Reyson Grumelli is first and foremost a human being, with all its flaws, his insecurities, his beliefs, his ideas. And after all of that he is an actor and a singer.
-Tell us about your projects.
I am currently filming a new series, an experimental project we could call it, it’s about the life of people that live in my world, actors, producers, managers and so on. I’m really curious to see whether people will like it or not.
-What do you like and what don’t you like about the world?
I don’t like hypocrisy, I don’t like lack of values and I don’t like social media. I love nature and my dog.
-Every artist has someone or something that inspired them, where do you draw your creative drive from?
Everything has a possibility to inspire us, be it good or bad, I let music or other movies do most of the work for me. I love James Dean and I wouldn’t lie if I said that it’s been my main source of inspiration since I was a kid.
-Many believe the actor’s profession risks being disrupted by new and revolutionary technologies like AI. What do you think about this?
I am pretty scared by the thought of being replaced by an AI. But I even more at the thought that this AI might once become equal to us in the sense of how we feel emotions. I really hope art will find a way to live on in the next generations.
-What impression do you have of WILD FILMMAKER?
I love how it opened its pages to me, it gave me a way to express parts of my work that I rarely talk about and especially not in english. I think it’s a splendid magazine!
-When you plan the realization of a film project, what are your objectives?
My objective is to tell a personal story about a compelling story that will try to change the world a little bit, I hope. I hope that I get an audience to view the book I made. At the moment, I, and many others are not in charge of the distribution gods who use algorithms to decide whether our projects live or die. I would make an audio book also to deliver a dramatic reading of the book. And I will sell book rights for the “film” that could be made from this arty and true book.
-With Artificial Intelligence, cinema is undergoing a phase of transformation even more radical than the one that occurred in the 1920s with the transition from silent films to sound. What is your opinion on this?
Yes, I spend a lot of time takling about this in my Greenwich Villlage newspaper and my socia media blogs. Several things happened to indie filmmakers. We lost our film, the medium, for many years. When we lost film we lost our theaters our stage for so many centuries. We now live in a virtual, digital world where we stream out work but the pay is pitiful. We have allowed these Tech giants to create a world where they have a deal with their billlions of subscribers. The deial is the streamers want to satisfy their subscribers with the cheapest subcription rates, It is a streaming world where the currency is not really money. The filmmakers use cash to make their films because the real world deals with cast still. But what they give us is peanuts not a real wage we can live on. The steamers deal with streaming which is an excellent and cheap way to transmit films. Us indie filmmakers and can make a deal on this. But the deal is not between us. It is between the streamer Tech Giants and the subscribers. The Producers, Directors we are not in the club. We are outside of this deal. Films can come from around the world. Most of them follow the alogrhthm which is action, sex, violence, prositution and drugs. It is true that many filmmakers in other countries are left out because they, like we, are trying to make cinema. The streamers want to make movies that are cheap for them to buy and now they make them also. This is the game that we must fight. We will never surrender Cinema. We will always fight for the truth. Art films are not suppossed to be boring and expensive. But art films are cinema and they will never die. They will live on like jazz and the blues. We travel the same roads.
-To which production or distribution company would you like to propose your new project? Give us a profile, including some examples.
I wrote a book called My Hollywood Circus. It is a memoir and chronicle of my life making Studio films and Independent Films. It is funny and it is sad. It is what cinema should be. I think there will be an audience who will want to see the behind the scenes. And to see the roads traveled by a filmmaker.
It will be released like a film this September. I propose the very world art film distributors should be behind this celebration of film which died in 2004 when my friend at the great Technicolor in New York told me he only did 3 films in 2003. And he said film is over. It’s all digital now. So distributors with a passion for film and a passion to see how this filmmaker keeps it alive. By writing a book. Then an audio book to bring actors to the reading of a book. And then we should make a deal to turn the book into a film. This is the new cinema. It is alive.
-WILD FILMMAKER can now “sit at the table with the big players”alongside The Hollywood Reporter and Variety during the Cannes FilmFestival, but we have chosen to continue being a Global CulturalMovement with an ethical mission: to bring democracy into cinema,placing the Work of Art at the center of our project rather thanMarketing.Do you think we are doing a good job?
