Esteemed and beloved Italian film critic Bruno Torri (Genoa, 1932–2026) has passed away after a long illness.
Together with Lino Miccichè, Torri founded the Pesaro International Festival of New Cinema in 1965 and served as its Artistic Director for its first five editions. For 17 years, he was President of the Italian National Syndicate of Film Critics (SNCCI), helping shape generations of Italian film criticism.
A longtime member of FIPRESCI, Torri served on numerous international juries—including three at the Cannes Film Festival—and remained an active and committed presence within the Federation throughout his career.
He also held several prominent institutional positions, including Head of Programming at Cinecittà, General Director of Istituto Luce, consultant to the Venice International Film Festival, and Professor of Film Studies at Roma Tre University.
An expert on both Latin American and Italian cinema, Bruno Torri was a respected scholar, critic, and cultural figure. He was equally admired for his generosity toward younger generations of film critics, whom he mentored, encouraged, and supported throughout his long career.
His passing is a great loss to the international film community. He will be deeply missed.
© FIPRESCI 2026