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Valentino: The Last Emperor, produced and directed by Matt Tyrnauer, Special Correspondent for Vanity Fair magazine, is an intimate and engaging fly-on-the-wall exploration of the singular world of one of Italy's most famous men. The film documents the colorful and dramatic closing act of Valentino's celebrated career, tells the story of his extraordinary life, and explores the larger themes affecting the fashion business today. At the heart of the film is the unique relationship between Valentino and his business partner and companion of 50 years, Giancarlo Giammetti.
In production from June 2005 to July 2007, the filmmakers shot over 250 hours of footage with exclusive, unprecedented access to Valentino and his entourage. "We were let in to the inner circle, but we had to stick it out for a long time, practically move in, to capture the truly great moments," says Tyrnauer. "Valentino is surrounded by a tight-knit family of friends and employees, but, eventually, their guard came down and they forgot there was a camera crew in the room."
"Valentino was one of the first designers to make himself the inspirational figure at the center of the story he was telling," says Tyrnauer. "He is a born dreamer and the last true couturier, who let us in on his creative process and also let us in on the life he built around him to sustain this process," adds Tyrnauer. "He lives as lavishly as his clients and set a standard for the industry. He shuts out all that is not beautiful, and we followed him around the world to capture that special world."
Valentino: The Last Emperor is much more than a fashion movie. It is a portrait of an extraordinary partnership, the longest-running in fashion, and a dramatic story about a master confronting the final act of his celebrated career. It will be a film and fashion worldwide event marking the end of an era. Shot in widescreen high-definition, Valentino: The Last Emperor had its World Premiere at the Venice International Film Festival on August 28, 2008.
Matt Tyrnauer, Director/Producer
Matt Tyrnauer is a Special Correspondent at Vanity Fair magazine, where he has worked since 1992. His feature articles include profiles of Martha Stewart (the August 2005 post-prison cover story, and a 2001 profile), Valentino Garavani, Siegfried and Roy, Tommy Hilfiger, Philippe Starck, Frank Gehry, producer Robert Evans, actor Greg Kinnear, and writer Bret Easton Ellis.Matt Kapp, Producer
Matt Kapp created and produced, for the Emmy Award-winning PBS series American Masters, the feature-length documentary The Education Of Gore Vidal, which premiered at the 2003 Sundance film festival and was a People magazine and Entertainment Weekly critic's pick. From 1997 to 1999, he worked for Academy Award winner Lee Grant, associate producing biographies for Lifetime Television's Intimate Portrait series, and has written and produced newsmagazine stories for series on PBS and MTV's LOGO channel.Carter Burden, Executive Producer
Carter Burden is Chairman and CEO of Logicworks Corporation, the internet infrastructure firm he founded in 1993, which hosts web sites such as TruTV, Daily Candy, and The Onion. Burden is also the co-founder of Breaking Media, which publishes the web sites Dealbreaker, Above The Law, and Fashionista, and is founder of Darkstar Capital, a private multi-strategy investment firm.Adam Leff, Co-executive Producer
Adam Leff has written numerous screenplays including Last Action Hero, PCU and Bio-Dome (which he also executive produced). He is an L.A.-based contributing editor for Vanity Fair.Frederic Tcheng, Co-producer and Co-editor
Frederic Tcheng is a French-born filmmaker who holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Directing from Columbia University in New York City. He has directed several short films and also shot and edited numerous award-winning short films for his colleagues at Columbia University.Bob Eisenhardt, Editor
Three-time Emmy Award winner and Oscar nominee Bob Eisenhardt has worked as a film editor, director, and producer. Films that he has contributed to garnered two Oscar nominations, nineteen Emmys, two Peabodies, and numerous other awards. Recent films he's edited include Dixie Chicks: Shut Up & Sing, directed by Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck, and The Blues: Godfathers & Sons, directed by Marc Levin and executive produced by Martin Scorcese.Aimee Bell, Consulting Producer
Aimee Bell is a Deputy Editor at Vanity Fair magazine. Highlights of her fourteen-year tenure at V.F. include editing columnists Christopher Hitchens and James Wolcott, overseeing the Africa issue, and portfolios on British Theatre, Swinging London, Young Royals, and John Singer Sargent. She produces the magazine's annual Music Issue and International Best-Dressed List portfolio. She was a co-producer of the 2005 documentary Eleanor: Godmother of American Fashion, which depicts the life of legendary fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert.Tom Hurwitz, Director of Photography
Tom Hurwitz is one of our country's most honored documentary cinematographers. Winner of two Emmy Awards and a Sundance Award for Best Cinematography, Hurwitz has photographed films that have won four Academy Awards and several more nominations. Over the last 25 years his television programs have won dozens of awards, including Emmy, Dupont, Peabody, Directors Guild and film festival awards for Best Documentary.Peter Miller, Sound Recordist
