Valerio Ventura was born and raised a few blocks away from Cinecitta' Studios in Rome, Italy where he graduated from the Liceo Artistico Giorgio de Chirico. At the art school, he was classically trained in sculpting, painting and drawing, and by the age of twenty-one Ventura had been published six times producing more than 2,800 illustrations for the publishing company, Enitalia, working directly with editor in chief and renowed writer Costanzo D’Agostino.
In 2000 Ventura founded, Kontrast Films, a client-direct creative and commercial production company, located in Burbank, CA. At Kontrast Films, Ventura, directed over a dozen multi-award winning television commercials. From 2002 to 2007 Ventura associated with Fuel International, Hollywood, CA, where he produced and directed the PSA Imagine starring Anthony Edwards (ER) for Cure Autism Now Foundation and additionally produced and directed two music video for reggae-hop diva Ms Triniti for Toshiba/EMI.
Ventura has just completed Winter, a live-action short film which premiered in December 2008 at the Zero Film Festival in Los Angeles, CA where it was awarded the Purple Heart Award. Just in the recent month the film was awarded the GOLD REMI AWARD at the 2009 World-Fest Houston Intl Film Festival and the Special Mention Award at the 2009 Epizephiry Intl Film Festival in Sant’Ilario dello Jonio in Italy.
Ventura has photographed many models and actors including; Jennifer Love-Hewitt, Paul newman, Gregory Hines, Devin Devasquez and Anthony Edwards to name a few.
As a film director Ventura is currently in pre-production on the short film "Needle" a horror tale set to shoot in late January 2010.
"I have a One Man Show coming up and I will exhibit paintings and photography, so stay tuned for more info." Ciao!
