BIO
Born in Rome, Sara Pettinella graduated in art history and studied digital communication, design and photography, specializing in social documentary photography, in Italy and the United Kingdom.
She won the Interfaces Award (University of Rome and MIFAV – Museum of the Photographic Image and Visual Arts) in 2002, with an interactive digital project inspired by author Franz Kafka and his relationship with his town, Prague.
From 2004 and 2010, she has been active in the non-profit sector in Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa working with refugees and other vulnerable groups through photography and design.
In 2011, she relocated to New York City, where her photography, video projects and documentary films have been showcased by galleries, art centers and universities such as Center for Sustainable Urban Development (CSUD) The Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York City Transit Museum, Saint Michaels College, Colchester, VT, University of Massachusetts Darthmouth, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana, Cheryl Pelavin Gallery, NooSPHERE ART, Skylight Gallery, The ArtisTTable, DomagkAteliers (Munich, Germany), Setsunan University, Osaka, Japan, Hannan University, Osaka, Japan, La Casa Dell’Altra Economia, (Rome, Italy).
She won several photography awards Eye.Eye.Nose.Mouth (portrait competition @ the ArtisTTable), and the New York Center for Photographic Art Urban Landscape photo competition.
Her documentary We Are One blood drum spirit is official selection and winner at several national and international film festivals (Dumbo Film Festival, West African Film Festival, Calcutta International Film Festival, Moscow Indie Film Festival, Jukebox International Film Festival, Movie Nisville Summit, Roma Cinema Doc, The IndieFest Film Awards).
She also produced and directed music the videos Points Of View music by Art Hirahara, animation by Kristen McCormick (2019) official selection at the 7th Siding Festival Of Film; The Busking Bassoonist, by Sunny Kanble (2019); Brooklyn Express (2019) awarded “best music video” at Queen City Film Festival, “best music video” at Worldwide Women Film Festival, Raleigh Film and Art Festival, and Audio Shoot Unsigned International Music and Film Festival, and honorable mention at Tokyo Short Film Festival, and official selection at Dam Shorts.
Awards and Achievements
Interface award, Dam Short Festival, Worldwide Women’s Festival, Queen City Festival, Audio shoot International Music Video & Film Festival, Raleigh Film & Art Festival, 7th Siding Festival Of Film, The IndieFest Film Awards, Movie Nisville Summit, Jukebox International Film Festival, Roma Cinema Doc, Tokyo Short Film Festival.
MILESTONES
2023
“If You Go Away VIDEO”– Stacey Kent “Summer Me, Winter Me” Naïve [Video post-production] link
“Echo Canyon”– Artwork [Digital collage – CD Cover] link
2022
“A Book as a Bridge Across the Mexican Border VIDEO”– December [Edited for Artist Elena Berriolo is acquired by the New York Public Library] link
“Points Of View” – April [Music Video – Sara Pettinella, director | Kristen McCormick, Visual Developer and animator | Music: Art Hirahara] Honorable Mention @ Tokyo International Short Film Festival/ YouTube
“Points Of View” – February [Music Video – Sara Pettinella, director | Kristen McCormick, Visual Developer and animator | Music: Art Hirahara] Official Selection @ DAM Film Festival/ YouTube
“Points Of View” – February [Music Video – Sara Pettinella, director | Kristen McCormick, Visual Developer and animator | Music: Art Hirahara] Winner – Best animation @Worldwide Women’s Film Festival/ YouTube
“The Black Mirror” – February 10 [Music Video – Sara Pettinella, director | Music composed by Jakub Ciupinskiand performed by the Lysander Piano Trio (Itamar Zorman, violin – Michael Katz, cello – Liza Stepanova, piano). First Hand Records Ltd | internal link / YouTube
2021
“Words” – Premiere August 27 [Music Video / Art Video – Animated collage by Sara Pettinella, inspired by the song of the same name by Michelle Amador, combining digital and video cutouts. Watch
“The Black Mirror” – February 10 [Music Video – Sara Pettinella, director | Music composed by Jakub Ciupinskiand performed by the Lysander Piano Trio (Itamar Zorman, violin – Michael Katz, cello – Liza Stepanova, piano). First Hand Records Ltd | internal link / YouTube
“Points Of View” – January [Music Video – Sara Pettinella, director | Kristen McCormick, Visual Developer and animator | Music: Art Hirahara] Best International Music Video Award @ 7th Siding Festival of Film internal link / YouTube
2020
