PR ON THE GO • June 11, 2025
Meet Filmmaker Loris Di Pasquale and learn about Punk State (film)
PR ON THE GO Indie Filmmaker Interview
PUNK STATE is the debut feature by director and screenwriter Loris Di Pasquale (Italy), an independent film produced by BeDi Produzioni in collaboration with Gianluca Arcopinto, one of Italy's most respected producers of auteur cinema. The project has just launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to invite the public to take part in the making of a bold, politically charged and uncompromising film.
Set in a haunting, ambiguous theatre, PUNK STATE is a symbolic and unsettling descent into the machinery of control and submission. It brings to the surface the most uncomfortable issues of our time: political manipulation, addiction as a form of power, the normalization of extremism, and the erosion of freedom.
"PUNK STATE is an invitation to rise again, to reclaim control" says Loris Di Pasquale, whose previous short films have been selected by over 125 international festivals and received more than 60 awards.
PUNK STATE takes its inspiration from the NO WAVE movement: cinema as rebellion, raw expression, and artistic urgency. It positions itself as part of a wider call for the rebirth of a free and insurgent Italian cinema.
With this film, the creative team seeks not just to tell a story, but to build a collective act of resistance through cinema. On this occasion, we portray Loris Di Pasquale in our indie filmmaker interview series.
Loris Di Pasquale began his career in 2011, directing four short films and a TV pilot that collectively took part in over 130 festivals and won more than 60 awards. His short film Aleksia was selected for 60 festivals, including the Giffoni Film Festival, Visioni Italiane, and the Best of Latino America International Film Festival, which qualifies films for the Oscars. Similarly, Io Sono Matteo was a finalist at 62 festivals, including the BAFTA-qualifying Carmarthen Bay Film Festival in 2021, Sedicicorto, and Torino Underground.
How do you balance filmmaking with networking, fundraising, and promoting your films?
Loris Di Pasquale: It’s a great question and I’m glad you asked. I’m lucky to have a tight-knit collective of people who share every step of the process with me: the creative side, the financial side and the promotion. We work as a unit. Without them, none of this would be possible.
Do you use cross-media storytelling, such as podcasts or YouTube, for promoting your films?
Loris Di Pasquale: Absolutely. These days we have so many tools at our disposal, even with a limited budget, it’s possible to create strong visibility. For films like Punk State, which don’t have big financial backing, platforms like YouTube and podcasts become essential to getting the word out.
What's your personal experience with film festival applications?
Loris Di Pasquale: I’ve been very fortunate. Over the years, I’ve participated in more than 150 festivals, 130 with just my last two short films. It’s allowed my work to reach thousands of people around the world. The most rewarding part of making a film is knowing it’s being seen.
How do you make sure that viewers find your movie in a relentless sea of other releases?
Loris Di Pasquale: Of course there’s never a guarantee, but as a collective, we start building an audience well before the film is finished. We keep people involved with regular updates on social media and by email, beginning as early as the production phase. By creating anticipation early on, we’re usually able to reach a strong and engaged audience when the film is released.
What movie or production company do you think did a good job marketing and why?
Loris Di Pasquale: In Italy, unfortunately, marketing and distribution are often overlooked, and that’s part of why many great films don’t reach their audience. Abroad, I really admire A24. Their social media strategy is brilliant, it feels like you’re following a person, not a company. That human, curated presence is what makes people connect with the brand. It’s followed like a celebrity.
If you could work with any team from actors to production and distribution, who would it be?
Loris Di Pasquale: Without hesitation the team behind Punk State. They’re extraordinary. I’ve never experienced such passion and commitment, it’s like everyone knows they’re building something that matters and they’re giving it everything they’ve got. I’m incredibly grateful to be working with them!
Thank you!
#PRontheGO
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