Federica Pugliese is a London-based film professional with experience in film programming, marketing and theatrical distribution.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background in filmmaking? What inspired you to pursue a career in the film industry?
I'm originally from Italy but I have lived, studied and worked in the UK for a decade now. As a student of art history and film, I started working in film festivals because I wanted to get involved in exciting events that had a connection to their territory and brought people together to watch great films; over the years, I have covered a variety of roles across film marketing, programming and distribution, working with short and feature films across both film festivals and venues. I'm very interested in the way that film circulates in different countries and the dynamics that bring specific films in front of audiences.
What does being part of Berlinale Talents mean to you? Is there something about the city that resonates with your creative process?
In my work with festivals and distribution, I've always looked at Berlinale and its programming as a marker of great quality; a lot of films I love have premiered there throughout the years. Being part of Berlinale Talents is a truly exciting opportunity, and I think it will provide a space to share ideas with an inspiring group of film professionals who share the same enthusiasm, curiosity and who value the importance of innovative and independent filmmaking in our times.
How do you balance expressing your unique voice while creating work that resonates with audiences around the world?
Contrarily to other Berlinale Talents participants, my role doesn't consist in crafting films but rather in curating films, as well as creating distribution strategies and creative campaigns to get films seen by as wide an audience as possible. In this sense, I think one's work resonates with people when there's a genuine passion to it; I'm lucky to work with films I love and find exciting and I think that the passion I put into each project is something that resonates with people and connects them to film.
This year’s theme is 'Listen Courageously – Cinematic Narratives in Times of Dissonance.' How does the theme connect to your work and the stories you want to tell?
There is no doubt that being an open, patient and active listener makes everyone better at what they do, at sharing ideas and at collaborating effectively with others, regardless of the context. Whether in a personal, professional, public or political space, listening is an act of courage, of kindness, of maturity, of altruism, of openness; it means being willing to let the others and their ideas in, it means being willing to live alongside others, instead of building walls.