Stephen Campanelli is a Canadian movie cameraman and film director. He has been a long-term member of Clint Eastwood's film production crew.
Early life
editCampanelli's mother Carmela emigrated from Italy to Canada. He traces his film interests to his mother sneaking into movies during WWII.[1][2] Growing up in Montreal, he lived in Notre-Dame-de-Grace (NDG), and can speak English, Italian, and French.[3] Campanelli's childhood hero was Clint Eastwood. He named his dog "Clint".[2][4]
Career
editCampanelli first started camera work while at Marianopolis College, in Montreal, Quebec. He graduated from Marianopolis in 1978.[2] Campanelli graduated from film studies from Concordia University, in Montreal, Quebec, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1983. During his time there, he won first place in a student film competition that took place in Concordia's Hall Amphitheatre, for From a Whisper to a Scream. From a Whisper to a Scream later screened at the 1984 Montreal World Film Festival, receiving accolades. His first film job was on Meatballs III, which was filmed in the Montreal suburb of Hudson, Quebec.[3][1][2][4][5]
He worked with Jack Green, a frequent collaborator of Clint Eastwood's, who recommended him to Eastwood. Eastwood handled all the immigration papers to get Campanelli to be able to legally work in the United States.[1] Campanelli went on to be a cameraman on Clint Eastwood's production film crew, starting as camera operator on The Bridges of Madison County.[6] In 2011, he was nominated for "Camera Operator of the Year" of the Society of Camera Operators, for his work on Hereafter.[7] He worked on the Eastwood crew for 20 years, ending in the middle of shooting of American Sniper, where he had to depart in mid-filming to pursue his directorial debut on 2015's Momentum.[3]
Campanelli directed his first film, Momentum, in South Africa. The film premiered at the 2015 Fantasia International Film Festival, on 22 July 2015, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, screening in the same Hall Amphitheatre as he had screened his student film in, 30 years earlier.[3][1]
His film Indian Horse, an adaptation of the novel by Richard Wagamese, debuted at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival.[8]
In 2019 his third film, the thriller-noir Grand Isle was presented at the Lone Star Film Festival and received positive reviews from Variety, Fort Worth Weekly and other articles.[9][10]
His fourth film, Drinkwater, premiered at the Calgary International Film Festival in 2021.[11]
In 2022, Sea to Sky Entertainment and Grinding Halt Films announced that Campanelli is slated to direct a film adaptation of Wagamese's 2009 novel Ragged Company.[12]
Accolades
editCampanelli's film Indian Horse won the top award at the 2017 Vancouver International Film Festival.[13] Grand Isle won the Spotlight Award at Lone Star Film Festival. [14]
He was nominated for the Directors Guild of Canada's DGC Discovery Award in 2017 for Indian Horse.[15]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Steve Rukavina (22 July 2015). From Concordia film school to Clint Eastwood to Fantasia. Homerun. CBC Radio One (Montreal).
- ^ a b c d "Gathering Momentum" (PDF). Marianopolis Matters. Marianopolis College. Fall 2014. pp. 8–11.
- ^ a b c d Stephen Campanelli at the Fantasia premiere on 22 July 2015 in Montreal
- ^ a b Glen Schaefer (13 April 2008). "He makes Clint's day". The Province (Vancouver).
- ^ Tom Peacock (3 July 2015). "Ethiopian sci-fi and ant-sized superheroes: Fantasia is back!". Concordia News. Concordia University.
- ^ John Hopewell (6 September 2013). "Toronto: 'Momentum' Adds Quartet of Thesps (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.
- ^ "CAMERA OPERATOR OF THE YEAR Nominee Stephen Campanelli for Hereafter". Camera Operator. Vol. 20, no. 2. April 2011. p. 18. Spring/Summer 2011. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
- ^ "Film adaptation of Richard Wagamese's novel Indian Horse to screen at VIFF 2017". The Georgia Straight, August 23, 2017.
- ^ "Film Review: 'Grand Isle'". 5 December 2019.
- ^ "Lone Star Film Festival Report (Days 1-3)". 16 November 2019.
- ^ Stephen Hunt, "Calgary International Film Festival returns to theatres in 2021 with over 175 films". CTV News Calgary, September 15, 2021.
- ^ "Richard Wagamese’s novel ‘Ragged Company’ secures film adaptation". Toronto Star, December 1, 2022.
- ^ "Indian Horse Wins Coveted VIFF Super Channel People's Choice Award" (Press release). Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society. 13 October 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
- ^ "Lone Star Film Festival to Feature Texas Filmmakers, Celebrities, and More Than 140 Films » Dallas Innovates". 8 November 2019.
- ^ Barry Hertz, "Directors Guild of Canada reveals long list for Discovery Award". The Globe and Mail, September 5, 2017.