Giannalberto Bendazzi (born 1946) is an animation historian, author, and professor.
Born in Ravenna, Italy, and raised in Milan, Bendazzi started his career as a journalist and at the same time a self-funded scholar. He turned to full-time academic teaching by 2002. Bendazzi has lectured on several continents, and particularly in Italy. In 2002 he first received the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Animation Theory from the Animafest Zagreb.
Bendazzi has authored and edited many books and articles. He is best known for his book "Cartoons − 100 Years of Cinema Animation" (Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press, 1994), a history of the medium, published in Italian, English, French, Spanish and Persian. This book has been considered the definitive work on the subject for animation students and scholars. In 2013, a new, larger version is in preparation. Bendazzi also wrote "Alexeieff – Itinéraire d’un maître / Itinerary of a Master" (Paris: Dreamland, 2001 in English and French, about the well-known author of avant-garde short films), and "Quirino Cristiani, pionero del cine de animación" (Buenos Aires: Ediciones de la Flor, 2008, in Spanish, about the author of the first animated feature-length films).
Bendazzi also wrote books on live-action cinema, on Woody Allen and Mel Brooks.
"Quirino Cristiani, pionero del cine de animación", Ediciones de la Flor, Buenos Aires, 2008.
"L'uomo che anticipò Disney", Tunué, Latina, 2007.
(ed.) "Il cinema d'animazione e la nuova critica", Cuem, Milan, 2006.
(ed.) "Animazione e realismo", by Midhat Ajanovic, Cuem, Milan, 2005.
"Lezioni sul cinema d’animazione", Cuem, Milan, 2004, 2005.
(booklet) "Alexandre Alexeieff – Poemes de llum i ombra / Poemas de luz y sombra / Poems of Light and Shadow", Sitges 03, Festival Internacional de Cinema de Catalunya, Barcelona, 2003.
(ed.) "La fabbrica dell’animazione. Bruno Bozzetto nell'industria culturale italiana", Il Castoro, Milan, 2003.
(booklet) "I continenti dell’animazione", Cuem, Milan, 2002, 2003.
(ed.) "Alexeieff - Itinéraire d’un maître / Itinerary of a Master", Dreamland, Paris, 2001.
(booklet) "Le tour de l’animation en 84 films – Joyaux d’un siècle / The Tour of Animation in 84 Films – Jewels of a Century", Festival International du Film d’Animation, Annecy, 2000.
"Bruno Bozzetto – Animazione Primo amore", Isca, Milan, 1972. Croatian/English edition, Zagreb Animation Festival, 1998.
(ed.) "Coloriture – Voci, rumori, musiche nel cinema d’animazione", Pendragon, Bologna, 1995.
(ed.) "Il movimento creato – Studi e documenti di ventisei saggisti sul cinema d’animazione", Pluriverso, Turin, 1993.
"Cartoons – Cento anni di cinema d’animazione / Cartoons: One Hundred Years of Cinema Animation", Italian edition: Marsilio, Venice, 1988, 1992. French edition: Liana Lévi, Paris, 1992. English edition: John Libbey/Indiana University Press, London/Bloomington, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2003. Spanish edition: Ocho y Medio, Madrid, 2003. Persian edition:Yeksad Sal Cinemaye Animation, Tehran, 2007.
"Le cinéma d’animation", La Pensée Sauvage, Grenoble, 1985.
(booklet) "La zuzzurellinea – Osvaldo Cavandoli e l’animazione", Incontri Internazionali con gli Autori di Cinema d’Animazione, Genoa, 1985.
"Woody Allen − Il comico piú intelligente e l’intelligenza piú comica", Fabbri (later RCS), Milan, 1984, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1995. French edition: Liana Levi, Paris, 1986, 1989, 1991. English edition: Ravette, London, 1987. German edition: Treves, Trier, 1990, 1998. Hungarian edition: Alexandra Kiado, Budapest, 1994. Spanish edition: Orbis, Barcelona, 1995.
(ed., booklet) "Pages d’Alexeieff", AAA, Annecy, 1983. Italian edition: Incontri Internazionali con gli Autori di Cinema d’Animazione, Genoa, 1984.
"Due volte l’oceano – Vita di Quirino Cristiani, pioniere del cinema d’animazione", La casa Usher, Florence, 1983.
(booklet) "Appeso a una matita – Il cinema d’animazione di Guido Manuli", Incontri Internazionali con gli Autori di Cinema d’Animazione, Genoa, 1983.
"Mel Brooks – L’ultima follia di Hollywood", Il Formichiere, Milan, 1977. French edition: Glénat, Paris, 1980.
"Topolino e poi", Il Formichiere, Milan, 1978.
"Woody Allen", La Nuova Italia, Florence, 1976 and 1979.
"La Freccia Azzurra" (The Blue Arrow), article for AWN, 1997.
"History of Portuguese Animation Cinema", article for AWN, 2002.
"A Letter To A Master" - (Italian) "Lettera A Un Maestro", posthumous letter to Giorgio "Max" Massimino-Garniér, article for AWN, 2000.
"Icelandic Animation", article for AWN, 1996.
"Il Paese degli animali (Animaland)", article for AWN, 1997.
