Your eyes do not deceive you. Giovanni Ribisi — the same Giovanni Ribisi who boasts more than a hundred acting credits since 1985 — photographed and produced JT Mollner’s critically acclaimed thriller, Strange Darling. The film’s non-linear narrative is told through six chapters, and it explores the fallout of a calamitous one-night stand involving Kyle Gallner’s serial killer character, The Demon, and Willa Fitzgerald’s circumspect next target who’s credited as The Lady.
Throughout his four decades on film and TV sets, Ribisi has taken a keen interest in the work of his various directors of photography, and he credits a number of those DPs for sharing their know-how, beginning with Dante Spinotti, whom he worked with on Michael Mann’s Public Enemies (2009) and Garry Marshall’s The Other Sister (1999). The late Andrew Lesnie, who shot Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy and won an Oscar for The Fellowship of the Ring, also set an example for Ribisi on the set of Love’s Brother (2004). He then goes on to credit Russell Carpenter after their work together on Avatar: The Way of Water and Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Over the last 15 years, Ribisi has turned his passion for photography into infrastructure that’s designed to make filmmaking more affordable and accessible. His studio, Stellascope, also prioritizes the use of celluloid, and upon meeting at a past ASC [American Society of Cinematographers] Awards, Ribisi and Mollner soon hit it off over their love of film stock.
With experience photographing music videos and commercials, Ribisi then made it known that he wanted to lens a feature, and so Mollner started sending a few feature scripts his way until he lit up in response to one script known as One Night with You. One Night with You eventually became Strange Darling, and once producers Roy Lee and Steve Schneider set up the project at Miramax, Mollner successfully made the case for Ribisi as DP.
The result is a 96-minute thrill ride that’s shot exclusively on 35 mm, and like a lot of champions of celluloid, Ribisi rejects the oft-used claim that it’s more costly than digital. “There's a lot of misconceptions about shooting film, and it is oftentimes not more expensive when you tally up the net expenditures on a film,” Ribisi tells The Hollywood Reporter. “It is not more expensive than digital because of all the other baggage that digital has.”
Ribisi’s acting career is still as vibrant as it’s ever been, and if his ongoing ties to James Cameron’s series of Avatar films weren't enough, he’s now a key figure in Kevin Costner’s own multi-film ambition known as Horizon: An American Saga. Ribisi’s character, H. Silas Pickering, is expected to become a prominent villain in the third and fourth installments, and while Chapter 1 underwhelmed at the box office, Ribisi is more than confident that Costner will impose his will to complete his vision.
Chapter 2, which premieres Sept. 7 at the Venice Film Festival, was already shot in close succession with Chapter 1. “I have the utmost faith that when that man decides to do something, especially on this level, it's going to get done and it's going to be absolutely magnificent. I have an undying loyalty to him,” Ribisi says. “Look at how he has put his ass on the line. Look at what he has gambled. It's phenomenal. Chapter 2 is going to the Venice Film Festival, and it’s well deserved. [The Horizon screenplays] are some of the greatest screenplays I've read. I am a huge fan of the Western, and I'm a huge fan of Kevin Costner. I always will be.”
During a recent conversation with THR, Ribisi also breaks down some of the surprisingly challenging aspects of shooting Strange Darling. When asked about his transition to becoming a DP, Ribisi mentioned his fascination with the camera departments on movie sets over the last 40 years. He highlighted the influence of various DPs he worked with, including Dante Spinotti, Andrew Lesnie, Russell Carpenter, Sal Totino, and Reed Morano.
Ribisi's journey into cinematography began with shooting music videos and commercials, eventually leading to his feature debut as a DP with Strange Darling. He emphasized the importance of shooting on celluloid and how his studio, Stellascope, was built around making filmmaking more cost-effective and creatively fulfilling.
Despite his successful acting career, Ribisi's passion for cinematography shines through in his work on Strange Darling and his upcoming projects. His dedication to shooting on film and his collaboration with JT Mollner on the thriller showcase his commitment to quality storytelling and innovative filmmaking techniques.
