Fabrizio Mancinelli is one of the few Italians in the running for the 2025 Oscars, thanks to his nomination for the live action short film Anuja. An internationally renowned composer, Mancinelli has built a solid career between Hollywood and Italy, signing music for films, TV series and animation projects. His talent for translating emotions into music has led him to collaborate with some of the most important film productions. In this interview, he tells us about the creative process behind Anuja and the excitement of being featured at the Dolby Theater for the first time.
Fabrizio, are you rehearsing for Sunday on the Red Carpet?Yes, the Red Carpet is still covered by white cellophane, but the excitement is already so great. It’s my first time here, and that makes everything special. Also, it is a doubly significant occasion for me: it is my first year as a voting member of the Academy and, at the same time, my first nomination. A huge honor, especially as an Italian. I have dual citizenship, but Italy remains my deepest root, and to be able to represent it in this context is something magical.
Let’s talk about Anuja, the short film for which you received a nomination.Anuja is a live action short film that addresses the issue of child exploitation in India. One in ten children in the world is a victim of child labor, a dramatic reality that the film delicately tells through the eyes of its young protagonist. She is smart, alert, and full of life, which allows the story to convey the message powerfully but without weighing it down.
How did you work on the soundtrack?I chose instruments that would evoke the visual atmosphere of the film rather than traditional Indian music. The risk, otherwise, would have been to fall into a kind of parody. I wanted a sound that was universal while still respecting the context. I therefore opted for a plucked cello near the keyboard and a 17th-century viola da gamba, instruments that are uncommon to the Western ear but capable of evoking an authentic sound world without stereotypes. I believe this choice helped make the film’s message even more universal: Anuja takes place in India, but it could be set anywhere.
Italian music and American cinema have an unbreakable bond, from Ennio Morricone on down. Who are your masters?I had the good fortune to study with Luis Bacalov, Oscar winner for Il Postino, an extraordinary maestro who left me an invaluable artistic legacy. Also, coming from the world of classical music, I had the privilege of working with Gian Carlo Menotti, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and founder of the Festival dei Due Mondi. I was 18 when I started following him, he was 90, and it was a unique experience. Then, of course, there are my pole stars: Ennio Morricone and Nino Rota, who made music for film a sublime art.
In Hollywood you are now a veteran, there are already many projects you have taken part in.I have been fortunate to participate in extraordinary projects. One of them was the animated short film Mushka, directed by Disney legend Andreas Deja, for which I had the honor of collaborating with Richard M. Sherman, the composer of Mary Poppins, who passed away last May. We worked together on a song for the film, an experience I will always carry in my heart. Another incredible moment was directing the music for Green Book, Oscar winner for best picture, with a score by Kris Bowers.
We close by crossing our fingers for Sunday, but in the meantime, another award came yesterday…Yes, I received an award from the International Association of Film Music Critics for the soundtrack of another short film, an orchestral work recorded in Vienna with 80 musicians with 25 minutes of original music. This is the first time this award has also been given to a live action short film, a sign that the genre is gaining more and more attention. Now I’m crossing my fingers for Sunday, but to already be here, in this five-team field, is a victory in itself.
The article Fabrizio Mancinelli: an Italian at the Oscars with the magic of music comes from TheNewyorker.
