The second edition of InFocus: Puglia is currently underway in Los Angeles, starting yesterday, April 8. The program is conceived, produced, and supported by Apulia Film Commission, and realized in collaboration with Silvia Bizio as part of NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA).
Five young Apulian filmmakers, selected from over ninety applicants by NFMLA Executive Director Larry Laboe, will present their short films both to the public at the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles and to American audiovisual industry professionals during two key events: on April 10, at The Aster, a private screening reserved for American producers, executives, and creatives is scheduled, followed by Q&A sessions and networking; on April 11, as part of the official NewFilmmakers Los Angeles programming at South Park Center, the screening will be presented alongside other international sections of the festival.
The directors are Nicolò Accettura (with the short film Il generale, written with Ruggero Cristallo and produced by Francesca Romana Valentini); Alessandra Mangia (with the short film Lo so, which she also produced together with Martina Palombi and Canio Rinaldi); Roberta Martinelli (with the short films Facciamo che siamo marito e moglie, produced by Francesca Cottafavi and Luca Bacci, and Di notte, produced by Edoardo Maione); Mario Bucci (with the short film Nonna Rivoltella, written with Marco Gernone and produced by Dinamo Film), and Simona De Simone (with the short film La Fémmina, produced by Mirna Summa).
The five Apulian directors spent their first day in Los Angeles attending four seminars led by agents from the legendary Hollywood agency CAA (Creative Artists Agency) at its main headquarters in Century City.
Katey Bright shared her experience as director of the Creative Services department, specializing in video games, trailers, and promotional content for the agency’s clients; Andi Wong, who at just thirty years old heads the media financing department, offered valuable insights on how to secure financing for films and television series; Katie Laner illustrated the activities of her department dedicated to producing series and films for television.
The day at CAA concluded with a presentation by Albert Lee, a film division agent responsible for recent award-winning productions such as Hamnet and Train Dreams.
During the meetings, the directors—together with twelve colleagues from the NewFilmmakers Los Angeles festival—had the opportunity to ask questions and receive advice on their projects, launching a particularly productive first day in Los Angeles.
Accompanying them to Los Angeles was the Director of Apulia Film Commission, Antonio Parente, who emphasized: “A great opportunity for young Apulian directors to engage with the American industry at multiple levels. A project that consolidates Puglia’s role as a protagonist in the international audiovisual landscape and strengthens the dialogue between Apulian cinema and the global market. InFocus: Puglia is part of Apulia Film Commission’s broader internationalization strategy, which has been investing for years in nurturing new talent and building structured relationships with the international film industry. Not just territorial promotion, therefore, but a genuine pathway of support for young Apulian cinema, which finds in Los Angeles a privileged meeting point between creativity and the market.”
As the only Italian entity involved in this initiative, Puglia confirms its commitment to supporting new authorial voices, offering them tools, visibility, and concrete opportunities to enter the global scene. The project is conceived by Silvia Bizio, who oversees its artistic direction together with NFMLA Executive Director Larry Laboe and Programming Director Bojana Sandic. Simone Di Cori is the Italian producer of the project, while Lauren Muniz, George Gomez, and Daphne Trinh from NFMLA lead the engagement, training, and professional development activities in Los Angeles. The initiative is supported by Apulia Film Commission, with the backing of President Anna Maria Tosto and Director Antonio Parente.
The renewed participation in NFMLA is part of a broader internationalization strategy: the three-year partnership 2026–2028 between Apulia Film Commission and NFMLA includes reciprocal industry missions, artistic collaborations, joint marketing activities, and exchange of best practices. Launched in 2024 as a cultural exchange project, InFocus: Puglia is now established as a stable bridge between Italy and the United States, with the goal of promoting Apulian filmmakers and strengthening production ties between the two territories.
“InFocus: Puglia” is a project of Apulia Film Commission and Puglia Region, realized with POC Puglia 2021/2027 resources – Line of Intervention 6.2.