“Let There Be JAZZ: Gotham Yardbird Sanctuary” – December [Mini-documentary – Sara Pettinella, director, editor. The Gotham Yardbird Sanctuary was founded by Mitch Borden and Rie Yamaguchi-Borden help the NYC’s Jazz musician community and local businesses affected by the 2020 global pandemic | Watch
“Points Of View” – August [Music Video – Sara Pettinella, director | Kristen McCormick, Visual Developer and animator | Music: Art Hirahara] Official Selection @ 7th Siding Festival of Film internal link / YouTube
Shoutout Atlanta – June 23 [[Art Magazine / Interview] —READ—
“Points Of View” – January [Music Video – Sara Pettinella, director | Kristen McCormick, Visual Developer and animator | Music: Art Hirahara] official release internal link / YouTube
“The Busking Bassoonist” by Sunny Knable – December [Music Video – videography and editing Sara Pettinella] official release internal link / YouTube
Brooklyn Express – October [Music Video directed by Sara Pettinella | Music: Art Hirahara] Winner Best Music Video @ Raleigh Film and Art Festival (Raleigh, North Carolina) 2019 internal link / raleighfilmandartfestival.com
Brooklyn Express – June [Music Video directed by Sara Pettinella | Music: Art Hirahara] Winner @ Audio Shoot Unsigned International Music And Film Festival (Ireland) 2019 internal link / audioshoot.com
We Are One blood drum spirit – June [Documentary film directed by Sara Pettinella] Official Selection @ Dumbo Film Festival 2019 internal link / weareonethemovie.com
Voyage ATL – March [Art Magazine / Interview] —READ—
Sunward Bound – February [Music Video directed by Sara Pettinella for Art Hirahara] —WATCH—
We Are One blood drum spirit – February [Documentary film directed by Sara Pettinella] Official Selection @ West African Film Festival 2019 internal link / weareonethemovie.com
We Are One blood drum spirit – January [Documentary film directed by Sara Pettinella] Official Selection @ Calcutta International Cult Film Festival 2019 internal link / weareonethemovie.com
2018
“Mexican Border and A Book as a Bridge on the River” – December 17 @ Children Museum of the Arts [Presentation by Elena Berriolo, video by Sara Pettinella for Elena Berriolo]
“A Book as a Bridge / Mexican Border and A Book as a Bridge on the River” – December 14 @ FeminiSm and Ecological Justice, hosted by Kara Rooney and Eva Davidova [Presentation by Elena Berriolo, videos by Sara Pettinella for Elena Berriolo]
We Are One blood drum spirit – November Art Residency with blood drum spirit at Saint Michael’s College, Burlington, Vermont [Presenting Documentary film directed by Sara Pettinella]internal link / weareonethemovie.com
Brooklyn Express – October [Music Video directed by Sara Pettinella | music by Art Hirahara] —WATCH—
We Are One blood drum spirit – October [Documentary film directed by Sara Pettinella] Best Music Score Award @ Moscow Indie Film Festival 2018 internal link / weareonethemovie.com
We Are One blood drum spirit – September [Documentary film directed by Sara Pettinella] Official Selection @ IndieFest Film Awards 2018 (La Jolla, California) internal link /weareonethemovie.com
We Are One blood drum spirit – August [Documentary film directed by Sara Pettinella] Best Documentary Award @ Jukebox International Film Festival 2018 internal link / weareonethemovie.com
We Are One blood drum spirit – August [Documentary film directed by Sara Pettinella] Official Selection Nisville Movie Summit @ Nisville Jazz Festival 2018 internal link / weareonethemovie.com
We Are One blood drum spirit – April [Documentary film directed by Sara Pettinella] Official Selection Roma Cinema DOC Film Festival 2018 internal link / weareonethemovie.com
We Are One blood drum spirit – March Art Residency with blood drum spirit at UMASS – Niversity of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, Massachusetts [Presenting Documentary film directed by Sara Pettinella] internal link / weareonethemovie.com
We Are One blood drum spirit – January [Documentary film directed by Sara Pettinella] Official Selection Logcinema Music Film Festival 2018 internal link / weareonethemovie.com
2017
“A Book as a Bridge on the River” – December 24th [Short documentary film on Elena Berriolo’s performance on the Delaware river – August 2017]
Stolen Water – December [Music Video directed by Sara Pettinella]
Reflections – October [Music Video directed by Sara Pettinella]
We Are One – blood drum spirit – June [documentary film directed by Sara Pettinella]
“A Book as a Bridge / Mexican Border” – May 15th
Short documentary film on Elena Berriolo’s performance. An act of protest against the wall proposed by D.Trump at the US/Mexico border.
