(Feb 27) – “The artist”, the silent film considered the heavy favorite, has won several of the major categories at the Academy Awards and took home Oscars for Best Actor (Jean Dujardin) and Best Director (Michel Hazanavicius), Best Original Score (Ludovic Bource) and Best Costume Design (Mark Bridges). Its main rival “Hugo” by Martin Scorsese, which like “The Artist” was deeply steeped in film history, also won five Awards in the technical categories. Among these, the Oscar for Best Art Direction given to the Italians Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo, respectively, production designer and set decorator for the film. For them – who dedicated the award to Italy – this is the third Academy Award, after of The Aviator (2005) and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Hugo (2008). (Ram/Peg)
DANTE FERRETTI, A LIFE IN DESIGN
Born 69 years ago in Macerata, Dante Ferretti is considered one of the best production designers. In his career, Ferretti has worked with many great directors, both American and Italian, such as Pier Paolo Pasolini, Federico Fellini, Terry Gilliam, Franco Zeffirelli, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Anthony Minghella and Tim Burton.
Ferretti was a protégé of Federico Fellini, and worked under him for five films. He also had a five collaboration with Pier Paolo Pasolini and later developed a very close professional relationship with Martin Scorsese, designing seven of his last eight movies.
