Graduate in Philosophy, Valerio Jalongo attends the “Gaumont” school of Cinema and the University of Southern California. Winner of the De Sica Prize for his Los Angeles docu-drama “DREAMCITY”, he shoots in Ireland his first feature film “SPAGHETTI SLOW”, starring Brendan Gleeson and Ivano Marescotti, Best Film at the International Festival Scrittura e Immagine and screened in competition at the Montreal, Moscow, Dublin Film Festivals.
From 2001, he leads a writing group in Rebibbia Prison and in 2005 helms “ON MY SKIN”, starring Ivan Franek and Donatella Finocchiaro. In competition at TIFF and at the Bangkok International Film Festival, the film tours many festivals winning numerous awards.
From 2007, Jalongo works on “WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ME”, an inquiry on the crisis of Italian Cinema and the cultural mutation which followed the rise of private televisions, selected for the Venice Film Festival in 2009. The following year he writes and directs “THE SCHOOL IS OVER”, starring Valeria Golino and Vincenzo Amato, in competition at the Rome Film Festival and Montreal International Film Festival in 2010.
“THE SENSE OF BEAUTY”, a documentary about Art and Science made at CERN in Geneva, in competition at Visions du Réel and Visioni dal Mondo 2017, was selected as one of the best European documentaries at Prix Europa in Berlin and in many international festivals. It ran for 8 months in Swiss and Italian theaters, accompanied by presentations of over 150 scientists.
Working in a school for underprivileged kids, Jalongo develops a project spanning 15 years, following a teacher and its teenage students from 2004, and then again in 2018 as adults in their thirties struggling to find their place in life. In competition at Visions du Réel 2020, Cinemed in Montpellier, Guangzhou Documentary Film Festival, Best Film nomination at the 56th Solothurner Filmtage, “A CLASS STORY” was awarded Best Film at Visioni dal Mondo, Best Film and Best Screenplay at Inventa un Film, and a Nastro d’Argento nomination as best documentary.
He writes and directs “WIDER THAN THE SKY” a poetic investigation on A.I., in competition at Visions du Réel 2025.
Valerio Jalongo lives between Ticino, in the south of Switzerland, and Rome.
MAIN FILMOGRAPHY:
WIDER THAN THE SKY (documentary 2025, 83 min.)
A CLASS STORY (documentary 2021, 76 min.)
THE SENSE OF BEAUTY (documentary 2017, 75 min)
THE SCHOOL IS OVER (feature film 2010, 101 min) starring Valeria Golino and Vincenzo Amato
WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ME (documentary 2009, 78 min)
ON MY SKIN (feature film 2003, 101 min) starring Donatella Finocchiaro and Ivan Franek
SPAGHETTI SLOW (feature film 1997, 103 min) starring Brendan Gleeson and Ivano Marescotti