Interview with Matteo Burani- Playing God’s director

Matteo Burani on Stop-Motion, Art, and the Journey Toward the Oscars

Playing God, directed by Matteo Burani and produced by Arianna Gheller, is a stop-motion animated short that has made its mark on the international festival circuit. With over 160 official selections, 80 awards, and three Oscar-qualifying recognitions — including Best Animated Short Film at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival — the film stands out as one of the most promising voices in contemporary Italian animation.

After speaking with Arianna Gheller (Editorial’s Note; read her interiew)  Italy Meets Hollywood sat down with director and artist Matteo Burani, co-founder of Studio Croma, to discuss his aesthetic vision, the role of figurative art, and the future of Italian animation.

Matteo, let’s start with you. What has been your educational and professional journey before founding Studio Croma and directing Playing God?

Matteo Burani: Before founding Studio Croma, my journey began in the world of visual arts. For years, I explored painting and figurative sculpture — disciplines that taught me the value of material, light, and gesture. Animation came as a natural evolution: the desire to bring together all these practical arts with the craft of filmmaking.

After gaining experience in animation and video art studios, I felt the need to create an independent space where I could experiment freely — and that’s how Studio Croma was born. Playing God represents the culmination of this journey: merging art, philosophy, and technique to tell a story through matter itself.

Who have been your main sources of inspiration, in both art and cinema, and how have they influenced your approach to Playing God?

Matteo Burani: My main sources of inspiration come from both the world of art and that of cinema. The primary inspiration for Playing God stems from the desire to explore creation not only as an artistic act, but as a metaphor for human fragility and the power dynamics between the one who shapes and the one who is shaped.

I’m fascinated by everything that has to do with imperfection, error, and matter resisting the form imposed upon it. Both visually and conceptually, the film was born from this tension — the beauty and monstrosity of the creative act intertwined with the vulnerability of the created being — and its visual tone reflects this very duality.

From drawing to stop-motion animation. How has your background in figurative art and sculpture shaped the visual style and aesthetics of the short film?

Matteo Burani: My background in figurative art and my strong passion for horror cinema have certainly played a key role in shaping the visual style and aesthetic of Playing God. The film features over 60 puppets — each a clay sculpture standing 58 cm tall, built with an internal ball-and-socket armature — as well as an elaborate set depicting the atelier of a dark, demiurgic sculptor. But the most fascinating aspect of working on a stop-motion production is the collaborative process: every artist brings their own world and background, and together we create a single, unified work of art. It’s like playing in an orchestra — you can be a great musician, but without the others, the performance simply wouldn’t exist.

How does an artist like you nourish himself on a daily basis in terms of “visual consumption”? What images, works, or visual stimuli do you seek to fuel your creativity?

Matteo Burani: Unfortunately, this is quite a sensitive topic for me — especially in this period, when we are constantly overstimulated by every kind of visual input, to the point where we now find ourselves questioning whether what we see is real or generated by artificial intelligence.

I’ve long been reflecting on how contemporary imagery has become a kind of deafening noise, one that often leaves us with no space to engage in an inner dialogue or truly absorb the images we see — or those we wish to see. I believe that this ability to absorb and rework images in an authentic way is the most important thing for any artist. Lately, I’ve been working precisely on reclaiming that space for myself.

Playing God has had an extraordinary impact on the festival circuit, becoming a potential contender for the Oscars. What were the main challenges during production, and what elements do you think allowed the short to stand out internationally?

Matteo Burani: The production of Playing God was truly an odyssey — one that allowed us to grow both as artists and as entrepreneurs. The co-production with France opened up a much broader horizon of possibilities for a young Italian studio like ours, and we’re proud to say that Playing God is a genuine “Made in Italy” animation project.

From the very beginning, the film had an international scope, thanks to its fresh technique and powerful message of universal inclusion. Still, we were uncertain about how audiences would respond during international distribution, given its raw and unconventional aesthetic.

Yet, after just over a year on the international festival circuit, the journey has far exceeded my expectations. I’m extremely happy and encouraged by these results — and they give me great optimism as I look ahead to future projects.

Italy Meets Hollywood warmly thanks Matteo Burani for his valuable contribution.
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