by Sandra Brennan
biography
Franco Cristaldi was one of Europe's most prominent producers and was an important figure in the making of neorealist Italian films. A native of Turin, Italy, he studied to become a lawyer. Eventually, his interest turned to films and he began his career, producing documentaries. In 1953 he switched to feature films and became his country's youngest producer. Cristaldi served as the president of the International Federation of Film Producers Association in 1977.
