Please introduce yourself, what you do, why you do it, and what you want people to know about you.
My name is Ilaria Malvezzi. I am a former contemporary – physical theater dancer from Italy. I moved to New York in 2004, and after an artistic hiatus that lasted several years, I started studying acting at William Esper Studio under the mentorship of Suzanne Esper. Right after graduation, I began to write and produce my own work. The experience made me fall in love with the process of filmmaking and with the independent film community in the New York area. I am passionate about storytelling, and it’s a privilege to collaborate with like-minded artists who love the craft as much as I do. I am still a new voice in the industry; however, I’d like to be known for the quality and honesty of my work and evermore so, its authenticity.
What qualities make you different and unique from everyone else in the industry?
Every artist is beautifully unique, but I believe that my European background, and in particular Italian culture, have a decisive influence on my work. They are ingrained in me, and they manifest in every idea, vision, and writing I attempt. I am fascinated by the most unfiltered side of human experience. I am attracted by unconventional and controversial female characters and their relationships with men and social expectations. I am a rebel by nature, and I thrive to capture stories that provoke and cause meaningful reactions.
Describe THAT moment when you realized you wanted to do what you do now. Who did you tell first? What has it been like since that moment?
That moment was at my first ever acting class at Thomas G. Waites Studio, in New York. I was dragged by my dear friend – and brilliant actress – Annie McGovern. I resisted it at first because I wanted to start dancing again (my mental pattern was stuck with “I am a dancer”). Annie insisted and I gave it a shot. Tom assigned me a monologue from “The Comedy of Errors”. He tutored me for thirty minutes on Skype before bringing it to class. I don’t know what happened to me during that scene, during those 2 minutes of my life at Bernie West Theater. An entire universe opened up to me. A feeling that I had never felt before, even during my best dancing days. That was it. I didn’t know what it was, (I still don’t know what it is ) but I wanted more and more of it. I called Annie and I said to her “Thank you”. Pursuing acting as a career isn’t an easy task. Every time I hit a wall, I doubt myself and feel like I am climbing on mirrors, I remember that feeling, and I hold it tight in my heart. Every obstacle and difficulty are worthwhile just to experience that moment even if only for one more time.
What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to face and how did you overcome it?
I don’t think we overcome challenges. I think we grow out of them. They are a necessary part of the game. They keep me on edge, engaged, ingenious, they force me to think out of the box, they keep me honest and humble, they are often mirrors of what I may fear (“ That what you fear the most could meet you halfway..” Crazy Mary ~Pearl Jam), but at the same time I learn, I gain experience, I meet people, I study, I mature, I evolve, and what seemed an insurmountable obstacle, suddenly appears manageable and even unimportant. The challenges stay the same, but we change. We progress.
If you had to pick the TOP 3 people you’d want to meet that could take your career (or business) to the next level…who would those 3 people be?
- Director Luca Guadagnino
- Writer Margaret Mazzantini
- Producer/Writer Micheal Hirst
List the direct links/URL to your social media profiles so people can follow you:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/movenze/
- Clubhouse: https://www.clubhouse.com/@ilariamalvezzi