Marco Perego, a conceptual artist whose work has been displayed around the world, grew up on world cinema and tends to watch a movie every day. Yet the Italian native has operated mostly outside filmmaking circles — until now. Coming off of his feature directorial debut from 2023, The Absence of Eden — which starred his wife, Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña — Perego launched the production company Leaf Entertainment alongside Michael Cerenzie. The goal was simple: Work with the best, most decorated global auteurs and help them get their next projects made. Easier said than done, right?
Perhaps, but Perego has hit a remarkable benchmark in a very short period of time. At this year’s Cannes Film Festival, he will make history as the first producer to have three movies in the main competition — and they’re among the most pedigreed and anticipated: Minotaur, the first film in nine years from Russia’s Andrey Zvyagintsev (Leviathan, Loveless); Fjord, the Sebastian Stan-led drama from Romanian master Cristian Mungiu (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days); and Paper Tiger, the starry latest from Croisette regular James Gray toplined by Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver and Miles Teller. That doesn’t even cover Perego’s full Cannes slate: He’s also behind Kantemir Balagov’s Butterfly Jam, screening in Directors’ Fortnight.
