In his long career he has produced over one hundred and thirty films including "Three tigers against three tigers", "Lobster for breakfast", "Groundhog Day" and "Fantozzi the return"
la Republica
By Chiara Ugolini
August 18, 2026
Fulvio Lucisano, one of the most important film producers with seventy years of career behind him, has died. He was 98. Lucisano helped write the history of Italian cinema with his production company Italian International Film and Lucisano Media Group and was president of Anica from 1998 to 2001. To give notice of it the daughter Paola who with her sister Federica has collected the artistic legacy in a post in which she writes: "Rest in peace Dad."
Fulvio Lucisano, one of the most important film producers, with a career spanning seventy years, has died. He was 98 years old. Lucisano helped shape the history of Italian cinema through his production companies, Italian International Film and Lucisano Media Group, and served as president of ANICA from 1998 to 2001. The news was announced by his daughter Paola—who, along with her sister Federica, has carried on his artistic legacy—in a post reading: "Rest in peace, Dad."
Born in Rome in 1928, Lucisano took his first steps in the industry in the late 1940s at Istituto Luce, focusing on documentary production. Although he earned a law degree from Sapienza University, he had already been captivated by cinema before completing his studies. In 1949, he participated in the making of “Anno Santo” (Holy Year), a documentary about the 1950 Jubilee. This marked the beginning of a long period dedicated to documentaries, with around three hundred works produced independently and for Documento Film. He transitioned to feature films in 1955 with “I quattro del getto tonante”, and in 1958 he founded Italian International Film (IIF), which would become one of the longest-running and most significant entities in Italian cinema. He served as its honorary president, while his daughters Federica and Paola hold the roles of CEO and president, respectively.
Lucisano produced hundreds of films over his long career, including “Tre tigri contro tre tigri” (1977), “Aragosta a colazione” (1979), “Ricomincio da tre” (1981), “Il ras del quartiere” (1983), “Il tassinaro” (1983), “Un ragazzo di Calabria” (1987), “Il grande cocomero” (1993), “Fantozzi - Il ritorno” (1996), “Notte prima degli esami” (2006), “Non ci resta che il crimine” (2019), and “Tramite amicizia” (2023). Among his greatest achievements was placing his faith in Massimo Troisi, for whom he produced his first film. “Winning the David di Donatello for “Ricomincio da tre” came as a surprise,” he told la Repubblica a few years ago. “I had fallen in love with Massimo Troisi’s work in the theater; I was struck by how the crowd listened to him and enjoyed themselves—even those who didn’t understand Neapolitan. Everyone advised me against making the film. The only piece of advice I gave him—since he spoke in dialect—was: ‘Repeat the words a few times; that way, by the third time, people are bound to understand the line.’”
Since 2004, IIF has also been involved in television productions (ranging from “Mina Settembre” to “Liberi tutti”), and, starting in the 1990s, it partnered with Aurelio De Laurentiis to establish a chain of multiplex cinemas in Rome. In October 2007, the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, awarded Fulvio Lucisano the title of “Cavaliere del Lavoro” (Knight of the Order of Merit for Labour).
With an impressive career spanning over 600 films—both produced and distributed—Lucisano worked across every genre, amassing five David di Donatello awards (including the prize for “Il grande cocomero” and a Special Lifetime Achievement David in 2009), four Nastro d'Argento awards, and two Oscar nominations. Lucisano’s funeral will take place tomorrow morning at 10:30 AM in Rome at the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo in Piazza del Popolo. His daughters, Paola and Federica, have announced that a memorial service will be held at a later date, following the Venice Film Festival.
LUCISANO, Fulvio
Born: 8/1/1928, Rome, Lazio, Italy
Died: 8/18/2026, Rome, Lazio, Italy
Fulvio Lucisano’s westerns – producer:
Savage Gringo -1966
2 Crosses at Danger Pass – 1967
They Still Call Me Amen - 1973
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