Category: Events

Hands-on learning, real-world experience, and direct engagement with professionals from the audiovisual industry: these were the defining elements of AANT students’ participation in the second edition of the Written By Script & Film Festival, held on 4–5 July 2026 under the artistic direction of Professor Raffaele Grasso.

The renewed partnership between AANT – Academy of Arts and New Technologies and the festival offered an important opportunity for students enrolled in the Videomaking, Story, Cinema and Media Design programme to gain first-hand experience behind the scenes of a cultural event, transforming the knowledge acquired in the classroom into practical professional skills.

Among the most significant projects, a group of students produced the festival’s official video podcast, “How Did You Write It?”, a series featuring interviews and in-depth conversations with the festival’s guests, which will be released throughout the year on major digital platforms. At the same time, another team was responsible for the audiovisual coverage of the event, supporting the organisation in both production and event management activities.

AANT students also took part in the Student Jury, with five representatives joining students from Sapienza University of Rome, RUFA and Accademia Renoir to award the prize for Best Screenplay. This provided a valuable opportunity to engage with screenwriters, producers and audiovisual professionals while developing a critical understanding of contemporary cinematic storytelling.

Organised by Stolen Film, with the support of Rome’s Municipality VII and under the patronage of Writers Guild Italia, 100autori, ANAC, Mujeres nel Cinema and Premio Solinas, the Written By Script & Film Festival continues to establish itself as a key event dedicated to promoting screenwriting and audiovisual storytelling.

On July 17, Space Cowboy, the new single by Rome-based singer-songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist Spookyman, made its debut. The release has been accompanied by three original music videos created by second-year students on AANT’s three-year academic programme in Videomaking, Story, Cinema and Media Design. The videos are the result of an educational project that transformed a real-world music production into a laboratory for research, experimentation and audiovisual creation.

Under the guidance of lecturers Sara Ristori and Alessandro Alfieri, the students worked through every stage of the creative process: from analysing the track and developing the visual concept to directing, staging and defining each video’s communication identity. In doing so, they created three independent interpretations of the same musical universe.

The project reflects a teaching approach centred on contemporary design and production practices. A single artistic work became a space for exploring different visual languages, aesthetics and narrative strategies. The result is a practical investigation into the relationship between music, imagery and communication, giving students the opportunity to engage with the production and professional dynamics increasingly required in the audiovisual industry.

The three music videos will also contribute to the promotion of Spookyman’s artistic project ahead of his European tour, scheduled for the autumn.

On July 11, AANT hosted a new Graduation Thesis Session, marking the final milestone of the students’ academic journey and providing an important opportunity to present and discuss their work. Each project showcased is the result of a personal and creative research path developed throughout the students’ years of study. Through innovative approaches, the graduates explored a wide range of contemporary themes across disciplines including Interior Design, Visual Arts, Communication, Cinema, Videomaking, Graphic Design, Digital Media, and New Technologies.

Below are the names of our new graduates and the titles of their thesis projects:

• Finotto Gabriele “Everything Must Go! – Campagna integrata per il Partito Democratico USA”
• Sara Piacentini “Gli uomini Ombra. L’altra faccia della violenza di genere”
• Gabriele Sardone “AI the new chapter in cinema”
• Vittoria Proietti “Luce e Psiche”
• Alice Rota “Podere Santa Margherita: dal recupero storico alla valorizzazione
• contemporanea”
• Chiara Schisa “NO OFF – RANDOMLESS Dal No Logo al brand invisibile”
• Domenico Barbone ” NOT WHAT YOU THINK”
• Giulia Tanari “Luce tra le rovine:Castrum Novum”
• Antonio Pellegrino “Il ruolo delle micro illustrazioni nel design empatico” 
• Francesca Laghi “Generazioni Artificiali. IA generativa, autonomia cognitiva e un sistema di comunicazione visiva in motion graphic
• Andrea Piliego ”Il volto Invisibile delle Istituzioni Rebranding del Museo Nacional del Prado”

Congratulations to all our graduates: we wish you every success in your future careers and creative endeavors!

How can complex scientific research topics be transformed into content capable of engaging younger generations? And what role can audiovisual and digital languages play in fostering a more informed culture of health?

These are the questions at the heart of SASPEM – Health, a Mirror of the World, an experimental health education project that brings together schools, universities, researchers, physicians, and communication professionals. Its goal is to promote an integrated vision of individual and collective well-being through the One Health approach, which views human health, the environment, and society as deeply interconnected dimensions.

Within the project, AANT played a central role in the communication and creative production process, supporting students in transforming scientific content into audiovisual products designed for digital platforms.

One of the most significant moments of the project was the event “Health, a Mirror of the World,” held on March 16 at the Conference Center of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome. The event featured prominent figures from the international medical and scientific community, including Carlo Torti, Elena Raffetti, and Riccardo Serraino.

Building on the knowledge shared during these sessions, AANT designed a comprehensive workshop program for the participating classes, aimed at developing storytelling, digital, and audiovisual skills. The program included social media literacy activities focused on understanding platform dynamics and communication strategies, workshops on creating storytelling for reels and short-form content, lessons on the grammar of audiovisual language, and practical sessions dedicated to filming preparation and reviewing the students’ productions.

Leading the workshops were AANT professionals and faculty members Andrea Sergiacomo, Matteo Quarta, Guido Calanca, and Giorgio Casa, who guided students through every stage of the creative process: from analyzing digital trends and defining key messages to narrative development, video production, and reel editing.

The goal was not only to provide technical skills, but also to help students learn how to communicate complex scientific topics in an effective, accessible, and responsible way. This approach combines research, creativity, and innovation, highlighting the potential of contemporary communication languages as powerful tools for public engagement and science communication.

On May 19, AANT hosted the final Meet the Expert event of the academic year. The guest speaker was Fabio Antonelli, a composer, music producer, and multi-instrumentalist who has long been dedicated to promoting music culture through projects that combine analysis, storytelling, and in-depth exploration of film and media soundtracks. 

During the event, Antonelli shared his professional experience with students enrolled in AANT’s Bachelor’s Degree programmes, and particularly the Bachelor Degree Programme in Game Design, discussing the role of music as a narrative tool in films, television series, and video games. The meeting provided a valuable opportunity to reflect on how sound contributes to shaping the identity of an audiovisual work and creating an engaging emotional experience for audiences. 

A key focus of the event (coordinated by the teacher Coordinator of Game Design Simone Mari)  was “SuonA Tipo Bene”, the podcast created and hosted by Antonelli, which explores the language of soundtracks and their impact on contemporary storytelling. Through episodes dedicated to films, TV series, and video games, the project makes complex musical concepts accessible to a wider audience, shedding light on composers’ work, creative processes, and the hidden meanings behind musical choices. 

Students particularly appreciated the opportunity to engage directly with the guest speaker, who answered questions about career paths in the music industry, the skills currently required by the creative sector, and the opportunities offered by new digital platforms for production and cultural dissemination.