Federico Barni

In a bid to revive her career, the vocalist for a progressive metal band turns to a cutting-edge biotech firm to restore her lost voice, beginning an irreversible transformation that culminates on the night of the band’s comeback show. Pleased to release the trailer for Gossamer, my latest short film, premiering at @londonshortfilmfest in the UK Competition. A story of self-loss and mutation taken to the next level by the unreal cast, crew and artists who helped me bring this to life. Very special synergy that I’d be lucky to find again. Written and directed by @fedbarni Produced by Xiaoxuan Zhu @xiaoxuan__zhu with Kiki Willems @kdhwillems and Ella Plevin @plelllla Xiaoqiao Wang @xiaoqiao0o Joshua Urquhart @josh_urquhart1 Sarah Bennington Music by Rolo Tomassi @rolotomassiband Cinematography by Giuseppe Favale @giuseppefavale Production Design by Elena Isolini @elenaisolini Costume Design by Ellie Walker @ellieslwalker Casting Director Hannah Marie Williams @hmwcasting Make-Up by Billie McKenzie @billiemua Hair by Roman Sam @manwigs Colour grade John Alexander Lowe @johnlowe.xyz Additional composition @xiaoqiao0o & @fedbarni Executive Producer Jack Bradley @jack.bradley  @eyeline.pictures Full credits in the comments.

ARCTIC DIVA will premiere in January at @londonshortfilmfest in its UK Competition. It will also screen as be part of LSFF’s Alien Extravaganza programme, organised in collaboration with Frameline Film Festival and the SETI Institute (the real one!), which will then travel to San Francisco in June 2025. Grateful to London Short Film Festival for taking a chance on this strange glacial vision and, above all, to everyone involved in giving the avatar of Diva real flesh and, of course, a voice. A film by Federico Barni @fedbarni Produced by Priya Palak @priyakaurpalak with Jennifer English as Diva @jenniferjenglish   Isaura Barbé-Brown as Grace @isaurasaurus   Firas Ibrahim as Ayaan  Music by Bianca Scout @bianca_scout & Federico Barni @fedbarni Cinematography Giuseppe Favale @giuseppefavale Production Design Elena Isolini @elenaisolini Co-writer Callum Copley @copycopley   Edit & Sound Design Federico Barni @fedbarni Colourist John Alexander Lowe @johnlowe.xyz   Hair Department Roman Sam, Manwigs @manwigs   Make-up Billie McKenzie @billiemua   Additional Music Production Julia Svensson @_aircode_ Costumes provided by Vors Archive @vors.archive with contributions from Mainline:RUS/Fr.CA/DE @mainline_rusfrcade @zarinabekerova and ROA Hiking Graphic Design (CD, Poster and Typography) NA service @_naservice , Luke Griffiths @luke_riffiths and Joana Kohen @joanakohen Casting Sophie Kingston-Smith @kingston_smith_casting   1st AD Sammy Mines @samminesfilm Production Manager Hannah Naomi @___naomih   Focus Puller Paolo Gobbi @paologobbi81 2nd AC Conor Aldis @conor.aldis   Gaffer Caterina Castro Frigerio @catcastrophic Spark Casey Jo Grosso @caseygrosso Grip Elvie McAnulty @elviemcanulty Costume Assistant Valeriane Venance @independantes_de_coeur Art Director Gabriel Chao Healy @g_chaohealy Set Decorator Katherine Spence @katherinespence Props Truck Flo Main @focm_studio Sound Recordist Olly Jennings Additional Field Recordings Federico Barni Production Assistant Bethen Blackabee @bethen.blackabee   Soundmix David Crane @ Soundnode VFX & Compositing Samuel Jennings An Ansible Studio Production

Surface Tension is out now on @nowness A film I directed to complement the mercurial layers of @_aircode_ ’s latest title track. An overtime reverie of start-up employees losing their mind trying to grapple with the arcane machine they are building. Ripples and distortions in the surface tension. Watch and read more about it on @nowness Music by @_aircode_ Directed by me Produced by @xxchappell Cinematography by @markacgee Production Design by @elenaisolini Assistant Art Director @kamnayyer Colour grade by @johnlowe.xyz Styling by @zarinabekerova Hair & Make Up @billiemua Production assistant @priyakaurpalak 1st AC @___jonny___lewis___ 2nd AC @callum_reevess Steadicam @nicolas_di_matteo Cast @_aircode_ @charles_verni @__.ewa.__ @kyyberwall @frazerfullwood @theo.dreamcondition @va.l.e.rie Kit courtesy of @mcx_films Phantom Support by @lovehighspeed Clothing courtesy of @mainline_rusfrcade Special thanks to Aduke King @kingaduke Jason Berman @lovehighspeed Joshua Cook @twos.care Eilidh Duffy @proncess336 Milena Szymanek @michelles.day.out Full album out on @gin_and_platonic

