NEWS
FEBRUARY 17, 2024: GIOVANNI PERFORMS HIS SOLO ELECTRIC GUITAR SCORE FOR F.W. MURNAU’S SILENT MASTERPIECE “SUNRISE” LIVE AT THE BABYLON THEATER, BERLIN
JULY 4, 2023: GIOVANNI WINS AWARD FOR BEST SOUNDTRACK FOR “COME SHINE” AT EXPERIMENTAL BRASIL
JUNE 29, 2023: GIOVANNI WINS AWARD FOR HIS SOUNDTRACK TO SLAWOMIR MILEWSKI’s “RASPBERRY MAN” AT ASOLO ART FILM FESTIVAL 50th EDITION.
MAY 13, 2023: GIOVANNI BEGINS PREPARING SOLO ELECTRIC GUITAR LIVE SCORE FOR F.W. MURNAU’S SILENT FILM MASTERPIECE “SUNRISE” WHICH HE WILL PERFORM AT THE BABYLON THEATER, BERLIN ON FEBRUARY 17, 2024.
MAY 12, 2023: GIOVANNI COMPLETES THE SCORE FOR “COME SHINE”, DIRECTED BY SLAWOMIR MILEWSKI, IN WHICH HE ALSO APPEARS AS A CHARACTER.
FEBRUARY 19, 2023: GIOVANNI ATTENDS BERLIN INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL SCREENING OF “UNDER SPANISH SKIES” (winner “BEST DRAMA FEATURE”) at BABYLON THEATER, BERLIN - EXCERPT OF Q&A BELOW:
AUGUST 31, 2022: GIOVANNI ATTENDS OPENING OF 79TH BIENNALE IN VENICE
AUGUST 18, 2022: GIOVANNI COMPLETES SCORE FOR “MISSING HER” WRITTEN BY MIKE GERBI & DIRECTED BY KARL SHEFELMAN
MAY 2022: GIOVANNI ATTENDS CANNES FILM FESTIVAL WITH “UNDER SPANISH SKIES” TEAM
APRIL 19, 2022: GIOVANNI ATTENDS MONTREAL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL WITH “UNDER SPANISH SKIES” BY NATHAN BUCK (WINNER: BEST INDEPENDENT FEATURE)
APRIL 11, 2022: GIOVANNI WINS BEST ORIGINAL SCORE AWARD FROM THE METROPOLIS FILM FESTIVAL FOR “RASPBERRY MAN” - DIRECTED BY SLAWOMIR MILEWSKI
JANUARY 28, 2022: GIOVANNI COMPLETES SCORE FOR “SIN FONDO” A PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR FILM - DIRECTED BY VICTOR GALLO
JANUARY 5, 2022: GIOVANNI COMPLETES SCORE FOR “RASPBERRY MAN” - DIRECTED BY SLAWOMIR MILEWSKI
JANUARY 3, 2022: GIOVANNI COMPLETES SCORE FOR “MOTHER MAIDEN CRONE” - FILM BY DANE SHITAGI - CHOREOGRAPHED AND DANCE BY YING XIN, PRINCIPAL DANCER, MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY - CELLO PERFORMED BY GIOVANNI LIPPI
NOVEMBER 5, 2021: GIOVANNI ATTENDS PREMIERE OF “MURMUR” - CHOREOGRAPHED AND PERFORMED BY KAFRA COLLECTIVE, SYMPHONY SPACE, NEW YORK
JUNE 14, 2021: GIOVANNI ATTENDS RECORDING OF “SIPARIO” CONDUCTED BY MARK MANDARANO AND PEFORMED BY HIS STRING ENSEMBLE AT WAVE HILL, NEW YORK
APRIL 2, 2021: GIOVANNI COMPLETES SCORE FOR “BEFORE EL FINÀ” BY NATHAN BUCK
APRIL-MAY 2021: “THE LAST PIG” AIRS ON PBS NATIONWIDE
SEPTEMBER 3-9, 2020: GIOVANNI ATTENDS LA BIENNALE DEL CINEMA DI VENEZIA (here with Tullan Holmqvist)
OCTOBER 25, 2020: “SINS”, WRITTEN BY ILARIA MALVEZZI AND DIRECTED BY JEREMIAH KIPP IS SELECTED FOR BIG APPLE FILM FESTIVAL - NOVEMBER 13-18 2020
AUGUST 29, 2020: GIOVANNI COMPLETES SCORE FOR “LA BALENA SPIAGGIATA” - WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY ILARIA FRANCHINI
JULY 15, 2020: GIOVANNI COMPLETES SCORE FOR “BLIND TRUST” A DOCUMENTARY FEATURE ABOUT VAMIK VOLTAN (FIVE TIME NOBEL PEACE PRIZE NOMINEE).
