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ORISA PRODUZIONI is a production company active since 1998 founded by director-producer Cristiano Bortone.

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.

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.

The most recent production is “My place is here” (2023) by Daniela Porto and Bortone, based on the novel of the same name by Porto, published by Sperling & Kupfer. The projects currently in development consist of a variety of series and films with an Italian or international profile.

The company has already been nominated twice for the David di Donatello for best production.

It is a member of Ace Producers and EFA.

The company is a founding member of the Sino-European Producers Association Bridging the Dragon, of which Cristiano Bortone is CEO.

In addition to his work as a director and producer, Cristiano Bortone is also active as a teacher and mentor in numerous educational programs in Italy and abroad.

In 2006 he led a seminar on “Screenwriting for children’s films” organized by the Dutch Screenwriters Association. In 2007, he was a tutor at the Sesc Lab of the State of Rio de Janeiro for new Brazilian screenwriters. In 2013-14, he taught a production and directing course at the Beijing Film Academy and was a tutor at the First Film Festival, one of the most important Chinese events for independent cinema. He has been the Head of studies of many Bridging the dragon workshops and events and a jury member at various international festivals.