Michele and your Wild Filmmakers are doing a great job fighting to keep cinema alive in any way they can. I would propose nothing short of a revolution in the art world so that todays subversives will take over the mainstream again, Just like we did in the 60s.
–When you plan the realization of a film project, what are your objectives?
As I usually produce my own film projects, my objectives are to ensure that:
I develop a unique idea and script, refining it so it fully matches my creative vision.
I apply for funding and reach out to my network to explore financing opportunities.
I recruit a talented cast and crew who understand the vision and believe in the project.
I find suitable filming locations that meet the script’s requirements and enhance the film’s aesthetic.
The music score aligns with the mood and style of the film, as this is particularly important to me.
–With Artificial Intelligence, cinema is undergoing a phase of transformation even more radical than the one that occurred in the 1920s with the transition from silent films to sound. What is your opinion on this?
There is no denying that artificial intelligence is here to stay, and we have already seen how it is beginning to impact the film industry. For example, we are now seeing the emergence of AI-generated actors and films. However, I believe that AI will never be able to fully replace human intelligence, creativity, and emotional depth. While AI can be a powerful tool for filmmakers—helping with aspects such as editing, visual effects, or even script development—it cannot replicate the unique perspective and personal storytelling that each filmmaker brings to their work. Cinema is already evolving and looks very different from how it did 5–10 years ago due to advancements in AI. Nevertheless, at its core, filmmaking remains a deeply human art form. AI can support and enhance the creative process, but it cannot replace human creativity or the authenticity of human experience.
-To which production or distribution company would you like to propose your new project? Give us a profile, including some examples.
I would like to propose my new projects, The Fatal Dilemma and The Other Side of the Lens, to production and distribution companies that have a strong appreciation for distinctive visual storytelling and vintage-inspired cinema.
In particular, companies such as A24, Searchlight Pictures, and StudioCanal would be ideal, as they are known for supporting filmmaker-driven projects with unique styles and strong artistic identities. For example, A24 has backed visually distinctive and unconventional films, while Searchlight Pictures has a history of producing and distributing character-driven, stylistically rich cinema.
I would also consider organisations like the BFI (British Film Institute) and Film4, which actively support independent filmmakers and projects that explore cinematic heritage and innovation. These companies often invest in films that combine creative storytelling with strong artistic vision.
My projects are inspired by vintage film styles and aim to revive classic cinematic aesthetics for modern audiences. Therefore, I am particularly interested in working with companies that are passionate about bringing timeless storytelling techniques to new generations, while maintaining a high level of artistic integrity.
–WILD FILMMAKER can now “sit at the table with the big players” alongside The Hollywood Reporter and Variety during the Cannes Film Festival, but we have chosen to continue being a Global Cultural Movement with an ethical mission: to bring democracy into cinema, placing the Work of Art at the center of our project rather than Marketing. Do you think we are doing a good job?
You are doing an excellent job in giving independent filmmakers a unique opportunity to showcase their projects and share them with audiences worldwide. It is extremely important to support and give a voice to independent cinema, as it operates with greater creative freedom, free from many of the constraints often imposed by major studios.
Independent cinema has the power to explore diverse ideas, perspectives, and ideologies, and can influence the way audiences think about life and important social topics. It brings fresh perspectives, original storytelling, and experimentation with style, cinematography, and narrative techniques—elements that may not always find space within traditional studio systems. By prioritising the work of art over marketing, you are helping to preserve the true essence of filmmaking and encouraging innovation and authenticity within the industry.
I’m a young French film-maker in love with body-horror. I first studied Finance for five years before turning to cinema and directing. My first feature film “Sanguine” (Species – international title) is premiering this year in Cannes at the Midnight screening, in the Official Competition.
-Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?
Yes, when I saw Titanic for the first time, as a kid. It was during my summer holidays at my grandparents’ countryside home. They had recorded the film on television. I watched it a hundred times. I knew the dialogues by heart. I knew at this exact moment that I wanted to do this job for the rest of my life.
-Tell us about your project “SPECIES (SANGUINE)”.
It’s a body-horror film about young people having troubles adapting to the work market. It tells the story of a young resident, working at a hospital who starts developing unknown symptoms on her own body….
