Alexander Cassini

Alexander Cassini was immersed in New York's creative underground at a young age, he would brush shoulders with Andy Warhol's circle, sparking a desire to forge his own artistic identity. A self-taught musician, Alex played jazz clubs in Rome and New York, eventually studying at the Manhattan School of Music. He worked closely with legendary composer Ennio Morricone, gaining invaluable experience in film production. At the American Film Institute, he developed Star Time, a psychological thriller that earned a Grand Jury Prize nomination at Sundance and is now seen as a precursor to films like Natural Born Killers. With a lifelong passion for film and music Alex continued his career directing features and television, including episodes for Law & Order: SVU, and the short film The Great Performance which screened at major festivals and aired on HBO and PBS. His journey-marked by artistic risk and independence-continues to inspire, though he still wonders what might have been had he accepted Andy Warhol's early offer to direct a feature film.