Gianni Silvestri (1945 – 16 July 2009) was an Italian production designer and art director, known for his work on films including The Last Emperor, The Sheltering Sky, and Stealing Beauty. He was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Production Design for The Sheltering Sky.
Early life Silvestri was born in Ponza in 1945 and spent part of his childhood there.
Career Silvestri worked in film production design and art direction from the 1970s. One of his early international credits was Peter Bogdanovich's Daisy Miller (1974), on which he worked as a set dresser under art director Ferdinando Scarfiotti.
He subsequently worked with Bernardo Bertolucci on several of the director's films in different roles, including The Last Emperor (1987), on which Silvestri served as one of the art directors alongside production designer Ferdinando Scarfiotti, and the Criterion Collection credits him as an art director on the film.
Silvestri was the production designer of Bertolucci's The Sheltering Sky (1990). His work on the film earned him a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Production Design at the 44th British Academy Film Awards in 1991.
In 1995, he was credited with art direction on Marco Tullio Giordana's Pasolini: An Italian Crime, which was reviewed at the Venice Film Festival.
He continued his collaboration with Bertolucci as production designer on Stealing Beauty (1996). The American Film Institute credits Silvestri as the film's production designer.
Silvestri again worked with Bertolucci as production designer on Besieged (1998). A contemporary review in the Los Angeles Times credited him as the film's production designer.
In 2005, Silvestri worked on Melissa P., directed by Luca Guadagnino.
Selected filmography YearFilmRole1974Daisy MillerSet dresser1987The Last EmperorArt director1990The Sheltering SkyProduction designer1996Stealing BeautyProduction designer1998BesiegedProduction designer2005Melissa P.Art direction
Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryWorkResult1991British Academy Film AwardsBest Production DesignThe Sheltering SkyNominated
Death Silvestri died in Latina on 16 July 2009.
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