AUGUST 14, 2020: GIOVANNI COMPLETES SCORE FOR “UNTOLD” - CHOREOGRAPHY BY SO YOUNG AN OF THE MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY
NOVEMBER 28, 2019: GIOVANNI COMPLETES SCORE FOR “BROKEN” - WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY TARA LYNN ORR STARRING PHILIPPE BRENNINKMEYER
NOVEMBER 8, 2019: GIOVANNI RESUMES WORK WITH MEGUMI EDA ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, MUSIC AND DANCE AT MANA CONTEMPORARY
SEPTEMBER 6-7, 2019: “ALMOST RITUAL” IS PERFORMED BY AMERICAN BALLET THEATER AT MANHATTAN MUSIC CENTER WITH LIVE PERFORMANCE OF “JASNA GORA” BY MOMENTA QUARTET
SEPTEMBER 4-5, 2019: IN REHEARSAL WITH AMERICAN BALLET THEATER FOR “ALMOST RITUAL” BY YING XIN
AUGUST 2019: GIOVANNI BEGINS COMPOSING FOR “BEFORE EL FINÀ” ON SET IN CAZALLA DE LA SIERRA, ANDALUSIA
MAY 26 2019: GIOVANNI AT CANNES FILM FESTIVAL FOR “THE WIDOW” AT AVIFF
NOVEMBER 30, 2018: GIOVANNI COMPLETES SCORE FOR JASON WADE HAMMONDS’ DOCUMENTARY FEATURE “THE PROTESTANTS” WITH DANCEWORK CHOREOGRAPHED BY YING XIN
NOVEMBER 12, 2018: GIOVANNI COMPLETES SCORE FOR ZHONGJGING FANG’s CHOREOGRAPHY “WHERE WE GO” - THE PIECE WAS PERFORMED AT ALVIN AILEY ON NOV. 17-18 BY DANCERS OF THE COLUMBIA BALLET COLLABORATIVE
OCTOBER 8, 2018: GIOVANNI COMPLETES SCORE FOR MEGUMI EDA’s CHOREOGRAPHY AND MULTIMEDIAL WORK “JUST A THEORY”
JANUARY 13, 2018: GIOVANNI COMPLETES SCORE FOR "TAMBURLAINE" - DIRECTED BY DOMINICK SIVILLI AND PRODUCED BY VIVIDVERSE PRODUCTIONS
October 18-26 2017: "THE LAST PIG" SCREENS in 5 cities in ITALY
Q&A after screening in Florence hosted by Essereanimail at Le Murate - October 21, 2017
November 14, 2017: Giovanni finalizes score for "cookie" directed by jeremiah kipp
september 18, 2017: giovanni completes score for "A social cure" - feature documentary directed by meissa hampton
august 8, 2017: giovanni finalizes score for "resilience" directed by aurora ovan
April 25, 2017: giovanni completes score for "slapface" directed by jeremiah kipp
DECEMBER 20 2016: GIOVANNI COMPLETES SCORE FOR “THE LAST PIG” - FEATURE DOCUMENTARY DIRECTED BY 8 TIME EMMY AWARD WINNER, ALLISON ARGO
AUGUST 18, 2016: GIOVANNI FINALIZES SCORE FOR "PICK UP" - DIRECTED BY JEREMIAH KIPP and PRODUCED BY MANDY EVANS BROWN
JULY 17, 2016: GIOVANNI COMPLETES SCORE FOR XIN YING's "LAMENTATION"
JUNE 7, 2016: GIOVANNI COMPLETES SCORE FOR "HE SAID" - DIRECTED BY TARA LYNN ORR AND PRODUCED BY AVENUEROAD FILMS
NOVEMBER 19, 2015: "bis gleich" makes the short list of films COMPETING for an oscar nomination!
OCTOBER 5, 2015: "BIS GLEICH" WINS GOLD MEDAL AT MANHATTAN SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL AFTER BEING SCREENED AT OVER 300 VOTING VENUES WORLDWIDE.
