Stefano Da Frè
Born
Stefano Da Frè

Italy
NationalityCanadian
Alma materNeighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre
Occupation(s)Actor
Director
Producer
Spouse
​
(m. 2023)​
Websitewww.sdafre.com

Stefano Da Frè is an Italian-born Canadian actor, director, and producer.[1][2] He is the co-founder and president of Rosso Films International.

Da Frè is best known for the documentaries The Girl Who Cannot Speak and The Day I Had to Grow Up.[3] His films have been screened at multiple film festivals including the Cannes Film Festival and the Chelsea Film Festival in New York.[4][5]

Early life and education

Born in Italy, Da Frè initially received training from the Ryerson Theatre School before attending the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City.[6][1][7]

Career

After graduating, Da Frè began his career with a role in Taking Woodstock, a film directed by Ang Lee, which premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.[1][8][9] Later that year, Da Frè appeared in Law & Order: Criminal Intent.[8] Da Frè subsequently appeared in TV series including Blue Bloods, One Bad Choice, Pandora's Box: Unleashing Evil.[1]

In 2009, Da Frè was elected as a member of the selection committee for the Montreal International Film Festival, and has been an active member ever since.[1]

In 2018, Da Frè's documentary, The Girl Who Cannot Speak, debuted, exploring five women's sexual abuse narratives amidst the MeToo movement.[10][11] Later that year, it was screened at the Cannes Film Festival and at the Meet The Press Film Festival in Washington, D.C., a festival co-hosted with the American Film Institute.[12][13] The film was also selected for screening at St. Louis International Film Festival and the Saguenay International Short Film Festival in 2019.[14][10]

In 2020, Da Frè directed and produced The Day I Had to Grow Up, a documentary on U.S. youth activism addressing issues such as gun violence and climate change.[15][16][17] The film was featured at the 2021 St. Louis International Film Festival and won the Jury Prize at Switzerland International Film Festival.[18][19] The documentary also won the FFTG Spirit Award in 2021.[20] In the same year, Da Frè co-directed another film titled The Moon in Deep Winter with Laura Pellegrini.[21] Subsequently, the film was screened twice at the Cannes Film Festival.[21] It also received the Best Screenplay Award at the Chelsea Film Festival in New York.[21]

In December 2022, Da Frè directed a feature film, Stolen Dough, with Da Frè and Laura Pellegrini as producers.[22][23] The film explores the battle between Italian-American inventor Anthony Mongiello and Pizza Hut over the patent for stuffed crust pizza.[22][23] The documentary, which received the Russo Brothers Italian American Film Forum Grant, is scheduled to air on the Disney Channel in 2023.[22] In July 2023, the documentary won the Best Documentary Award at the Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival in Athens, Greece.[24]

In July 2023, Da Frè advocated in support of the SAG-AFTRA union strike against AMPTP Producers.[25]

In October 2023, Stolen Dough screened at the DOC LA Los Angeles Film Festival for its California Premiere.[26] Da Frè received an Honorable Mention Award in the feature film category of the festival.[26]

In November 2023, Stolen Dough screened as the opening night film at The North Film Festival in New York City.[27] The festival ran from 15 November to 18 November.[27] Da Frè won an award for Best Director in the feature film category at the festival.[27] Later in November, Stolen Dough had its Scottish Premiere at the Grosvenor Picture Theatre in Glasgow, Scotland.[28] Stolen Dough's Scottish Premiere was part of its Gala series that included the film Bitter Taste, directed by Harry Holland and starring Spider-Man actor Tom Holland, followed by Da Fre's Stolen Dough as the main feature film.[28]

In December 2023, Da Frè was awarded Best Documentary of the Film Festival, for Stolen Dough, at the FFTG Awards.[29]

Apple TV premiered Stolen Dough on its international streaming platform in January 2024.[30]

Personal life

On January 3, 2022, Broadway actress Sierra Boggess announced her engagement to Da Frè.[8][31] The couple were married at the Chateau Coindre Hall on Long Island, New York on April 23, 2023.[32][33]

Filmography

Film

Television

  • Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2009)[8]
  • One Bad Choice (2015)[1]
  • Immunity (2016)[36]
  • Pandora's Box: Unleashing Evil (2016–2018)[1]

