Private Project

La Mia Italia (courtesy link for cast and crew)

"La Mia Italia" is a war drama/romance short fiction set during the Second World War and based on the melange of two true stories.

Fighting on the battlefield, Sante (20 years old), a young Italian partisan, has been held in an Albanian prison camp, nearby the Devoll river.
The memory of his long-lasting Love for Elsa is all that keeps him going.

  • Jay Manari
    Director
  • Jay Manari
    Writer
  • Jay Manari
    Producer
  • Henry Thompson
    Key Cast
    "Sante"
  • Inna Bagoli
    Key Cast
    "Elsa"
  • Athos Leonardi
    Key Cast
    "Sante flashbacks"
  • Sara Rizzano
    Key Cast
    "Elsa flashbacks"
  • Mauro Mercatali
    Key Cast
    "Father"
  • Ivano Cavaliere
    Key Cast
    "Welsh Soldier"
  • Cosmin Vlad
    Cinematographer
  • Nikola Vukovic
    Sound Designer
  • Jay Manari
    Editor
  • Jonathan McKinney
    Composer
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, War, Romance
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes 31 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 30, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    Italy
  • Country of Filming:
    Italy
  • Language:
    Italian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Jay Manari

Jay Manari is a director-writer-producer, based in the UK.
He works as director/producer for indie film productions and as producer's and director's PA on High-end TV shows, like 'The Ballad of Renegade Nell" (Disney Plus) produced by Lookout Point Productions, with series producer Jon Jennings, directors Ben Taylor and Amanda Brotchie.

Previously, Jay worked as assistant director/ production coordinator for corporate productions both in Europe (Italy) and in the U.S. (California - LA & New York).
In LA, he began as director Simone Bartesaghi's Exec Development assistant at the prestigious Los Angeles Film School.
Next, Jay worked within the Cineaste Films Productions for the music video 'Vandaag - Bakermat' and for the TV movie 'Megachurch Murder' (also known as 'Shaker Pointe’).

In 2014, Jay founded the ManarìFilmArts Productions.
In 2018, he became CEO and Creative Art Director of MiraBan LTD, a member of BFI and Film Hub London, an art and entertainment company focused on underground cinema and film festivals.

Versatile and explorative by nature, Jay enjoys taking on new roles, especially the ones requiring both creative and managerial skills. Painter by vocation, Jay constantly enriches his vision with a Fine Arts background to nurture and stimulate his research and exploration of characters' choices, wishes, and events.

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Director Statement

"All you can do depends on how much strength you have, how stubborn you are, and how many people you can convince to believe in your idea."