Peter Miller is an Emmy-Award winning sound recordist who has worked on four Academy Award-winning documentaries (Into the Arms of Strangers, He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin', Best Boy,and The Ten Year Lunch) and two Academy Award-nominated documentaries (Paul Taylor: Dancemaker and Suzanne Farrell: Elusive Muse). He also recorded sound for Barbara Kopple's Wild Man Blues, My Generation, the ABC miniseries The Hamptons, and George Butler's Going Up River: The Long War of John Kerry, among others.Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt, Associate Editor
Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt served as the co-producer and additional editor of CONTROL ROOM (Magnolia Pictures, 2004). He also directed, produced, and shot the Student Academy Award winning film LUMO (P.O.V., 2007). His latest fiction short, LES VULNERABLES, was selected to be the closing night short of the 2007 New York Film Festival. He is a member of the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures and was recently selected to be one of Filmmaker Magazine's "25 New Faces of Indie Film."Following its World Premiere at the Venice Film Festival, "Valentino: The Last Emperor" is now having an extended festival run around the world (see dates below). A theatrical release will be coming soon in 2009. For updates, sign up for the newsletter at the top of this page.
Dubai International Film Festival
- http://www.dubaimediacity.ae
- December 15 - 19
- Screening dates to be announced
Bratislava International Film Festival
- http://www.iffbratislava.sk/2008/index.html
- November 28 - December 5
- Screening dates to be announced
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (Estonia)
- http://2008.poff.ee
- November 27 - December 7
- Screening dates to be announced
Stockholm International Film Festival
- http://www.StockholmFilmFestival.se
- Saturday, November 22 - 7:00PM - Skandia Theater
- Sunday, November 30 - Time and location to be announced
International Documentary Festival Amsterdam
- http://www.idfa.nl
- Saturday, November 29 - Time and location to be announced
- Other screening to be announced
CPH:DOX (Copenhagen)
- http://www.cphdox.dk
- Saturday, November 8 - 9:30PM - Dagmar Theater
- Thursday, November 13 - 7:00PM - Dagmar Theater
Mar del Plata International Film Festival (Argentina)
- http://www.MarDelPlataFilmFest.com
- Friday, November 7 - 5:00PM - Colon Theater
- Saturday, November 8 - 3:00PM - Colon Theater
Chicago International Film Festival
- http://www.chicagofilmfestival.org
- Thursday, October 23 - 6:30PM - Theater to be announced
- Sunday, October 26 - 3:00PM - Theater to be announced
Hamptons International Film Festival
- http://hamptonsfilmfest.org
- Wednesday, October 15 - 7:00PM - United Artists Theater U.S. PREMIERE
- Wednesday, October 15 - 7:30PM - United Artists Theater
- Thursday, October 16 - 5:30PM - Southhampton Theater
Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival
- http://www.festivaldorio.com.br/site2008
- Tuesday, October 7 - 6:10PM
- Wednesday, October 8 - 4:30PM
- Thursday, October 9 - 4:00PM
- Thursday, October 9 - 10:00PM
Toronto International Film Festival
- http://tiff08.ca/default2.aspx
- Sunday, September 7 - 4:15PM - Winter Garden Theater NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
- Tuesday, September 9 - 6:45PM - Scotiabank Theater
- Wednesday, September 10 - 10:30PM - Isabel Bader Theater
Venice International Film Festival
- http://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/
- Thursday, August 28 - 11:00AM - Sala Grande WORLD PREMIERE
- Thursday, August 28 - 8:00PM - Gran Teatro La Fenice
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September 24, 2008CNN - The Screening Room - VIDEO
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September 15, 2008CTV.ca “Love rules the day in Valentino: The Last Emperor”
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September 11, 2008The Star, "A standing ovation, notable not only for its length but also its warmth"
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September 9, 2008Dallas News, "Real world magic"
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September 8, 2008W Magazine, “Three standing ovations"
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September 8, 2008Moviehole, “Gorgeous, emotionally rich and surprisingly touching and funny"
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September 7, 2008Flare.com, “Best Film at the Festival"
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September 5, 2008The Independent, “Five Best Films in Venice"
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August 30, 2008The Guardian Blog, "Venice: Tiffs about tassels make Valentino the most compelling movie so far"
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August 29, 2008The Daily Telegraph Blog, “Valentino Steals the Limelight in Venice”
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August 29, 2008Il Messaggero, "Valentino: The Last Emperor has conquered the Venice Film Festival"
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August 29, 2008La Repubblica "Is it possible? An ovation warmer and linger than for George Clooney?
