“A FILM IS NEVER REALLY GOOD UNLESS THE CAMERA IS AN EYE IN THE HEAD OF A POET”
- ORSON WELLES
Alfonso Maiorana
Independent Motion Pictures & Film Professional
ALFONSO MAIORANA, is a filmmaker and cinematographer with over 25 years of experience in the motion film industry. He began his career in Montreal directing music videos and independant films. His most recent film as Co-Director, Co-Writer and Cinematographer, "Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked The World" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017 and walked away with the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award of Masterful Storytelling. The film also picked up two top prizes at Hot Docs 2017; The Rogers Audience award for Best Canadian Documentary and the Hot Docs Audience Award. In early March of 2018, the film won all three awards at the CSA for Documentary in Canada. Maiorana took away two individual awards for Best Feature Length Documentary (As co-director/co-writer) and Best Cinematography in a Feature Length Documentary. Internationally, it captured additional success winning Best Music Documentary Film at the Doc'n Roll Film Festival in London 2017 as well as Best Audience Award at The Biografilm Festival 2017 in Bologna, Italy.
Some of his more personal projects as a Writer/Director that have had a successful festival run include; "The Big World", which premiered at the Montreal International Film festival and "Annabelle" at the Sao Paulo International Film Festival.
Maiorana's distinctive visual style and storytelling in his films derive from his passion for real life stories. His rich cultural background, the love for the arts, and the his connection to music play a huge role in his artistic aspirations. Filmmakers like Francois Truffaut, Federico Fellini, Francis Ford Coppola, Jim Jarmusch, Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee are his main inspirations.
ALFONSO MAIORANA, CSC (associate member) interest in developing his skills as a camera operator on feature films allowed him to enhance his visual eye as a cinematographer. A member of the camera department of Montreal since his return home from Vancouver to Montreal in the mid 90’s, Maiorana has worked on projects ranging from major Hollywood Studio films (X-Men: Dark Phoenix) , International co-productions (Barney's version), Independent features (I'm Not There) , MOWs (The Wool Cap) and Network Television Series (Blood & Treasure, Jack Ryan, Art of More).
As a the Director of Photography, he worked three seasons on a Canadian television series entitled "Mohawk Girls" as well as season 2 of CBC's “The Tournament”. Maiorana has also added many international credits as a 2nd Unit Director of Photography; Levity, The Smurfs, Barney's Version, I'm Not There, Blood & Treasure.
His career has enabled him to film in several locations all over the world such as Rome, Venice, Torino, Capetown, London, Essaouira, Ouarzazate, Tangier, Marrakesh, New York, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Washington, Mississippi, Vancouver and Montreal. More so, he has had the privilege to work with some of the most respected Cinematographers in Film and Television production which includes Mauro Fiore, Phil Méheux, Simon Duggan, Kramer Morganthau, Mandy Walker, Roger Deakins, Ed Lachman, Jeffrey Jur, Pierre Jodoin, Guy Dufaux, Anthony Wolberg, Yves Belanger, Thomas Burstyn, Oliver Bokelberg, Norayr Kasper, Rogier Stoffers, Jean-Claude Larrieu, Richard Rutkowski, Checco Varese, and Christopher Faloona.
ALFONSO MAIORANA is currently working as Director / Writer / Producer of a feature length Documentary film entitled, " Goddess of Slide: The Forgotten Story Of Ellen McIlwaine for SOUL FLICKER FILMS slated to be released in 2023.
He is in development as Director / Co-writer on a feature length fictional film entitled, "The Truth of an Imperfect Stranger" along with Italian co-writer Mariano Di Nardo (Children of the Night) in a co-production with Italy. And finally, he is also currently working as Director / Co-writer of a feature length Documentary film entitled, "The Kahea" produced by Sovereign Films out of Hawaii.
TESTIMONIAL
“Alfonso is the best operator I have worked with, bar none. Aside from his technical skills, what most set him apart from anyone else I have worked with was his instinct and heart.”
— Stephen Gyllenhaal, Film Director