Franthiesco Ballerini

Franthiesco Anthonio Ballerini Manso (born February 21, 1981) is a Brazilian journalist, art critic specializing in cinema, writer, professor, and PhD in media communications. He has held various roles, including coordinator of free courses at Academia Internacional de Cinema in São Paulo and member of the Associação Brasileira de Críticos de Arte.

Ballerini began his journalism career at *Estadão* as a critic and international correspondent for eight years. From 2016 to 2019, he was a columnist at *Observatório da Imprensa*, writing about art coverage. Since 2020, he has written on cultural soft power for Fair Observer. In 2022, he covered the Segerstrom Center for the Arts' event Reunited in Dance in California.

In Brazil, Ballerini is recognized as a pioneer in exploring Indian cinema and soft power's role in arts and entertainment. He has published six books since 2009, all focused on arts, cinema, and journalism. His fourth book, *Poder Suave – Soft Power*, was a finalist for the 60th Prêmio Jabuti in creative economy. In 2016, his article "Is Cinema a Cultural Bridge Between Brazil and India?" was featured in *Sur South* (a Berlin-based publication).

As a filmmaker, Ballerini has worked as a producer, director, and screenwriter for fiction and documentaries, including short films like *Name*, which explores journalistic vanity. He produced *Legacy* for the "Films of City Frames" series.

Ballerini contributes to major Brazilian media outlets and currently covers movie and TV releases for *Metrópolis*. He has also served as a jury at competitive film festivals in Brazil.