Gillo Pontecorvo

Gillo Pontecorvo was born in Pisa in 1919 to Massimo and Maria Maroni Pontecorvo, non-observant Jewish Italian parents. He became an anti-fascist filmmaker known internationally for The Battle of Algiers, which won the Golden Lion in 1966. He later directed the Venice Film Festival from 1992 to 1996 and died in Rome in 2006. Italian Jewish filmmaker and director of The Battle of Algiers, winner of the 1966 Golden Lion for Best Film. In Jewish World Records, Gillo Pontecorvo is connected to the record “First Jewish Director to Win the Golden Lion for Best Film,” based on the stored achievement of First qualifying Jewish director — Golden Lion for Best Film, 1966. Gillo Pontecorvo became the first director meeting JWR's Jewish Eligibility at Achievement standard to win the competitive Golden Lion for Best Film when The Battle of Algiers received the prize at Venice in 1966.