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August 29, 2008Il Mattino, "The story of the end of an era
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August 29, 2008Premiere, “Affectionate, absorbing, and, above all, huge fun"
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August 29, 2008Corriere Della Sera, "Tyrnauer's film succeeds in never transforming him into a 'saint'"
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August 29, 2008The Guardian, "A touching love story"
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August 29, 2008Il Messaggero, "A true masterpiece - ironic and moving"
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August 28, 2008The Daily Telegraph, "Valentino: The Last Emperor exerts real fascination"
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August 14, 2008PaperMag, "Peter Davis' Status Update: VaVa Does Venice"
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July 30, 2008Glamour Boulevard, "Movie Preview: Valentino, the Last Emperor"
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July 30, 2008The Toronto Star, "Tired of war, filmmakers turn to everyday heroes""
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July 29, 2008Poplife.biz, "Cool Movie: Valentino: the Last Emperor"
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July 29, 2008indieWIRE, "TORONTO '08 | Columbia '68, Youssou Ndour, Valentino, and Varda
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July 29, 2008Variety, "Venice Film Festival announces slate
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July 25, 2008Yahoo! Movies, "Valentino Headed for Venice"
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July 15, 2008Italy Magazine, "Valentino bio set for Venice"
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May 10, 2008Financial Times, "Up Close and Personal"
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May 8, 2008Screen International, "Affecting, disturbing and hilarious"
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May 8, 2008Fashion Week Daily, "Après Moi, le Déluge: Scoop on the Valentino Documentary"
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May 8, 2008New York Magazine, "Valentino Garavani Leads a Very Fancy Life"
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January 28, 2008Frillr, "Valentino: The Last Emperor"
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January 24, 2008Fashion.fm, "Valentino, the Documentary"
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January 24, 2008The Guardian, "Fashion's Last Emperor Bows Out"
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January 22, 2008International Herald Tribune, "Valentino has dressed movie stars, first ladies and crowned heads in 45-year career"
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January 21, 2008Waleg, "Documentary Made about Fashion Icon Valentino"
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January 19, 2008Cinematical, "Valentino Hits the World of Documentary Film"
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January 18, 2008Entertainment Weekly, "Valentino Documentary in the Works"
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January 18, 2008Mudpie, "Valentino is The Last Emperor"
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January 18, 2008Fashion Television, "Film about the legendary designer makes its debut at Cannes"
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January 18, 2008Vogue, "The Emperor Returns"
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January 18, 2008Reuters, "Documentary spotlights fashion maven Valentino"
Public Relations
North America:
Tom Piechura
- 42 West Public Relations
- tel 1 212 277 7555
- fax 1 212 277 7550
- e-mail Tom.Piechura@42West.Net
Foreign Press:
- e-mail press@valentinomovie.com
Industry
- If your inquiry is industry-related, please contact industry@valentinomovie.com
Special Screening
- If you're interested in creating a special event around "Valentino: The Last Emperor", please contact screening@valentinomovie.com
Other Inquiries
- You may contact Acolyte Films at info@valentinomovie.com