-Which Director inspires you the most?
Ari Aster. He is my master, I’m such a huge fan of his work. I don’t know any other director as brillant as him. “Beau is afraid” blew my mind, it’s a masterpiece. According to me, he’s the new king of horror.
-What do you dislike about the world and what would you change?
The fact that people have stopped thinking, or that everybody thinks the same because everybody thinks the way chat GPT thinks… I would encourage people whom dare thinking out of the box and fighting for their ideas, even if they are radical.
-How do you imagine cinema in 100 years?
I think it will probably be the last room where we’ll be able to defend non conventional ideas and point of views. The last room of freedom in a very asepticized world.
-What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?
So great to discover new filmmakers from all over the world !
-When you plan the realization of a film project, what are your objectives?
My objectives are very simple. I think they are the same as every other person that writes a script. It would be to get the proper funding in place to tell the story exactly how it’s written. What I mean by that is my last film was substantially under budget for what was written and had to keep rewriting scenes or deleting some to make sure we could fit the film in our budget and complete the film. With proper funding the story can be made and told exactly how it’s supposed to be told. The other big objective is to have the story seen by as many eyes as possible. You dream of having your work on the big screen but as long as it is distributed, whether on the big screen or the little one, that is always a major factor as well. The sooner you can secure distribution the better, I say.
-With Artificial Intelligence, cinema is undergoing a phase of transformation even more radical than the one that occurred in the 1920s with the transition from silent films to sound. What is your opinion on this?
As long as it’s only used as a tool and not a way to create a project, I see nothing wrong with this. There will always be inventions as the years go on that will always enhance our lives, while at the same time hindering it somewhere else. I personally have used AI when transcribing my subtitles into other languages. I’ve found it very useful and less time consuming. There are also some people who are using it to create films. While they still have to input all the information to receive the results they are looking for, they are taking out all the human elements that need to go into a film to express the raw thoughts and feelings that one is trying to capture. From collaboration to instincts, this art form is meant to express human emotion through story and I feel using this tool in this way takes everything away from that. It would be like Michelangelo typing into a machine what he wanted and having the machine do the sculpting for him. It would be like taking the paint brush out of Picasso’s hand and having a machine brush the strokes on the canvas for him. You will never have the true perspective of the artist if it is used in this sense. It will never be their work.
-To which production or distribution company would you like to propose your new project? Give us a profile, including some examples.
I would like a distribution company like me, independent. There are many great companies around the globe that I would love to work and collaborate with. Some of the bigger one’s in the USA would be companies like A24 or Bleecker Street. Some of the foreign companies would include Lucky Red in Italy or Film Archive in the UK. These are just some samples but if any company is willing to contribute to my film, I would give anyone a chance so I can make it.
-When you plan the realization of a film project, what are your objectives?
When I begin the realization of a film project, my objective is never simply to tell a story. I search for a human state that cannot easily disappear after the film ends. Cinema, for me, is not an explanation of life but an attempt to approach its hidden emotional truth. I am interested in loss, love, waiting, exile, memory, and the invisible distance between people. Every visual choice, rhythm, silence, movement, and performance must serve that inner emotional core. I do not seek spectacle for its own sake; I seek resonance — the kind of image that remains inside the viewer long after the screen turns black.
-With Artificial Intelligence, cinema is undergoing a phase of transformation even more radical than the one that occurred in the 1920s with the transition from silent films to sound. What is your opinion on this?
Artificial Intelligence is undoubtedly transforming cinema in a radical way, perhaps comparable to the transition from silent films to sound. However, I believe technology itself is never the soul of cinema. Cinema has always evolved through tools, but art begins where the human experience becomes impossible to automate. AI can assist creation, accelerate processes, and open new visual possibilities, but it cannot replace the mystery of human emotion, contradiction, memory, fear, love, and spiritual presence. The danger is not AI itself, but the possibility that cinema becomes faster, emptier, and emotionally disconnected. The future of cinema will belong to filmmakers who know how to use technology without losing the human soul inside the image.
-To which production or distribution company would you like to propose your new project? Give us a profile, including some examples.
