Italian filmmakers Philip Morelli and Alice Del Corso are creating quite a buzz with news of their upcoming sci-fi feature film “Memoria,” which is slated to begin shooting in Atlanta, GA next year.

With Philip as the director and Alice as the screenwriter behind all of their joint projects, the duo, who happen to be married, have carved out a strong reputation for delivering award-winning work, such as the multi-award winning films “Magnolia: Hearts on Fire Vol. 1” and “Apeiron.” 

Taking place 20 years in the future, “Memoria” depicts an emotionless society where drastic changes in human evolution resulting from Memoria’s technology have further compounded the   ethnic and socioeconomic divide between people on earth. “Memoria” brings to the screen a relatable and foreshadowing story of the far-reaching effects of technology gone wrong, one where a new and innovative technology that could have been used to improve people’s lives and cure illnesses has instead been used to increase the money gap and further divide people.

Philip and Alice initially found their inspiration for “Memoria” after reading a 2017 article about a brain technology that could expand human intelligence and provide the possibility to upload and download data through the cloud. 

“We started to think about all the implications that this technology could have in real life, and that’s where it all started,” says Alice. 

The buzz the highly-anticipated film “Memoria” has been earning around the globe is due in part to the couple’s previous success in the genre. Back in 2015 Philip directed the sci-fi film “Apeiron,” which Alice wrote the screenplay for; and their joint efforts garnered extensive international praise. The brilliant sci-fi film depicts a highly cinematic post-apocalyptic story that took audiences and festival judges by storm, with “Apeiron” earning numerous awards including the Best of the Year Award from the Gold Movie Awards, Best Short Award from the Hollywood Film Competition, Best Trailer Award from the International Independent Film Awards, Best Drama Short Award from the Hollywood International Moving Pictures Film Festival, the Best Short Awards from both the 2017 and 2019 editions of  Los Angeles CineFest, and more. We need not look further than “Apeiron” to see just how effectively Philip and Alice can bring a powerful sci-fi story to the screen. 

“Apeiron” lead actress Beatrice Gattai (“Wedding in Rome”) says, “Alice’s writing and Filippo’s visions are something most could only wish to aim at. They are a truly inspiring artistic couple. They are a great team. She has the imagination and he has the sensitivity to understand and bring to life what she had imagined… The stories they create are mind blowing.”

Though their previous success has undoubtedly given Philip and Alice a strong foundation to stand upon as a filmmaking team, what they have come up with for “Memoria” is unique, relevant and appealing on its own.

“Technology has really changed lives in a better way, but every progress brings some light and some darkness with it,” says Philip. “With Memoria I want to go deep and bring all these aspects to the light, in the most real way, as it could happen tomorrow. I want to connect with the audience, give them a close look at the characters, then going close-up in the suburbs and extreme wide in the city. My characters have real issues, so I will shoot in 35 mm to bring these feelings out in the light.”

With Philip and Alice behind the film “Memoria,” the film is assured to be a flawless production and surefire hit with audiences. Last year the duo turned heads with their award-winning film “Magnolia: Hearts on Fire Vol. 1,” which starred Rocco Fasano (“Tender Eyes,” “SKAM Italia”), Amedeo Andreozzi (“Don Matteo”) and Sara Matteucci (“Sketch Up,” “Love 14”).

Rocco Fasano, who plays the villain in the film, says “Working with [Philip and Alice] was an absolutely beautiful, enriching experience. They work as a couple and they work as a team, and they manage to deliver an idea in a clean, rational, straight forward way, and they give so much room for you as an actor.”

Based on Alice’s novel of the same name, “Magnolia: Hearts on Fire Vol. 1” is a uniquely crafted romance film that follows Elise, a young woman who desperately tries to escape her traumatic past by changing her name and moving to London. Viewers are led into Alice’s life through a series of flashbacks that reveal her past and her first encounter with Colin, a man that would forever change her life; with the overall message of the story begging the question of whether the very thing one is running from is in fact, the only thing that can make them happy in the end.

Turning Alice’s engaging novel into the screenplay for the first in a series of “Magnolia” films that the couple intend to make, Philip drew upon his expansive creativity and took a unique approach with his direction for “Magnolia: Hearts on Fire Vol. 1.”

“Being that this a romance, I tried to do something completely different from my usual style. Longer takes in order to spend more time with the characters and catch their emotions, which also gave the audience some time to feel each shot,” Philip explains. 

“I played a lot with silhouettes, making them more evocative and I used slow motion to emphasize the dramatic parts of the story. Mixing all of these techniques I tried to show the love between Elise and Colin, without hiding the sadness that sometimes we feel in the plot.”

One of the things that makes Philip and Alice such a cutting edge team is their desire to stay ahead of the curve and infuse their work with innovative techniques. A prime example is the scene in “Magnolia: Hearts of Fire Vol 1” where they captured ink in water in motion. 

“In Magnolia there’s a lot that happens on the outside, but there’s also a lot that happens on the inside, in the subconscious, and I wanted to represent this with water,” explains Philip. “I used this technique that involves a particular ink which has a density that makes it move in slow motion without the need to use a high-frame rate in the camera. I used it both for the quotes that represent Elise’s thoughts, and also for a real book copy that I submerged in a tank.”

Released in 2018, “Magnolia: Hearts of Fire Vol 1” earned astonishing praise throughout the industry with the film taking home numerous awards from festivals earlier this year, including the Crown Wood International Film Festival, Creation International Film Festival, Via dei Corti, TMFF Film Festival, Rolling Ideas, Etna Film Festival, Couch Film Festival and more. The film has also been chosen as an Official Selection of the 2020 Mabig Film Festival, where it has been nominated for several awards including Best Directing, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Editing.

“They prepare everything from the smallest details, and they always make each crew member feel comfortable,” says Lorenzo Costagliola, the cinematographer behind “Magnolia: Hearts of Fire Vol 1” and “Apeiron.” 

“Philip and Alice have plenty of ideas, and they have enough experience to understand if an idea is working or not, without wasting anyone’s time. What makes them really strong is the ability to create harmony on set. They solve everything with tranquility and professionalism and no one ever complained. Is not that easy to find those qualities in other projects, that’s why I always love working with them, because it’s like having your family on set.”

Aside from their upcoming film “Memoria,” Philip and Alice are also in the process of making the follow-up film for “Magnolia,” which is expected to be released next year.

At the end of the day, Philip and Alice are a brilliant filmmaking team due to their ability to merge their individual creative talents together in service of the story. Even more importantly though is that their respect for the power of collaboration doesn’t with them, it extends to include their entire crew, so it’s no wonder why those they work with, such as cinematographer Lorenzo Costagliola and actor Rocco Fassano, who were each involved in “Apeiron” and “Magnolia: Hearts of Fire Vol 1,” continue to work with them time and time again.

“Cinema is made by people, so the first important thing is to be surrounded by people you trust, that have good ideas and are willing to get involved in that journey with you. Teamwork is the key word, not only in cinema but in everything else,” says Philip. “A solid story is another important aspect of making movies, a story that you can feel moving inside you just by reading the script. The audience’s acceptance is always the major challenge, but if you have a really good story and a really good team, you will make good cinema for sure.” 

The founders of the production company Castle View Studio, Philip Morelli and Alice Del Corso are in no shortage of powerful and inspiring stories, and having proven that they have the talent to bring them to life on screen, they’re definitely a team audience’s should get to know.