Paolo Strippoli
Italian filmmaker (born 1993)
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Paolo Strippoli (born 1 January 1993) is an Italian film director and screenwriter, best known for his works in the horror and thriller genres, such as A Classic Horror Story (2021), Flowing (2022), The Holy Boy (2025), and The Spiral (2026).
Life and career
Born in Corato, Strippoli graduated in performing arts and sciences from Sapienza University of Rome and in film direction from Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia.[1] He then directed several shorts, and served as assistant director for Gianni Amelio in Tenderness and for Daniele Luchetti in Io sono Tempesta.[1] In 2019, he won the Solinas Prize for best script with L'angelo infelice.[1][2]
In 2021, Strippoli made his feature debut with A Classic Horror Story, co-written and co-directed with Roberto De Feo.[1] For this film Strippoli and De Feo won the award for best direction at the Taormina Film Fest.[1][3][4] In 2022, he directed his first solo feature, the horror film Flowing.[5] His third film, The Holy Boy, premiered out of competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.[6][7] For this film Strippoli won the Nastro d'Argento for best original story.[8] In 2026, his film The Spiral was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival.[9]
Filmography
Feature films
| Year | English title | Original title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | A Classic Horror Story | co-directed with Roberto De Feo | |
| 2022 | Flowing | Piove | |
| 2025 | The Holy Boy | La valle dei sorrisi | |
| 2026 | The Spiral | L'estranea | |
Accolades
| Award | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago International Film Festival | 2025 | Q-Hugo Award | The Holy Boy | Nominated | |
| Ciak d'oro | 2021 | Best First Feature | A Classic Horror Story | Nominated | |
| Fantastic Fest | 2025 | Best Director - Next Wave | The Holy Boy | Won | |
| Audience Award - Next Wave | Won | ||||
| Lecce European Film Festival | 2025 | Centro Nazionale del Cortometraggio Award | Nessun dorma | Won | |
| Premio Augustus Color | Won | ||||
| Nastri d'argento | 2026 | Best Screenplay | The Holy Boy | Won | |
| Venice International Film Festival | 2026 | Golden Lion | The Spiral | Pending | |
