Category: Photography

Every September, Venice turns into a stage. The red carpet at the Venice Film Festival is more than a walkway; it’s a performance space, a global photo call, and for many, a dream come true. But in that moment — with dozens of photographers shouting and hundreds of flashes going off — it’s easy to freeze, forget your posture, or rush through.

Behind the Scenes with a Local Photographer

For most of the year, my life as a photographer in Venice revolves around love stories—surprise proposals on gondolas, intimate weddings, timeless couple portraits, and family memories captured against the canals and palaces. But every year, for ten unforgettable days, the rhythm of my work changes completely. The Venice Film Festival—or as we call it here, the Mostra Internazionale d’Arte Cinematografica—transforms the city into the beating heart of world cinema.

It is the oldest film festival in the world and one of the most prestigious. The red carpet at the Palazzo del Cinema on the Lido has welcomed the greatest names in cinema for decades, and when the Festival arrives, Venice becomes the center of international attention. For me as a photographer, this is a unique moment of the year: instead of working mainly with couples, I shift into a world of actors, directors, producers, and international talents who come together to celebrate cinema.

Working at the Venice Film Festival is inspiring. It is also intense: ten days filled with early mornings, late nights, and constant movement between hotels, water taxis, press calls, and premieres. These assignments demand not just technical skill, but also flexibility, discretion, and the ability to adapt quickly to very different situations.