I would like to propose my new project to production and distribution companies that still believe in auteur-driven cinema and cinematic identity rather than purely industrial formulas. I am interested in collaborating with producers and distributors who understand that cinema is not merely content to consume quickly, but an artistic experience capable of leaving a philosophical and emotional trace. My upcoming projects explore psychological and existential dimensions through visual storytelling rooted in atmosphere, silence, memory, and poetic realism.
Beyond cinema, there is also a place very close to my heart called “Tohfa Antiques Store,” located in the historic Al-Fustat district in Cairo, beneath the bridge near the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, Shop No. 9. It is one of the most beautiful places in Egypt dedicated to antiques and timeless objects, not only because of its rare pieces, but because of the elegance, atmosphere, and refined aesthetic spirit that fills the space. The owners are among the most specialized and passionate experts in this field in Egypt, with exceptional taste and sensitivity in selecting and presenting every object. What fascinates me most there is the feeling and emotional presence within the place itself — as if every piece carries a hidden memory, a silent story, and a preserved fragment of time. Each object comes with its own certificate and history, making the experience feel less like visiting a store and more like entering a carefully protected world of beauty and memory.
I truly love “Tohfa,” and I sincerely wish this brand the success and recognition it deserves. Places with such authenticity, elegance, and emotional depth deserve to be seen and appreciated internationally. I would also love to invite my friends and fellow filmmakers whom I meet during the Cannes Film Festival to visit Egypt and discover places with a unique spirit like “Tohfa Antiques Store,” because some places are not simply visited — they are deeply felt.
The main objectives when planning the realisation of a project.
When I set up to realise a project there are a few objectives that for me come side by side and that I must have already clarified: The understanding of the story, tone, themes, and audience and that this story will convey in all its power, the message I had initially envisaged. For me it is paramount that this narrative is solid and reverberate across borders. Planning the team walks hand in hand with who is cast to voice the characters. It is important to summon the best team but equally important is to choose a team that truly falls in love with my project that same way I did. Every effort should be made to minimize risks. Ultimately, the objective is to create a film that resonates—artistically, culturally, and even commercially. Therefore every planning decision should support that end goal.
With Artificial Intelligence, Cinema is undergoing a phase of Transformation, even more radical that the one that occurred in the 1920’s with the transition from silent films to sound. What is your opinion on this?
I believe AI has the potential to do something far broader and it is there that the perils are! If done with ethic and responsibility, AI can be a filmmaker’s close friend and not their enemy as many are harshly fearing it to be. It gives us the opportunity to be in the future now and like everything we don’t know yet it is natural to fear. In 50 years times or even less we will see those who opted to have AI as an ally or a foe. That said, it is utterly important to use with care and consideration.
To which production or distribution company would you like to prepose your new project?
To production companies that centre on a character driven film, with a highly social impact. Stories that resonate worldwide. Bold and original stories!
I am a Brazilian writer born in the northeast of Brazil more precisely in the town of Cascavel, in the state of Ceara. I graduated in Portuguese and Latin from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. I started reading at a very early stage and used to spend hours immersed in children’s books, something I own to my parents as they read daily to me. As time passed I started to create characters and give them life. However, I felt these stories needed a place where other people could find them and that’s how I started to write and for many years the notebook was my most close friend, a friend that hold my stories, my worlds and my anxieties.
Since then I have a few books published and most recently “A Turma do Zerinho” was selected to compete to Premio Jabuti 2026,the most important literary award in Brazil.”,
But the word is never alone and it is because of my writing skill that I developed a desire for the audiovisual. I founded “Papo Letrinha”, a channel dedicated to children’s literature while silently I was already slowly feeding a deep desire to write for the cinema.
Following my written treatments, this dream became true in the shape of Tramoia. A project that gathered strength after being embraced by Brazilian filmmaker Carla Di Bonito, who believed in my potential and the strength of this narrative. Today I breath cinema. I see in it the possibility to transform dreams into images and to take them worldwide. Stories that communicate with anyone in any place of the world.
Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?
In the 80’s television was very present in my daily life. It was through it that I could access other worlds. And it was in this context that cinema started to, albeit, silently get hold of me.
