Edoardo Ponti
Edoardo Ponti (born January 6, 1973) is an Italian-American director. He is the son of actress Sophia Loren and producer Carlo Ponti, Sr.. Between Strangers was the first feature film Edoardo Ponti wrote and directed. It was produced by Gabriella Martinelli and starring an ensemble cast which includes Sophia Loren, Mira Sorvino, Deborah Kara Unger, Gérard Depardieu, Pete Postlethwaite, and Malcolm McDowell. The film premiered at the Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals. It won 5 Genie Nominations, the Canadian equivalent to the Academy Award. Ponti earned the best first time filmmaker award from the Newport Beach Film Festival as well as an award of merit from the Los Angeles Italian Film Festival. In 2011, Ponti wrote and directed the romantic comedy Coming & Going starring Rhys Darby, Fionnula Flanagan, and Sasha Alexander as well as Away we Stay, a branded short for the W Hotel Chain starring Helena Christensen and David Gandy which premiered in London. In 2012, Ponti directed, Il Turno di Notte lo fanno le stelle, his first Italian language film, written by Erri de Luca, and starring Nastassja Kinski, Enrico Lo Verso, and Julian Sands. The same year he starred as an actor in Michel Comte’s directorial debut. A film adaptation of Madam Butterly, where he played the lead character, Pinkerton. He is currently in pre-production, directing a film adaptation of Jean Cocteau’s one act play The Human Voice, starring Sophia Loren. He is also attached to direct the British motion picture Payment Deferred starring Malcolm McDowell based on CS Forester’s bestselling novel and the period piece Behind her Smile produced by Fred Roos. Ponti’s past film credits include an acting starring role in the film Aurora directed by Maurizio Ponzi, for which Edoardo Ponti earned a “Nastro d’Argento” nomination, Italy’s prestigious film critics prize. The first short Ponti wrote and directed entitled Liv was executive produced by Robert Altman as well as Michelangelo Antonioni, and was premiered at the Venice International Film Festival. Ponti also produced and directed Eugène Ionesco’s play The Lesson. He then went on to adapt for the stage, produce and direct Nick Bantock’s best-selling epistolary trilogy Griffin & Sabine at the Spoleto Theatre Festival in Italy. He wrote and directed an opera with renown Polish composer Zbigniew Preisner entitled Requiem for my Friend for which Warner Bros. awarded Ponti a platinum record. In 2008, Ponti co-founded TakeHollywood.com, a premiere online service, which provides invaluable knowledge to all those wanting to enter the world of show business from A-list actors, directors, producers, casting directors, managers, and agents. Fluent in English, French, and Italian, Edoardo Ponti worked under the mentorship of master filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni. He studied at Aiglon College in Switzerland and graduated in 1990. In 1994, he graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and Creative Writing. In 1997, he went on to earn his Master of Fine Arts degree in Film Directing & Production from the prestigious University of Southern California School of Cinema & Television. He married actress Sasha Alexander in 2007. The couple have two children, daughter Lucia Sofia (born May 12, 2006), and son Leonardo Fortunato (born December 20, 2010).