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Franco Zeffirelli Biography

Birth Name:Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli

Birth Place:Tuscany, Italy

Profession Director, Writer, Production designer, Assistant director, Art department, Actor, Art director, Music department

Fast Facts

  • Awarded the inaugural Premio Colosseo by the city of Rome in 2009
  • Released "Florence: Days of Destruction" to raise money for his hometown after experiencing devastating floods in 1966
  • Studied at the University of Florence before leaving to fight in WWII as an interpreter for British soldiers
  • Began his directing career with 1967's "The Taming of the Shrew" starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton before gaining international success with his second film, 1968's "Romeo and Juliet"
  • While continuing with film work, he also began directing numerous operatic productions in the 1950s
  • Offered himself as an image consultant to Pope Benedict XVI in 2007 after growing dissatisfied with how the Pontiff had been presenting himself to the media
  • First Italian to receive an honorary knighthood by the British government in 2004

Awards

  • 1967Plate-: winner
  • 1968Honorary Award-: winner
  • 1969Oscar-Best Director: nominated
  • 1969BAFTA Film Award-Best Direction: nominated
  • 1969David-Best Director (Migliore Regista): winner
  • 1969DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: nominated
  • 1969Golden Globe-Best Director: nominated
  • 1969Silver Ribbon-Best Director (Regista del Miglior Film): winner
  • 1969Kinema Junpo Award-Best Foreign Language Film: nominated
  • 1969NBR Award-Best Director: winner
  • 1972David-Best Director (Migliore Regia): winner
  • 1973OCIC Award-: winner
  • 1978BAFTA TV Award-Best Single Play: nominated
  • 1978Silver Ribbon-Best Production Design (Migliore Scenografia): winner
  • 1981Stinker Award-Worst Sense of Direction (Stop them before they direct again!): nominated
  • 1982Jupiter Award-Best International Film: nominated
  • 1982Razzie Award-Worst Director: nominated
  • 1983Oscar-Best Art Direction-Set Decoration: nominated
  • 1984BAFTA Film Award-Best Foreign Language Film: nominated
  • 1984BAFTA Film Award-Best Production Design/Art Direction: winner
  • 1986Palme d'Or-: nominated
  • 1986Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Individual Achievements - Classical Music/Dance Programming: winner
  • 1987BAFTA Film Award-Best Foreign Language Film: nominated
  • 1991David-Best Foreign Film (Miglior Film Straniero): winner
  • 1995Golden Kikito-Best Latin Film (Melhor Filme): nominated