{{Short description|Italian filmmaker (born 1989)}} {{Infobox person | image = | caption = | pronunciation = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth-date and age|9 October 1989}} | birth_place = Trieste, Italy | death_date = | death_place = | other_names = | occupation = Film director }}
'''Laura Samani''' (born 9 October 1989) is an Italian film director and screenwriter.
== Life and career == Born in Trieste, Samani graduated from the University of Pisa in Performing Arts and Communication Disciplines.<ref name="bio">{{cite news |last1=Salvinelli |first1=Laura |title=Laura Samani, cinema come cura infinita |url=https://ilmanifesto.it/laura-samani-cinema-come-cura-infinita |access-date=18 July 2025 |work=il manifesto |date=14 April 2023 |language=it}}</ref> She later enrolled at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, and her graduation short film ''The Sleeping Saint'' premiered at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival in the Cinéfondation sidebar.<ref name="bio" /> It won the Best Short Film Award at the Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pinto |first1=Vitor |title=The Last Family triumphs at the Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival |url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/319690/#cm |access-date=19 July 2025 |work=Cineuropa |date=15 November 2016 |language=en}}</ref>
In 2021, Samani made his directorial feature debut with ''Small Body'', which premiered at the 74th Cannes Film Festival, in the Critics' Week section.<ref name="bio" /> The film got her the David di Donatello for Best Directorial Debut and the European Film Award for European Discovery of the Year.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tartaglione |first1=Nancy |title=Paolo Sorrentino's 'The Hand Of God' Named Best Film At Italy's David Di Donatello Awards |url=https://deadline.com/2022/05/david-di-donatello-awards-winners-2022-full-list-1235015836/ |access-date=18 July 2025 |work=Deadline |date=4 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Mouriquand |first1=David |title=Here are the winners of the 2022 European Film Awards |url=https://www.euronews.com/culture/2022/11/08/european-film-academy-unveils-nominees-for-2022-european-film-awards |access-date=18 July 2025 |work=Euronews|date=8 November 2022 |language=en}}</ref> Her following film, ''A Year of School'', is loosely based on the 1929 novella of the same name by Giani Stuparich.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Vivarelli |first1=Nick |title=RAI Cinema Chief Paolo Del Brocco on Selling 'Heads or Tails' in Cannes and a New Victor Kossakovsky Doc Made With Italian Botanist Stefano Mancuso |url=https://variety.com/2025/film/games/rai-cinema-paolo-del-brocco-cannes-victor-kossakovsky-1236405736/ |access-date=18 July 2025 |work=Variety |date=22 May 2025}}</ref> It premiered at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, in the Orizzonti sidebar.<ref>{{cite news |last1=De Marco |first1=Camillo |title=Review: A Year of School |url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/482826 |access-date=1 September 2025 |work=Cineuropa |date=31 August 2025 |language=en}}</ref>
==Filmography== * ''The Sleeping Saint'' (short, 2016) *''Small Body'' (2021) *''A Year of School'' (2025)
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Samani, Laura}} Category:1989 births Category:Living people Category:Italian film directors Category:Italian screenwriters Category:People from Trieste Category:University of Pisa alumni Category:Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia alumni Category:David di Donatello winners Category:Directors of European Discovery European Film Award winners