Awards and recognition

  • 2018: Best Screenplay Award for The Moon in Deep Winter at the Chelsea Film Festival[35]
  • 2021: FFTG Spirit Award for The Day I Had To Grow Up[37]
  • 2023: Best Documentary Award for Stolen Dough at the Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival[24]
  • 2023: Honorable Mention Award for Stolen Dough at DOC LA Los Angeles Film Festival[26]
  • 2023: Best Director Award for Stolen Dough at The North Film Festival[27]
  • 2023: Best Documentary Award for Stolen Dough at FFTG Awards Film Fest[29]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Carbondale Salon continues centuries-old tradition". The Sopris Sun. June 14, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Filmmaker Stefano Da Fre Shares His Best Advice for Young Climate Activists". LX.
  3. ↑ "Broadway's Sierra Boggess and Filmmaker Stefano Da Fre Have Tied the Knot | Playbill".
  4. ↑ Times, Staff report / The Aspen (May 31, 2019). "Cannes Film Festival screens Carbondale editor's movie". Post Independent.
  5. ↑ Travers, Andrew (May 16, 2018). ""The Girl Who Cannot Speak," edited in Carbondale, to screen at Cannes Film Festival". Aspen Times.
  6. ↑ "Broadway's 'Little Mermaid' Star Sierra Boggess Is Married! See All the 'Fairytale' Wedding Photos (Exclusive)". People.
  7. ↑ "Stefano Da Frè profile".
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Sierra Boggess and Stefano Da Fre Announce Engagement". Playbill.
  9. ↑ "Stefano Steven da Fre". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on March 10, 2022.
  10. 1 2 DUCHESNE, ANDRÉ (February 25, 2019). "Un programme #metoo au festival REGARD" – via La Presse.
  11. ↑ "'The Girl Who Cannot Speak' filmmakers, assault survivor speak on #MeToo movement". MSNBC.
  12. ↑ Johnson, Ted (September 13, 2018). "'Meet the Press' Film Festival Lineup Focuses on Midterm Issues". Variety.
  13. ↑ Travers, Andrew (May 16, 2018). ""The Girl Who Cannot Speak," edited in Carbondale, to screen at Cannes Film Festival". The Aspen Times.
  14. ↑ Lévesque, François (March 18, 2019). "Festival Regard: des histoires, leurs histoires". Le Devoir.
  15. ↑ DC, 7News (May 18, 2021). ""The Day I Had to Grow Up" documentary highlights youth activism in America". WJLA.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. ↑ "The Day I Had to Grow Up". Film Threat. May 27, 2021.
  17. 1 2 ""Criticality and hope" - Director Stefano Da Fre on youth activism". The Courier Online.
  18. 1 2 "The Girl Who Cannot Speak | Cinema St Louis". www.cinemastlouis.org.
  19. ↑ "Award Winners 2020 – SIFF".
  20. ↑ "The Day I Had To Grow Up - FFTG Awards".
  21. 1 2 3 Times, Staff report / The Aspen (May 31, 2019). "Cannes Film Festival screens Carbondale editor's movie". Post Independent.
  22. 1 2 3 Report, Aspen Daily News Staff (December 16, 2022). "Local news in brief, Dec. 16". Aspen Daily News.
  23. 1 2 "Local film editor tells David versus Goliath story". The Sopris Sun. January 11, 2023.
  24. 1 2 "Athens International Monthly Art Film Festival Awards".
  25. ↑ "Actor on strike: Hollywood 'is going to have to stop'". NewsNation.
  26. 1 2 3 "2023 DOC LA".
  27. 1 2 3 4 "2023 The North Film Festival".
  28. 1 2 "Food and film are coming together in the West End next month". October 18, 2023.
  29. 1 2 "Stolen Dough".
  30. ↑ "Stolen Dough".
  31. ↑ Rosky, Nicole. "Sierra Boggess Announces Engagement to Stefano Da Fre". BroadwayWorld.
  32. ↑ "'It was a dream come true!' Broadway star Sierra Bogess is married!". Griffin Daily News. June 7, 2023.
  33. ↑ Rabinowitz, Chloe. "Sierra Boggess & Stefano Da Fre Tie the Knot". BroadwayWorld.com.
  34. ↑ "Confidence Game (2016)". The A.V. Club.
  35. 1 2 "2018 AWARD WINNERS".
  36. ↑ "A Dream Beyond The Dark". The Gotham Film & Media Institute.
  37. ↑ "FFTG Awards 2021".
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