Umberto Smerilli

Umberto Smerilli is a film composer based in Rome.

He studied film music at the Italian National School of Cinema under the mentorship of Academy Award-winning composer Luis Bacalov and sound engineer Federico Savina, known for his work on legendary soundtracks by Ennio Morricone and Nino Rota for directors like Federico Fellini and Sergio Leone. In this unique environment he had the opportunity to connect with the great tradition of Italian cinema.

In 2017, Umberto was invited to join the Artist Academy at the Film Society of Lincoln Center. His work has been featured at prestigious international film festivals, including Venice, Busan, Rotterdam, BFI, and Tribeca. Pugni Chiusi by F. Infascelli won Best Documentary in the Controcampo section at the 68th Venice Film Festival. His score for Worldly Girl by Marco Danieli, one of the most celebrated Italian debut films, contributed to the film's David di Donatello award and its presentation at Venice Days.

Umberto is best known for scoring the critically acclaimed A24 film. A Different Man, directed by Aaron Schimberg, was presented at both Sundance and Berlinale in 2024. Previous to that, he scored The Bunker Game, directed by Roberto Zazzara, a Shudder original. Upcoming projects include the features This Is The One They'll Remember Me. By directed by Alex Mechanik for Gloria Sanchez Productions, Isabel directed by Gabe Klinger, and Mykonos directed by Christopher André Marks and starring Julia Fox.

Umberto loves a fresh approach to soundtrack composition in the wake of Italian tradition.