‘Circle’s End’ the second single taken from ‘Circled Green’ by Arctic Diva (@bianca_scout & @fedbarni ) is out now.  ‘Circled Green’ is out on the 22nd May 2026. Pre-order the full release on @bandcamp / @ninaprotocol . A streaming link to the film will be sent to anyone who purchases the full release on Bandcamp.  ——— Arctic Diva is a collaboration between musician Bianca Scout and filmmaker Federico Barni, conceived to soundtrack the short film of the same name.  Mastering by Rupert Clervaux Drums by @delia.detritus

Arctic Diva (@bianca_scout & @fedbarni ) take over our monthly @stegiradio show tonight, ahead of the release of ‘Circled Green’ out on the 22nd May. A soundscape of fragments, demos, improvisations, references and remixes encompassing the soundtrack of short film Arctic Diva (2024). 13 May, 19:00 (UK) on Stegi channel 1 Photo by: Alessia Gunawan @alygunawan

‘Vox Interior’ is the first single taken from ‘Circled Green’, a collection of songs made for and born from the short film Arctic Diva (2024) by Federico Barni - a polar gothic sci-fi story about communication with the unknown. ‘Circled Green’ is out on the 22nd May 2026. Pre-order the full release on @bandcamp / @ninaprotocol . Streaming link to the film will be sent to anyone who purchases the full release on Bandcamp. ——— Arctic Diva is a collaboration between musician Bianca Scout @bianca_scout and filmmaker Federico Barni @fedbarni , conceived to soundtrack the short film of the same name. Additional production by @_aircode_ Mastering by Rupert Clervaux

Taking a moment to thank everyone who came last month to see Gossamer’s first screenings at BFI Southbank and Curzon Soho during @londonshortfilmfest . Always strange to see something that you think you know like the back of your hand play to a wider audience - it immediately turns into something else, and I’m grateful to be able to see it anew through the reactions of those who came. Sharing with a photo of me and @kdhwillems taken by our friend @alessiobolzoni - who actually introduced us to each other a few years ago and so is responsible for the genesis of this film.

A few more images from Gossamer. You can buy tickets for the @londonshortfilmfest UK Competition screening at BFI Southbank NFT1 on 26th Jan via the link in my bio. Very pleased to be showing the film on this screen and thankful to LSFF curators for selecting our sci-fi metal oddity. The film will also be screening at Curzon Soho on 25th January in the Fantastic Fictions programme. Written and directed by me Produced by Xiaoxuan Zhu @xiaoxuan__zhu with Kiki Willems @kdhwillems and Ella Plevin @plelllla Xiaoqiao Wang @xiaoqiao0o Joshua Urquhart @josh_urquhart1 Sarah Bennington Music by Rolo Tomassi @rolotomassiband Cinematography by Giuseppe Favale @giuseppefavale Production Design by Elena Isolini @elenaisolini Costume Design by Ellie Walker @ellieslwalker Casting Director Hannah Marie Williams @hmwcasting Make-Up by Billie McKenzie @billiemua Hair by Roman Sam @manwigs Colour grade John Alexander Lowe @johnlowe.xyz Additional composition @xiaoqiao0o  & @fedbarni Executive Producer Jack Bradley @jack.bradley  @eyeline.pictures Full credits in the comments.

Gossamer, my new film, is coming very soon. January 2026, @londonshortfilmfest more info forthcoming. poster design by @_naservice @lukegryffyths @joanakohen Written and directed by me 🧬 Produced by Xiaoxuan Zhu @xiaoxuan__zhu with Kiki Willems @kdhwillems Ella Plevin @plelllla Xiaoqiao Wang @xiaoqiao0o Joshua Urquhart @josh_urquhart1 Sarah Bennington Music by Rolo Tomassi @rolotomassiband Cinematography by Giuseppe Favale @giuseppefavale Production Design by Elena Isolini @elenaisolini Costume Design by Ellie Walker @ellieslwalker Casting Director Hannah Marie Williams @hmwcasting Make-Up by Billie McKenzie @billiemua Hair by Roman Sam @manwigs Colour grade John Alexander Lowe @johnlowe.xyz Executive Producer Jack Bradley @jack.bradley @eyeline.pictures

Pleasure & honour to perform guest mix duties for @_aircode_ on @noodsradio , a selection of tracks between screamo and ambient with some strange things in between, featuring two unreleased original soundtrack pieces from upcoming films of mine - Gossamer by @rolotomassiband and a demo of Circle’s End by @bianca_scout and myself. Link in bio and full tracklist on page 2, my selections starts halfway, featuring tracks from @circle.takes.the.square @angelicprocess @nuvolascura_ @olthcreativesolutions @lifeemocore

wild month in strange country - Snoqualmie, Olympic Peninsula, Oregon Coast, @psfilmfest in Palm Springs and a few extraordinary weeks at @rocky_mountain_bio_lab with @johnlowe.xyz @elizalicollin @markacgee

Looking forward to taking Arctic Diva from Svalbard to California later this month, screening at @psfilmfest in Palm Springs and @framelinefest in San Francisco - my first time in the US in more than 15 years and I’m glad to be bringing polar energy to the desert. Screening dates: 23/06 - Frameline, Vogue Theatre, San Francisco, 2:00 PM 26/06 - Palm Springs ShortFest, Festival Theatres 5, 2:00 PM