MAY 18, 2015: "BIS GLEICH" WINS BEST SHORT FILM AT THE EMERGING FILMMAKER SHOWCASE AT CANNES FILM FESTIVAL - AMERICAN PAVILLON
This the 25th award won by "Bis Gleich"
MAY 18, 2015: "DOUBLE NEGATIVE" WINS BEST SCREENPLAY AND BEST ACTRESS AWARDS AT VISIONFEST
april 21, 2015: "BIS GLEICH" ADMITTED TO CANNES FILM FESTIVAL
"Bis Gleich" will be screened in the Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at the Cannes Film Festival, American Pavillon on May 18.
MARCH 29, 2015: "BIS GLEICH" WINS AT CLEVELAND!
"Bis Gleich" just won the Jury Award (Oscar Qualifying) and the Audience Award at the Cleveland International Film Festival. See other 15 awards below.
MARCH 9, 2O15: "DOUBLE NEGATIVE" ACCEPTED AT VISIONFEST FILM FESTIVAL 2015
Brian Dilg's "Double Negative" has been accepted at VisionFest, New York, screening May 13-17 2015.
March 7, 2015: "BIS GLEICH" WINS VARIOUS AWARDS
"Bis Gleich" has won fifteen awards so far:
La Costa - Jury Prize Best Short
Irvine - Best Short Film Audience Award
Idyllwild - Best Screenwriting Tara Lynn Orr
Breckenridge - Audience Award Best Film
Souq – Jury Prize Best Short
Rockport - Jury Prize Best Short
Boston - Jury Prize Best Short
Oceanside - Jury Prize Best Short
New York Shorts - Best Short Film Audience Award
Heartland - Best Short Film Audience Award
Anchorage - Jury Prize Best Short
Savannah – Best Editing Constantin von Seld
California Women’s Film Festival – Jury Prize Best Foreign Film
Sedona Int’l Film Festival – Directors’ Choice Best Short – Audience Award for Best Short (Drama)
JANUARY 31, 2015: "AMERICAN CHEERLEADER" SCREENING AT LINCOLN CENTER AS PART OF "DANCE ON FILM 2015"
Dance on Film at Lincoln Center
"AMERICAN CHEERLEADER" WINS BEST FILM AWARD AT LOUISVILLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
"American Cheerleader", a feature documentary by David Barba and James Pellerito, follows two competing cheerleading teams through to the finals of the National High School Cheerleading Championship. The film will premiere this Fall in various festivals and is available on iTunes. The documentary was co-produced by Milojo (Kelly Ripa).
"BIS GLEICH" ADMITTED TO VARIOUS FESTIVALS
"Bis Gleich" a narrative short, written by Tara Lynn-Orr and directed by Benjamin Wolff for which Giovanni wrote the score has been admitted to the following festivals (see below). The film won the Jury's Award for Best Narrative Short at the Oceanside International Film Festival, Best Short Film Award at the Boston Film Festival, Audience Awards for Best Film at the Breckenridge Film Festival and NYC Shorts Film Festival.
Salento International Film Festival
Oceanside International Film Festival
Louisville International Film Festival
COMMISSION FROM MARTHA GRAHAM FOR "AMERICAN DOCUMENT"
Giovanni received a commission from the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance to write a work for solo piano to accompany a new performance of the Puritan Duet from "American Document", one of Martha Graham's most iconic pieces. Giovanni performed the piece, together with a new composition for solo piano and percussion commissioned by Martha Graham II, at the Company's performance at Scandinavia House, New York.
ELECTRIC GUITAR SCORE FOR "SUNRISE"
Giovanni premiered his score for solo electric guitar for F.W. Murnau's silent masterpiece "Sunrise" (1927) with a live performance on the opening night of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. As expected, the premiere generated a fair amount of controversy but was a resounding success:
From the San Francisco Examiner:
"... the most unique moment that evening was musician Giovanni Spinelli's electric guitar accompaniment of Mr. Murnau's hypnotic "Sunrise". Silent film purists may have chosen to flee the palatial space, but Mr. Spinelli's orchestrations were pitch perfect for "Sunrise", layering the story's dark and all-too-human undercurrents, a jarring experience heightened by the guitar's unorthodox pitch, an astounding mix of Hendrix, Badalamenti, Vaughn and The Edge."
