Delfine Paolini – Writer/Director
Delfine Paolini is a Bronx-based writer, director, and visual artist. She is the former apprentice of legendary photographer Mick Rock, who offered her an internship when she was just sixteen. Under his influence, she developed an aesthetic that would later shape her work as both a visual artist and published poet. Her writing soon caught the attention of Johnnie Planco, former Vice President of the William Morris Agency, who introduced her to acclaimed director Paul Schrader. Schrader recognized her talent, championed her screenwriting, and guided her toward directing her first film. Lauded for her poetic language, on both page and screen, her haunting debut, A Wonderful Way with Dragons, has earned over 55 international awards, including Best Feature Film at Wales International Film Festival, and the Special Jury Prize for Best Feature Film at Avignon International Film Festival. Paolini’s work is often inspired by events from her own, unconventional life. Her films explore themes of mania and suicide within the fabric of family and memory. She has dedicated her career to exploring the contours of madness, investigating isolation as a liminal space—haunting, suspended, and unresolved.