Carlo Corbellini – Featured in Best Film at the Korean Film Fest

This month I had the pleasure of meeting actor and independent filmmaker, Carlo Corbellini. Born and raised in Rome, Italy, Corbellini began his acting career at 16 with the role of Benny in the critically acclaimed movie Biuti Quin Olivia. In 2002 he moved to Chicago to complete studies in Industrial Engineering and Economics at Northwestern University while continuing his drama training with Kimmie Companik (The Second City) and Grant Stokes (Uta Hagen scholar, Royal Shakespeare Company). In the Windy City he both acted in numerous independent films and formed the improv troupe The Stringed Puppeteers.

His recent credits include the Thai feature Glory Days, the Italian movie Christmas in Beverly Hills, the Butterfinger Defense League campaign and Abraham Lim’s God is D_ad (Best Feature KOFFLA, Best Feature Phoenix Comicon) which he also produced. Carlo is currently training with mentor Joan Scheckel, internationally renowned for her visionary filmmaking and acting labs (Little Miss Sunshine, Whale Rider, Vintner’s Luck).

I met with Carlo to talk about Indie film, acting, and his recent win at the Korean Film Festival in Los Angeles:

ASIANCE: You have both Italian and American citizenship, but were raised in Italy. Tell me a little about your background growing up in Europe. How and when did you decide to come to the States to pursue filmmaking?

Carlo: Growing up in Rome is such a unique experience that I am afraid to not give it enough justice and perhaps accidentally spoil Fellini’s awesome depiction. It’s hard to describe the way the city is held under the weight of its own history and to what extent that influences the local culture. It is a blessing, a curse and probably the most influential factor on who I am today as an artist. I had always worked with music and theatre, but it wasn’t until my first day on a movie set that I realized this was what I wanted to do with my life. Italy, unfortunately, has been suffering for sometime in the world of cinema, mostly because there is not the money or structure in place to support a thriving independent film market. The US was the logical next step, so I moved to Chicago and studied Industrial Engineering, Economics and Drama. I know..totally weird choice.

ASIANCE: And you speak both languages fluently, has this helped you in regards to your acting career here in America?

Carlo: Absolutely. It gives me the opportunity to audition for roles of both nationalities and languages which keeps it extremely fun and interesting. The flip side, however is that casting can be somewhat tricky. As long as the story exists solely in a script, the image of the characters exists only in the imaginations of the creators and casting director. What can happen, and often does, is that a character, that could’ve ended up being played by completely different actors, is narrowed down to a very specific “type”. The name “Carlo” (by many read and said Carlos) seems to often evoke the impression of a foreigner with an accent, making it sometimes difficult for me to be seen by casting directors who are not familiar with my work. Ironically, people who meet me never believe I am Italian.

ASIANCE: Recently, you produced and acted in a film that won Best Feature at the Korean Film Festival here in Los Angeles. Can you tell us about this project and about your participation in it?

Carlo: The movie you are referring to is “God is D_ad” by Korean writer/director Abraham Lim. When I met Abe for the first time at my audition in Chicago, we talked for at least an hour about the vision he had for his newest feature. In a matter of minutes, he pulled out his trusty laptop and began showing me footage from the Korean half of the shoot just completed in Seoul. Warriors, caves, a different language…I was literally blown away. His enthusiasm was refreshing and I wanted to be a part of the action. I began line producing the American portion of the film while interpreting the role of “the hitchhiker”. It was both mentally and physically exhausting due to our budgetary and location constraints (keep in mind half of the movie takes place in an 80s RV and we filmed during the summer)….but we were happy and bonded like family. Our win at KOFFLA was amazing!! It was the first time the cast had the opportunity to tour festivals, so as you can imagine we were all completely floored when we received the news.

ASIANCE: This film also won at other Asian film festivals?

Carlo: Yes. We were very fortunate to have various film festivals, both in Korea and the US, embrace our renegade film. In Korea we premiered at the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival. In the US we were in competition at the Cinequest Film Festival, the Korean Film Festival in LA, the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, FAAIM Asian American Showcase, and the Phoenix Comic Con, where we won both Best Feature and Best Ensemble Cast. We moved from festival to festival in a caravan of cars stopping only for food and occasional karaoke (of which you can find incriminating evidence on youtube by typing “Karaoke in Koreatown”).

ASIANCE: I’ve also heard about a project where you played a rock god; you have to tell us about it!

Carlo: Hahaha! I can’t say much, but what I can tell you is that the movie is called Glory Days and it is a Thai-American production directed by Roy Alfred Jr. and filmed primarily in Pattaya. Twenty years after an acrimonious break-up, rock band “The Spiders” are asked to re-form as the subject of a Reality Show. Each member of the band is played by 2 actors in order to properly show what has changed and why. I play the younger version of the lead singer, Zack, during the Golden years of the early 90s… hair weave, jewelry and all. The band and I had the opportunity to perform live rock music for a real audience in downtown Los Angeles… it was nerve-wrecking, but SO much fun!!

ASIANCE: You are also currently working on a documentary project?

Carlo: Yes I am, but cannot say much until contracts are in place. A few weeks ago, a very close friend of mine was visiting from Chicago to celebrate my birthday. It was brought to my attention during his stay that out in Pasadena was a couple I might be interested in talking to. I have a strong fascination with the unique decisions each of us make in life and this couple was exactly what I had been looking for. The documentary is about eccentricities, choices and love.

ASIANCE: Recently you told me you’ve been inspired by several Asian filmmakers and actors. Who are they and why do you find them so inspiring?

Carlo: I think Katsuhiro Otomo’s anime film “Akira” was a very significant influence on my childhood. Not because of the movie itself (which I’ve seen and loved), but because it led the way for the growing popularity of anime in Europe. Because of “Akira” I grew up watching almost solely Japanese manga from the ages of 7 to 13. My all time favorites are Fujiko Fujio’s “Doraemon”, Yoichi Takahashi’s “Captain Tsubasa”, and all of the awesome “Time Bokan” anime comedies such as Majinga and Gathchaman. Later in life I had the accidental pleasure of discovering the Korean movie “Oldboy” … which completely changed my perspective on thrillers, suspense, and cinema as a whole. Director Chan-wook Park is absolutely brilliant and inspirational… working with him would be mind-blowing!

ASIANCE: Do you have any upcoming projects you are currently working on?

Carlo: I do have a few things I just finished working on that I am quite proud of. The most recent of these is a short called “The Invitation” directed by Argentinean director/producer Flora Fernandez Marengo. Working with Flora was incredible: she give me the freedom to discover the depths of the material side by side with her and was extremely supportive in my quest to understand the character of Vince. I also recently finished a project for Singapore titled “Cultural Intelligence” that investigates how different cultures experience communicative breakdowns. Interesting stuff!

ASIANCE: If people want to find out more about you, where would they go?

Carlo: The best way is via my website, www.carlocorbellini.com. I try to update it as often as possible.

ASIANCE: And lastly, do you have any advice for young Indie filmmakers who are just starting out in the Industry?

Carlo: Be committed, passionate, open minded and put your heart into every step of the process. If you love what you do, it is always rewarding.

An actor and women’s safety advocate, Candace Kita is the author of “The Hottie Handbook: A Girl’s category_ide to Safety.” As a safety specialist, Candace has been interviewed by People, Good Morning America, the Jay Leno Show, Inside Edition, the Los Angeles Times, 48 Hours, the LOGO Network and WHO Australia.