Buon compleanno (Happy Birthday), directed by Francesco Quadri

Buon compleanno, a film by Francesco Quadri: on a deserted, foggy street at night, among warehouses with yellow and green frames, a man in a dark suit smiles as he pushes another man seated in a wheelchair
Buon compleanno

Giova leaves the care home to celebrate his birthday with Lele, but the evening forces them to confront desire, embarrassment and fragility.

It is the birthday of Giova, a boy who uses a wheelchair: not everything will go as it should.

Directed byFrancesco QuadriComedy-drama19'59"Italy 2026

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Francesco Quadri, director of Buon compleanno: profile portrait on set, with black glasses, a beard, a brown cap and headphones round his neck, beside a monitor.

Director

Francesco QuadriBorn in 1989 in Bergamo. Graduated from the Liceo Artistico in Bergamo in 2008. He studied Film History in Turin, graduating in 2012. In 2018 he graduated in directing and advertising production from the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Milan, working at the same time as a storyboard artist, illustrator, and producer.

Stills

Still 01 / 8
Buon compleanno, directed by Francesco Quadri: dark poster with the title in yellow, hand-lettered and in capitals; in the centre a man in a wheelchair and another man pushing him, both smiling, on a street at night with buildings with yellow frames; at the bottom the cast, crew and logos.

Credits

Title
Buon compleanno
International title
Happy Birthday
Year
2026
Country
Italy
Running time
19'59"
Genre
Comedy-drama
Format
1.85:1
Lele
Sebastiano Bottari
Giova
Federico Rubino
Baba
Patrizia Casagrande
Marengo
Paolo Carenzo
Lalla
Giorgia Iolanda Barsotti
Cast
Alice Piano
Director
Francesco Quadri
Screenplay
Francesco Quadri
Production
Dianto Film
Distributor
PunxFilm
Director of photography
Sebastian Bonolis
Editor
Jacopo Maresca
Original music
Adriano Arena
Sound
Michele Negro
Production designer
Matteo Maiocchi
Makeup artist
Erika Stringa, Sofia Zatta
Colourist
Alberto Bandini

For festivals and professionals

The screener

For festivals, programmers and buyers: request the screener at distribution@punxfilm.com and we will send it as a password-protected link.

Screening specs

Running time
19'59"
Aspect ratio
1.85:1

Credit line

Buon compleanno (international title: Happy Birthday), comedy-drama, Italy 2026, 19'59". Directed by Francesco Quadri. Produced by Dianto Film. Distributor: PunxFilm.

For catalogues, programmes and articles

PunxFilm

Distribution and festivals

distribution@punxfilm.com

Rome, Italy

QR code of the Buon compleanno pagepunxfilm.com/buoncompleanno
Dianto FilmPunxFilm