Despite the Goonies had arrived in the mid 80’s, it wasn’t until I was 10 years old in 1990 that it had crossed my path. 10 years old, the age where phantasy and reality merge on each other without asking permission. That was such an overwhelming passion that it spilt from the screen directly into my life. I didn’t want only to watch, I wanted to create as well. Looking back, I realise now that those hunting afternoons were my first experiences as storyteller.
Tell us about your project “Tramóia”
Tramoia was born from a very intime desire to tell a story that carries the power of my roots but that also dialogues with the outside world. It’s a short film set in the Brazilian backlands, constructed as a contemporary fable where reality and phantasy intertwin poetically. At the centre of the narrative, is a young lacemaker, symbol of tradition, resistance and tenderness that finds herself visited by a mysterious entity that tries to buy her dreams. From this point forward the film proposes a deep reflexion about values. Dreams, Identity and memory. Tramoia also explore choices, about things we can give up and those we simply can’t because they are priceless!
The project gained momentum when producer/director Carla Di Bonito stepped in and Boto Film started producing it. Later TZM joined the project and we have now a co-production between the U.K and Brazil. It is a fusion of different takes where a deep knowledge of the scenario meets the international perspective which amplifies the reach of the narrative. The script is gaining recognition with international selections and an award which reinforces its potential and the global interest for narratives that carries cultural identity.
Tramoia is more than a film. It is a sensorial and emotional experience. It is about what we are about the courage of not selling aways who we are!
Which Director inspires you the most?
Tim Burton. There is something in particular in the way he executes his scenes that captivates me. The capability to see beauty in what it’s perceived as strange, to give humanity to what is somber. His universe is not only aesthetic but emotional. His characters are dislocated, misunderstood but incredibly sensitive and this touches me profoundly as an artist. Burton builds worlds with their own identity. Every detail, from art direction to the atmosphere, seems loaded with intention. He is not afraid to embrace a style, to be auteur, to imprint his vision on every frame.
What do you dislike about the world and what would you change?
What troubles me most is child poverty , which deprives millions of children of the right to dream. Childhood should be a time of imagination and hope, not mere survival. Through cinema, I hope to bring visibility to this reality and contribute to a world where no child is forced to give up being a child.
How do you imagine cinema in 100 year’s time?
Cinema will likely become more technological, immersive and perhaps even individualised. Yet, regardless of these changes, its essence will remain: telling stories that moves us. The greatest challenge will be to evolve without losing that soul.
What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?
I see Wild Filmmaker as an essential platform for independent cinema, offering visibility to woks beyond the commercial circuit. More than a showcase, it is a community that fosters connection and helps reach audiences across the world. One of its powerful points is the fact that within this community there is exchange, support and collective empowerment-something rare in a market that is often individualistic. The international visibility they provide is fundamental. For us, independent filmmakers, being seeing outside our country mean opening doors, reaching new audiences, and making our stories cross borders.
-When you plan the realization of a film project, what are your objectives?
The aspect I care about most is consistency with the project it is intended to play, just as the harmonics accompanying the fundamental note define the timbre of an instrument.
My fundamental objectives are the work’s consistency with the project (be it musical, literary, aesthetic, cinematic, or artistic), with the subject, and with all its component parts (theoretical, practical, or productive). Everything else follows. The more consistent you are, the more you can achieve a successful, powerful, important, and meaningful outcome.
-With Artificial Intelligence, cinema is undergoing a phase of transformation even more radical than the one that occurred in the 1920s with the transition from silent films to sound. What is your opinion on this?
AI is a medium, so in my opinion, like all mediums, it is neutral. The difference lies in the mind and heart of the person using it. For example, with a fork I can hijack a plane or feed a child, it doesn’t depend on the fork.
Cinema can be a tool of propaganda or authenticity. In any case, it reveals and documents more than its narrative capacity. The difference is determined by the audience’s level of awareness.
-To which production or distribution company would you like to propose your new project? Give us a profile, including some examples.
When I think of a production company, I believe in the encounter, empathy, sharing, and trust that can arise through the proposal of a project. The strength of a project creates synergy, as mentioned above, comparable to the harmonics contained in each individual note. It is this condition, in my humble opinion, that allows the development and realization of a project, which sounds and resonates like a melody.
A contemporary example of a “successful” production are the productions of Paolo Sorrentino, who through his cinematic work, express the skill and unity of a team.
