Contro Vento means ‘going against the wind’. That’s how we work. Outside the status quo. We create compelling films that cut to the heart of truth.
Talent Agent
Raffaello Degruttola is a BIFA-nominated Anglo-Italian Actor-Writer-Director and founding director of Contro Vento Films. Born in London to Italian parents from Ariano Irpino, Raff was raised in North London and Queens, New York. He won a place at the Sylvia Young Theatre School as a teenager and continued his acting training at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute.
Raff quickly carved a niche as a versatile character actor in American films shot in Europe, working with notable directors Ron Howard ('Rush'), Micheal Apted ('Unlocked'), Richard Attenborough ('In Love And War') and Mike Nichols ('Wit'). In 2019 he appeared in a memorable cameo with Rebel Wilson in Chris Addison's 'The Hustle'. His latest roles include playing Dr. Kagan opposite Dave Batista in action-comedy 'The Killer's Game' and playing lead antagonist Ricardo in road trip comedy 'The Monk, The Mermaid and Molise' opposite Sally Phillips and Pink Floyd's Guy Pratt. TV roles include playing Jamie's agent in 'Ted Lasso'.
In 2010 Raff wrote and directed 'The Other Side of My Sleep', a 30 min short inspired by the deaths of his father and grandmother. The film opened the Boston Film Festival. He went on to direct and star in his first feature 'Flim the Movie', a biting satire of the indie film world shot in an edgy mockumentary style. 'Flim' was nominated for Best British Debut at the Moet British Independent Film Awards following its selection for Raindance.
Drawn to playing complex characters, Raff went on to write and direct his first dramatic feature, 'Transference: A Love Story', a bipolar love story about control. The film received the Jury Prize from the judges at SRFF 2020 and global attention for going viral on YouTube. It has now been viewed over 29M times. His latest feature film, 'To Love A Narcissist', another obsessive love story stars Lyndsey Marshal alongside him.
  • Director (8 Credits)
    To Love a Narcissist2025
    Feature
    Him/Her2023
    Short
    FLIM: The Webisodes2019
    Web / New Media
    Transference: A Bipolar Love Story2019
    Feature
    Transference 2018
    Experimental, Short
    No Way Home: Stop the Traffick2017
    Short
    Tremor Cordis2017
    Short
    FLIM: The Movie2014
    Feature
  • Writer (7 Credits)
    To Love a Narcissist2025
    Feature
    Him/Her2023
    Short
    FLIM: The Webisodes2019
    Web / New Media
    Transference: A Bipolar Love Story2019
    Feature
    No Way Home: Stop the Traffick2017
    Short
    Tremor Cordis2017
    Short
    FLIM: The Movie2014
    Feature
  • Producer (6 Credits)
    To Love a Narcissist2025
    Feature
    FLIM: The Webisodes2019
    Web / New Media
    Transference 2018
    Experimental, Short
    No Way Home: Stop the Traffick2017
    Short
    Tremor Cordis2017
    Short
    FLIM: The Movie2014
    Feature
  • Acting (5 Credits)
    To Love a Narcissist2025
    Feature
    Transference: A Bipolar Love Story2019
    Feature
    No Way Home: Stop the Traffick2017
    Short
    Tremor Cordis2017
    Short
    FLIM: The Movie2014
    Feature
Jury Award
Transference: A Bipolar Love Story
Socially Relevant Film Festival New York (SRFF)
New York
2024
Best Film (Official Selection)
Transference: A Bipolar Love Story
Lulea Film Festival
Lulea
2021
Best Film (Won)
Transference: A Bipolar Love Story
RAGFF Venezia Film Festival
Venice
2021
Best Film (Won)
Transference: A Bipolar Love Story
Anatolia Film Festival
Istanbul
2021
Best Film (Official Selection)
Transference: A Bipolar Love Story
European Cinema Festival
Madrid
2021
Best Film (Official Selection)
Transference: A Bipolar Love Story
The Hague Global Film Festival
The Hague
2021
Dramatic Feature
Transference: A Bipolar Love Story
Arizona International Film Festival
Tucson
2021
Best Film (Official Selection)
Transference: A Bipolar Love Story
Buenos Aires Film Festival
Buenos Aires
2020
Expose
No Way Home: Stop the Traffick
United Nations World Freedom Day
New York City
2017
Best Film: Official Selection
FLIM: The Movie
New York Independent Film Festival
New York City
2015
Raindance Award
FLIM: The Movie
Moet British independent Film Awards
London England
2014
Raindance Award (British Breakthrough)
FLIM: The Webisodes
BIFA Nominated Feature
London, England
College
Sylvia Young Theater School
Drama
High School
Lee Strasberg Institute
Acting
Nickname
Raff
Birth City
London
Current City
London/ Los Angeles
Hometown
London
Gender
Male
Ethnicity
Italian
Eye Color
Green
Children
1
Contro Vento means ‘going against the wind’. That’s how we work. Outside the status quo. We create compelling films that cut to the heart of truth.
Talent Agent
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