2016
Ascentria Care Alliance Video – November 17th [Bhutanese Refugee Camps Photos by Sara Pettinella]Watch
Sound Circle – Setsunan University, Neyagawa, Osaka Prefecture (Japan)
Public screening and conference. October 12th [documentary film directed by Sara Pettinella]
Sound Circle – Hannan University, Matsubara, Osaka Prefecture (Japan)
Public screening and conference. October 11th [documentary film directed by Sara Pettinella]
Sound Circle – Cafe Pink House, Saratoga CA
Preview screening. August 28th [documentary film directed by Sara Pettinella]
PLATFORM: Creative Musings on Mass Transit – New York Transit Museum
June 22nd [ video ]
“A Book as a Bridge / Staten Island”
Short documentary film on the performance of the artist Elena Berriolo. Sewing a book to connect the NYC boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island.
(May 6th) Release date June 17th, 2016
“Feed me the Line” – The Center For Book Arts NYC
Short documentary film on the performance with sewing machine and poetry by Elena Berriolo with poet Steve Dalachinsky
(December 4th) Release date February 11th
“A Book as a Bridge / Bronx”
Short documentary film on the performance of the artist Elena Berriolo in the New York City Subway, from Wall Street to the Bronx
(November 23rd 2015) Release date February 2nd, 2016
Postcards from the Edge – Sikkema Jenkins & Co NYC
January [collage] www.visualaids.org Art benefit show organized by Visual AIDS
2015
Greenpoint Gallery’s Grand Salon Show, Fall 2015 – Greenpoint Gallery, Brooklyn, NY September 17th [collage] Greenpoint Gallery
Urban Landscapes / Rural Impressions – Jadite Galleries NYC September 15th – 30th [photography] New York Center for Photographic Art / Jadite Galleries
Postcards from the Edge – Luhring Augustine Gallery NYC February [collage]
www.visualaids.org A Visual AIDS art benefit
2014
December 2014 [photography] www.artinabox.org
The Art of Storytelling – Walworth Loft, NYC August 31st [organic collage] Gelato! Art Salon and Artist Relief Collective
ArtItaly & ArtWorld – DomagkAteliers, Munich Germany June 5th – June 10th [documentary photography / videoart; collaboration with Flavio Sciolé] ArtItaly & ArtWorld – Domagk Ateliers
Eye-Eye-Nose-Mouth – the ArtisTTable
April 8th – May 8th 2014 [photography]
the artisTTable juried portrait exhibition – First place – artist statement
3 Years – 3 Days – NOoSPHERE Art NYC
February 2014 [photography]
Postcards from the Edge – Luhring Augustine Gallery NYC
January 2014 [collage]
www.visualaids.org A Visual AIDS benefit show
2011-2013
Art in a Box – Cheryl Pelavin Gallery, NYC December 2013 [photography] www.artinabox.org
STRIPES – the Zebra Room, Brooklyn NY December 9th 2012 [installation]
PLACE STAMP HERE – private location, Brooklyn NY July 14th 2013 [installation]
Tempo – No. Gallery, NYC May – August 2011 [residency – videoart, photography and animation
in silenzio solo show/collective show, multiple locations, Rome Italy – 2010 [photography]