Giovanni Labadessa is an award-winning writer-producer and European Film Academy member, based between Los Angeles and New York, specializing in international independent cinema.  

 

He began his career as a screenwriter and transitioned into production with Lee Farber’s debut feature The Lonely Italian (2016), distributed by Hulu. Since then he has built a track record of critically acclaimed international films. Recent credits include Fishgirl (PÖFF Critics’ Pick Special Mention), Dog of God (2026 Academy Awards Latvia’s entry for Best International Feature, two 2026 European Film Academy nominations and 30+ festival selections), and Isabel (Berlinale Panorama), produced alongside of Oscar-winning producer of I’m Still Here.

 

He champions distinctive auteur voices not only through his producing work, but also as the founder of Nòt Film Fest, now in its ninth edition and as a recurring mentor for the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge.