Tao Ruspoli
Encyclopedia
Tao Ruspoli is an Italian American
filmmaker and musician
.
, 9th Prince of Cerveteri and Austrian-American
actress Debra Berger
. He is the older brother of Bartolomeo dei Principi Ruspoli (born 6 October 1978 in Rome
), second husband of oil heiress Aileen Getty. His half-siblings include Francesco, 10th Prince of Cerveteri; Melusina Ruspoli, and Theodoro Ruspoli.
Tao was born in Bangkok
, Thailand
and raised in Rome
and Los Angeles
. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley
with a Bachelor of Arts
in Philosophy
.
He married actress Olivia Wilde
on June 7, 2003 in Washington
, Virginia
. On February 8, 2011, they announced that they were separating. Wilde filed for divorce in Los Angeles County Superior Court on March 3, 2011, citing "irreconcilable differences." The divorce was finalized on September 29, 2011. Wilde did not seek spousal support, and the pair reached a private agreement on property division.
He currently lives and works in Venice, Los Angeles, as a photographer and filmmaker.
, was one of 10 feature films to screen in competition at the 2008 Slamdance Film Festival
and soon afterward at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival
where Ruspoli was awarded the Heineken Red Star Award for "most innovative and progressive filmmaker." Fix also won the Festival Award for Best Film at the 2008 Brooklyn Film Festival
, Vail Film Festival
and the 2008 Twin Rivers Media Festival, as well as other prizes at several international festivals.
His most well-known documentary is Just Say Know, a personal discussion of his family's drug addiction. His other films include Flamenco: A Personal Journey, a feature length documentary about the flamenco
way of life as it is lived by Gypsies in the south of Spain. He has directed a number of other short documentaries, including El Cable (also about Flamenco), and This Film Needs No Title: A Portrait of Raymond Smullyan (a portrait of the renowned logician, mathematician and concert pianist Raymond Smullyan
).
Tao founded LAFCO in 2000. The Los Angeles Filmmakers Cooperative, is a bohemian
collective of filmmakers and musicians who work out of a converted school bus. Through LAFCO, Tao has produced several films.
His producing credits include the feature film Camjackers, which he also acted in and co-edited. Camjackers won the best editing award at the 44th Ann Arbor Film Festival
.
Tao is an accomplished flamenco guitar player.
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
filmmaker and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
.
Background
Ruspoli is the second son of occasional actor and aristocrat Prince Alessandro RuspoliAlessandro Ruspoli, 9th Prince of Cerveteri
Alessandro "Dado", Principe Ruspoli was an occasional actor and a playboy and eccentric aristocrat, the 9th Principe di Cerveteri, 9th Marchese di Riano and 14th Conte di Vignanello, who is said to have inspired Federico Fellini into making his famous movie La Dolce Vita...
, 9th Prince of Cerveteri and Austrian-American
Austrian-American
Austrian Americans are Americans of Austrian descent. According to the 2000 US census, there are 735,128, or 0.3% Americans of full or partial Austrian descent. The states with the largest Austrian American populations are New York , California , Pennsylvania , Florida and New Jersey...
actress Debra Berger
Debra Berger
Debra Berger is an American actress, artist and designer...
. He is the older brother of Bartolomeo dei Principi Ruspoli (born 6 October 1978 in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
), second husband of oil heiress Aileen Getty. His half-siblings include Francesco, 10th Prince of Cerveteri; Melusina Ruspoli, and Theodoro Ruspoli.
Tao was born in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and raised in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
.
He married actress Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde is an American actress and fashion model. She began acting in the early 2000s, and has since appeared in a number of film and television parts, including roles in the serial-drama The O.C. and The Black Donnellys. She portrayed Dr...
on June 7, 2003 in Washington
Washington, Virginia
Washington is a town in Rappahannock County, Virginia. It is noted for being the oldest of the 28 towns and villages by the name of Washington in the United States of America. The site of this town was surveyed by George Washington himself in July of 1749. Its population was just 183 people at the...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. On February 8, 2011, they announced that they were separating. Wilde filed for divorce in Los Angeles County Superior Court on March 3, 2011, citing "irreconcilable differences." The divorce was finalized on September 29, 2011. Wilde did not seek spousal support, and the pair reached a private agreement on property division.
He currently lives and works in Venice, Los Angeles, as a photographer and filmmaker.
