonas Carpignano. The film follows Ayiva (Koudous Seihon) and Abas (Alassane Sy), two men from Burkina Faso who board a migrant boat toward Italy via Tunisia and Libya. Their boat capsizes, and they are among the lucky that make it ashore. When they finally arrive to Rosarno in Southern Italy, instead of finding a land of promised opportunities, they discover only a hostile society and blatant labor exploitation. Mediterranea is expanded from Carpignano’s short film A Chjana, based on the 2010 Rosarno race riots that shook Italy. Another character who […]
by Ariston Anderson on Jun 8, 2015As the summer draws to a close, another year of Rooftop Films grants is upon us. The New York-based nonprofit, though perhaps best known for its alfresco screenings across the four major boroughs, also functions as a dedicated support system to independent filmmakers in various stages of the production process. Beyond the traditional cash grants, Rooftop offers assistance in the form of equipment, workshops and post-production services. Those who have previously screened at the festival are exclusively eligible for grants through the Rooftop Filmmakers’ Fund, ensuring a continued, symbiotic partnership between exhibitor and artist. As such, this year’s recipients feature […]
by Sarah Salovaara on Aug 19, 2013We recently ran a series of articles on the filmmakers shortlisted for the San Francisco Film Society’s Kenneth Rainin Foundation grants, and the eight projects which were chosen to receive support were as follows: Jonas Carpignano, writer/director — A Chjana — $45,000 for preproduction Grainger David, writer/director — Nocturne (working title) — $35,000 for screenwriting Ian Hendrie and Jyson McLean, co-writers/directors/producers — Mercy Road — $40,000 for development Maryam Keshavarz and Paolo Marinou-Blanco, cowriters — The Last Harem — $35,000 for screenwriting Richard Levien, writer/director and Chad Burris, producer — La Migra — $20,000 for development Tommy Oliver, writer/director/producer — […]
by Nick Dawson on Apr 24, 2013Last year on the Filmmaker website, we ran a series of pieces in which we profiled a group of finalists for the San Francisco Film Society’s Kenneth Rainin Foundation Filmmaking grant, run through the organization’s Filmmaker360 program. Now there’s a new set of finalists, and we are once again putting the spotlight on all those shortlisted for the grant. You can read Part 1 of this current series here and Part 2 of the series here. JONAS CARPIGNANO (WRITER/DIRECTOR), A CHJÀNA Synopsis: After leaving his native Burkina Faso, Ayiva makes the perilous journey across the Sahara and Mediterranean in search of a better life in Europe. Once in Italy, he […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Apr 9, 2013At the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, Filmmaker magazine asked a series of directors to talk about the films they were excited about at this year’s event. Here Jonas Carpignano, writer/director of the forthcoming feature A Chjàna, offers his recommendations.
by Nick Dawson on Jan 25, 2013In case you’re behind in catching up with the work of this year’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film,” you should head to The ShortList, The Wrap’s online shorts competition. Three of the 12 shorts taking part in the competition are from 2012 “25 New Faces” alums, namely Jonas Carpignano‘s A Chjana, Ornana‘s (notes on) biology, and Cutter Hodierne‘s Fishing Without Nets. Also contention is Love Competition, directed by 2011 “25 New Face” Brent Hoff. You can visit the site to watch the films, and vote for your favorite(s). (The jury prize is $60,000 worth of camera equipment.) As a […]
by Nick Dawson on Aug 24, 2012