-WILD FILMMAKER can now “sit at the table with the big players” alongside The Hollywood Reporter and Variety during the Cannes Film Festival, but we have chosen to continue being a Global Cultural Movement with an ethical mission: to bring democracy into cinema, placing the Work of Art at the center of our project rather than Marketing. Do you think we are doing a good job?
Thank you, Wild Filmmaker! The success you have achieved and continue to achieve is directly proportional to the love, dedication, and shared “mission” of every single collaborator who works within it.
Thanks to your commitment, we can participate and contribute, with our works, to the global cinematic landscape.Thank you!
What are your goals when you plan a filmmaking project?
“I always aim for projects that go beyond my reach, even knowing full well that I won’t have the necessary skills or the right budget for them. By doing this, I’m forced to learn quickly and to use my imagination to make do with the resources that are available to me. Eventually I always get into the worst kind of trouble: I try climbing a mountain that’s far too steep, but if I’m lucky, once I reach that peak, I can get the answers I’m looking for. Answers to questions like, “Why the hell am I setting all my scenes in green spaces?” “Why are my words so violent?” “Can you still see my personality in what I do, or is my need for appreciation the only thing left?”
This is my ultimate goal: to answer the thousands of questions that arise during my journey to the top.
In the film I directed, “We Love Everywhere”, the actor Henoc Mboyo and I improvised every scene with the passersby of Trastevere. I plunged into total chaos, with no scripts and no opportunity for multiple takes. I was in the worst trouble, the worst mess, but once I finished shooting, I managed to find the answers I was looking for.”
AI is transforming filmmaking. What is your opinion on AI’s role in filmmaking?
“At the moment, I’m undecided, because you can still tell when an actor is AI generated in a movie. I wonder whether in a year or two the situation will be different. Even though various organizations and movements try to protect actors, I don’t know how long it’s going to be possible to keep this up. I hope the actor keeps living forever, but at the same time, I appreciated Scorsese’s “The Irishman”. In that case, it was one of the first times technology had managed to overhaul an actor’s interpretation in such a profound way, and I found the result fantastic. If AI went in that direction—that is, not demolishing the actor’s role but changing parameters to make their acting more credible, from a storytelling point of view—then I’d be in favor. For independent creatives, AI is an excellent tool for editing and for reducing costs. But it must remain in service to the story. When it comes to writing, I’m very critical about its use: AI might be useful for research and grammar, but I’d never entrust my dialogues to an algorithm. My dialogues come from shards of my soul and memory. How can an algorithm sense and see what I’ve lived? It can’t, just like any another fellow human being can’t.”
Which production or distribution company would you like to suggest your work to?
“In “We Love Everywhere” we asked passersby to improvise with us. I’d like to work with someone who understands, on a profound level, this adventure and our total immersion in the story. Trastevere is utter chaos: that day we didn’t just film a movie, we murdered our cowardice too, by filming wildly, by embracing risks and by feasting on that indomitable force. If someone watching this movie understood the potential behind it…I’d be wholly in favour of talking about this possibility. I’d even accept criticism. At the moment, I’m filming a TV show called “Directed by Woman”. I changed my approach here: there’s still a lot of experimenting, but I always write the screenplay before filming. I film a lot, maybe too much: a thousand different narrative choices, but I end up discarding most of them. It’s a different journey than “We Love Everywhere”, but at the same time it’s also similar: another mountain to climb, another story to understand. If someone is interested in what I do, someone who works in the field of cinema, I’d be happy to talk about this possibility. Otherwise, I’ll keep climbing to the next peak, knowing that someone is going to notice sooner rather than later and will tell me, ‘You’re crazy, man. I like you. Do you want to create a movie with us?’”
WILD FILMMAKER, you can now sit down with the big protagonists, right next to The Hollywood Reporter and Variety during the Cannes Film Festival, but we have chosen to remain a Global Cultural Movement with an ethical mission: to bring democracy in the movie industry, by putting art first, at the core of our project, instead of marketing. Do you think we’re doing a good job?
“I’m going to say a few concise words about this: from what I can see, you’re the only ones still interested in another kind of filmmaking, in looking into dark spaces with the intent of finding hidden talents.”
