Giada Colagrande

Giada Colagrande
Born	16 October 1975 (1975-10-16) Pescara, Abruzzo
Occupation	Actress, Film maker
Spouse	Willem Dafoe (2005-present)

Giada Colagrande (born 16 October 1975) is an Italian film director and actress.

Colagrande was born in Pescara, Abruzzo. She studied in Italy, Switzerland and Australia, and in 1995 she moved to Rome where she began making videoart and documentaries on the work of contemporary artists. From 1997 to 2000 she joined the art project VOLUME, where she made videos on Jannis Kounellis, Alfredo Pirri, Bernhard Rüdiger, Nunzio, Raimund Kummer, Gianni Dessí, Maurizio Savini and Sol Lewitt. In 1997 she directed her first short film Carnaval (13’, 35mm); in 1998 her second, Fetus – 4 Brings Death (23’, 35mm); in 2000 N.3 (7’, video).

In 2001 she wrote, directed and starred in her first feature film, "Aprimi il Cuore" (Open My Heart), which opened at the Venice Film Festival 2002, and then was selected by many international film festivals, such as the Tribeca Film Festival 2003, in competition, and Paris Cinéma 2003, where it won the award Prix de l’avenir. Giada was also nominated for Best New Director at Nastri d’Argento 2003. Open my Heart was released in Italy by Lucky Red and in the USA by Strand Releasing.

In 2005 she directed her second feature "Before it Had a Name", which she co-wrote and co-starred in with Willem Dafoe. The film opened at the Venice Film Festival 2005 and was then showed in San Sebastián and other international film festivals. Before it Had a Name was distributed in USA and internationally with the title Black Widow.

"A WOMAN", written and directed by Colagrande, starring Willem Dafoe and Jess Weixler, is her third feature film and her third participation in the Venice Film Festival.

Feature films

"Open My Heart" (Aprimi il cuore) (2002)

"Before It Had A Name"(2005)

"A Woman" (2010)

Personal life

Colagrande married actor Willem Dafoe on 25 March 2005.

External links

Giada Colagrande at the Internet Movie Database