"Playing God" da Matteo Burani - FB
"Playing God" da Matteo Burani
Matteo Burani, recipient of the "Lorenzo il Magnifico" Award from the President
During the XV Florence Biennale, on Sunday, October 19 at 4:00 PM in the Theatre Area – Spadolini Pavilion, Italian director Matteo Burani, recipient of the “Lorenzo il Magnifico” Award by the President of this edition, will present his short film “Playing God”. The screening will be followed by an award ceremony in his honour.
Matteo Burani is an animation director born in Bologna in 1991. A self-taught artist, he began working in stop-motion in 2010 by founding Studio Croma, where he contributed as a puppet maker and character designer. Since 2017, he has directed music videos, commercials, and short films, and he currently oversees the puppet department at Studio Croma, managing the writing and direction of all projects.
His filmography includes the short films “Bones” (2012), “Hypno Tidoo” (2021), and “Playing God” (2024), the music video “Every Time I Run” (2018), and the mini-series “A Home for Mielodie” (2022). In 2025, “Playing God”, selected by the Florence Biennale from the works presented at the festival “I Corti di Sentiero Film Factory”, was awarded the President’s “Lorenzo il Magnifico” Prize, recognising its artistic excellence and highlighting Buriani’s promising creative trajectory in animation.
Playing God
A short film directed by Matteo Burani, animated by Arianna Gheller, produced by Arianna Gheller (IT) & Nicolas Schmerkin (FR). Duration: 9 minutes | Target: adult/young adult | Year: 2024 | Technique: stop-motion animation A clay sculpture comes to life in the darkness of a workshop, surrounded by mysterious creatures. The story explores the ambiguity of subjective judgment and chaotic decision-making: a Sculptor creates a work he deems imperfect and abandons it; the sculpture tries to follow him but self-destructs, ultimately finding acceptance among other rejected works. Set in a workshop inspired by sculptors’ studios and Frankenstein’s lab, the film employs a colour palette evoking Bologna and its artisanal heritage. The narrative is realised through puppet animation, clay animation, and pixilation, with a directorial style and editing reminiscent of live action, highlighting the tactile and sensory quality of the sculptures. A co-production between Studio Croma Animation (Italy) and Autour de Minuit (France), supported by Regione Emilia-Romagna, MIC – Italian Ministry of Culture, and CNC – Centre National du Cinéma et de l’Image Animée.
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