Orisa started in television in the 90s, collaborating with the main Italian channels (Tele +, Studio Universal, Rai, Discovery, Fox), creating innovative formats, documentaries and short films that discovered many new Italian talents.
In the field of cinema, over the years the company has produced critically acclaimed art house films, such as “Saimir” by Francesco Munzi (2005), Special Mention at the 61st Venice Film Festival, winner of Venice, which received an honourable mention at the Nastro d’argento for Best First Feature and was nominated for the European Film Award, or “Rosso come il cielo” by Cristiano Bortone (2007), which won the David Giovani and more than twenty international festivals, alongside more commercial works such as the comedy “Maria, ihm schmecht’s nicht!”(2011) by Neele Leana Vollmar, an Italian-German co-production that grossed over 12 million euros in Germany, the comedy “10 rules to make someone fall in love” with Vincenzo Salemme and Guglielmo Scilla, which reached number one most watched film on Netflix in Italy, or “Marina” (2013), directed by Belgian Oscar nominee Stijn Coninx and co-produced with the Dardenne brothers and Warner Belgium, which became one of the ten highest-grossing films in the history of Flemish cinema.
Among his most recent productions is “My Place Is Here“, co-directed by Daniela Porto and Cristiano Bortone, which premiered at the 2024 Bari International Film Festival (Bif&st), where it won the awards for Best Director and Best Actress. The film also received recognition at the 2024 Nastri d’Argento awards with the Nuova IMAIE Award for the two lead actors. After its theatrical release, it became the most-watched film on Paramount+ since its availability on the platform, reaching a large number of views and confirming its strong impact on Italian audiences thanks to its intense story of emancipation, rights, and social inclusion.
The company is also pioneer in dealing with the promising Chinese market and owns the Chinese partner company Yiyi pictures. “Caffè” (2016) by Bortone was the first official co-production between Italy and China. It was presented at the Giornate degli Autori in Venice and nominated for the China Movie Awards. “The Italian Recipe” (2022), another official co-production with China, directed by Zuxin Hou and co-produced by Kaixin Mahua (Fun Age Pictures), one of the biggest Chinese comedy production companies, shot entirely in Rome, was released in China with more than 9,000 copies and gained more than 90 million views on local streamers.
