Sergio Navarretta

Sergio Navarretta is an internationally recognized award-winning director who is fiercely passionate about bringing meaningful content to the screen. He draws inspiration from his Italian heritage, particularly Italian art and neorealist cinema. He considers his work an exploration of the human condition and seeks to direct projects that are touching, relevant and inclusive.

Most recently, Sergio directed THE CUBAN, starring Oscar-winner Louis Gossett Jr. and Oscar nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo, along with Ana Golja (Degrassi), Lauren Holly (Dumb and Dumber) and Giacomo Gianniotti (Grey’s Anatomy). THE CUBAN tells the story of a young pre-med student named Mina (Golja) who develops an unlikely friendship with Luis, an elderly Cuban musician with dementia (Gossett Jr.). THE CUBAN premiered at numerous film festivals internationally, winning Best Narrative Feature and Audience Awards at both the Los Angeles Pan African Film Festival and the Montreal Black Film Festival. THE CUBAN ranked in the Top Ten amongst the Hollywood Critics Association picks for Best Film of 2020 and actors Gossett and Aghdashloo were named in Variety’s list of Oscar contenders. THE CUBAN has now joined the race for the 2021 Academy Award nominations.

Navarretta made his directorial debut with LOOKING FOR ANGELINA, a true crime feature that tells the story of one of history’s most sensational murder cases, involving Italian immigrant, Angelina Napolitano. LOOKING FOR ANGELINA won numerous awards, was showcased at festivals around the world, played to sold-out theatres across Canada, and ranked amongst the top five in box office revenues for Canadian films at the time. A social action campaign and learning guide were created and launched alongside the film to raise awareness and spotlight issues of domestic violence. Navarretta's follow-up feature, THE COLOSSAL FAILURE OF THE MODERN RELATIONSHIP, starring Enrico Colantoni (Just Shoot Me), traveled on the festival circuit, and premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Oscar weekend. COLOSSAL is currently available on all VOD platforms in the US/Canada, and around the world.

Navarretta executive produced and had a creative role on the animated film,
ARCTIC DOGS, featuring Jeremy Renner, James Franco, Anjelica Huston, Alec Baldwin, John Cleese, Omar Sy and Heidi Klum. He is executive producing LAMBORGHINI, starring Alec Baldwin and Antonio Banderas and acted as a consulting producer on TRADING PAINT, starring John Travolta and Shania Twain. Navarretta received his education at York University. He has attended various master classes in directing/acting, including one led by director Robert Altman, and has shadowed both directors and cinematographers over the years, including the legendary Piotr Sabocinski. He has a background in music from The Royal Conservatory of Music and is a member of the DGC (Directors Guild of Canada). He served as a mentor in this years’ Being Black in Toronto initiative and is teaching a Masterclass for Reel Works in New York City, whose mission is to empower underserved youth. Navarretta has been invited to contribute to panels and public forums for organizations such as: The Academy of Film and Television; WIFT; TIFF and FOLCS (New York). His thought leadership mission includes topics such as: filmmaking; surviving as an artist during COVID-19, mental wellness and the importance of diversity in film and television.