Career
His feature narrative debut, FixFix (film)
Fix is a 2008 feature film directed by Tao Ruspoli starring Shawn Andrews, Olivia Wilde, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Tao Ruspoli, Dedee Pfeiffer and Andrew Fiscella.- Plot :...
, was one of 10 feature films to screen in competition at the 2008 Slamdance Film Festival
Slamdance Film Festival
As a year-round organization, Slamdance serves as a showcase for the discovery of new and emerging talent in the film industry; it is also the only major film festival fully programmed by filmmakers. Slamdance counts among its alumni many notable writers and directors who first gained notice at the...
and soon afterward at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Santa Barbara International Film Festival
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival is a film festival and non-profit organization, established in 1985, that showcases independent American and international films. The SBIFF line-up includes 20 world premieres and 11 U.S. premieres, with newly expanded 11-day festival...
where Ruspoli was awarded the Heineken Red Star Award for "most innovative and progressive filmmaker." Fix also won the Festival Award for Best Film at the 2008 Brooklyn Film Festival
Brooklyn International Film Festival
The Brooklyn Film Festival ', prior to 2011 called the Brooklyn International Film Festival ' is an independent film festival held every June in Brooklyn, New York...
, Vail Film Festival
Vail Film Festival
The Vail Film Festival is a four-day film festival that has taken place annually in late March or early April in Vail, Colorado since 2004. The 2011 Vail film festival took place March 31 - April 3 in Vail, Colorado...
and the 2008 Twin Rivers Media Festival, as well as other prizes at several international festivals.
His most well-known documentary is Just Say Know, a personal discussion of his family's drug addiction. His other films include Flamenco: A Personal Journey, a feature length documentary about the flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
way of life as it is lived by Gypsies in the south of Spain. He has directed a number of other short documentaries, including El Cable (also about Flamenco), and This Film Needs No Title: A Portrait of Raymond Smullyan (a portrait of the renowned logician, mathematician and concert pianist Raymond Smullyan
Raymond Smullyan
Raymond Merrill Smullyan is an American mathematician, concert pianist, logician, Taoist philosopher, and magician.Born in Far Rockaway, New York, his first career was stage magic. He then earned a BSc from the University of Chicago in 1955 and his Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1959...
).
Tao founded LAFCO in 2000. The Los Angeles Filmmakers Cooperative, is a bohemian
Bohemian style
In modern usage, the term "Bohemian" is applied to people who live unconventional, usually artistic, lives. The adherents of the "Bloomsbury Group", which formed around the Stephen sisters, Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf in the early 20th century, are among the best-known examples...
collective of filmmakers and musicians who work out of a converted school bus. Through LAFCO, Tao has produced several films.
His producing credits include the feature film Camjackers, which he also acted in and co-edited. Camjackers won the best editing award at the 44th Ann Arbor Film Festival
Ann Arbor Film Festival
The Ann Arbor Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Ann Arbor in the U.S. state of Michigan. Established in 1963, it is the third-oldest film festival in North America ; and the oldest experimental film festival...
.
Tao is an accomplished flamenco guitar player.
Filmography
- Jack (1996) Production Assistant
- BulworthBulworthBulworth is a 1998 American film co-written, co-produced and directed by the film's star, Warren Beatty. It was loosely based on the life of Beatty's friend, Tennessee political figure John Jay Hooker. It co-stars Halle Berry, Oliver Platt, Don Cheadle, Paul Sorvino, Jack Warden, and Isaiah...
(1998) Art department Assistant - Tango, no me dejes nunca (1998) Camera Apprentice (as Teo Rispoli)
- Just Say Know (2002) Director, Cinematographer and Film editor
- This Film Needs No Title: A Portrait of Raymond Smullyan (2004) Director, Cinematographer and Film editor
- El Cable (2004) Director, Cinematographer, Editor and Film producer
- Flamenco: A Personal Journey (2005) Director, Cinematographer and Film producer
- Camjackers (2006) Whack Filmmaker #1 and also Film editor and Executive Producer
- FixFix (film)Fix is a 2008 feature film directed by Tao Ruspoli starring Shawn Andrews, Olivia Wilde, Megalyn Echikunwoke, Tao Ruspoli, Dedee Pfeiffer and Andrew Fiscella.- Plot :...
(2008) Milo and also Writer, Cinematographer and Film director - Behind the Wheel (2008) Film director
- Being in the World (2009) Film director