Martina Amati, born in Milan, Italy in 1969, is an Italian BAFTA-winning filmmaker and artist. She lives and works in London. Amati studied in Milan, Italy, at the Academia di Belle Arti di Brera. Upon graduation Amati’s work was selected for the first Salon Primo di Brera. Following this, curator Andrea Lissoni (now Senior Curator, International Art “Film” at Tate Modern) invited her to exhibit her video Little Swimming Woman at Traslochi, Palazzo dell’ Arengario, Milan. At this time, following an offer of a key role at MTV Europe, She moved to London to take the position of On Air Producer, to pursue her interest in film-making. 

After making many Title Sequences and Promos for MTV Europe and working in a team that designed MTV Italy, Amati went on to create her own work, with three short dramas, which premiered at the Sundance, London and Berlinale film festivals. With her short films Amati won a UNICEF AWARD (A’Mare), a BAFTA in 2010 (I Do Air) and another BAFTA nomination in 2012 for Chalk, which also won a BIFA (British Independent Film Award), along side several other international awards. 

In 2012 Amati was awarded a Wellcome Trust Large Arts Award to make Under, her debut multiple screen installation. Working for three years, with a free brief and ambitious scale, this commission allowed Amati to combine her passion for the water and in depth knowledge of film-making, with her broader artistic vision and roots in contemporary art. Under debuted at Ambika P3, 2015 and is currently showing at the Wellcome Collection, as part of the group exhibition 'Somewhere in Between', March 8 - August 27, 2018. 

Production Credits 

Pinky Ghundale Under’s Producer, works with celebrated video artists and filmmakers on projects for museum and gallery exhibitions, as well as for broadcast, cinema and film festival distribution. She is the long- term producer for renowned Academy Award and Turner Prize winning artist Steve McQueen.

Cowboy Films is the London-based production company through which Under is produced. Cowboy’s earlier work includes, The Last King of Scotland, which won a BAFTA for Best British Film and an Academy Award for Best Actor; the award winning TV series Top Boy and the cinema documentary Marley.

Cinematography and Photography: Daan Verhoeven. Composer and Sound Design: Gunnlaug Thorvaldsdottir. Editor: Livia Serpa. Performers: Martina Amati, Liv Philip, Gergina Miller, Alice Cattaneo. Freediving Technical Director: Liv Philip. Production Managers: David Harwood, Liane Escorza Schaumburg. Director’s Assistant: Natascha Cacciapaglia. Post Production: Glassworks. Sound Mix: Lipsync. Animation: Cristina Diana Seresini. Graphic Design: Micha Weidmann Studio. Exhibition Design: Sam Collins.

About Ambika P3 Director: Professor Katharine Heron Curator: Michael Mazière Ambika P3 is the University of Westminster’s space for contemporary art and architecture, presenting a public programme of solo and group exhibitions, education projects, talks and events. Recent major exhibitions include Potential Architecture with Apolonija Šuštersic, Alexander Brodsky, Joar Nango and Sean Griffiths (2015). Upcoming Ambika P3 commissions include Chantal Akerman's NOW (2015) and Shezad Dawood (2016).

Funding The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation dedicated to improving health. It supports bright minds in science, the humanities and the social sciences, as well as education, public engagement and the application of research to medicine.The Trust supports the development and production of new creative art projects that involve the exploration of biomedical science and its social contexts, generating powerful, personal and visceral art. Recent artists and filmmakers include: Clio Barnard (The Selfish Giant), Jonathan Glazer (Under the Skin) and Phillip Warnell (Ming of Harlem).

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