Giovanni "Tinto" Brass (born 26 March 1933) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. In the 1960s and 1970s, he directed many critically acclaimed avant-garde films of various genres. Today, he is mainly known for his later work in the erotic genre, with films such as Caligula, Così fan tutte (released under the English title All Ladies Do It), Paprika, Monella (Frivolous Lola) and Trasgredire. After Salon Kitty (1976) and Caligula (1979), the style of his films gradually changed towards erotic films. Caligula was originally supposed to be a satire on power instead of an erotic film, but the producers changed and re-edited the film entirely without Brass's consent, removing many political and comical scenes, and shooting sexually explicit sequences, to make the film a pornographic drama. The director demanded that his name be stricken from the credits, and he is only credited for "Principal Photography". Despite this, the film remains his most widely viewed work (and the highest-grossing Italian film released in the United States). Other notable works of Brass's later period include The Key (1983) and Senso '45 (2002). He was making films into his seventies.

Filmography

• 2025Roberto Rossellini - Living Without A Script
• 2012Crazy Dog — il dottore
• 2011Case Chiuse
• 2009Behind The Scenes of Caligula
• 2009Hotel Courbet — Director, Writer, Editor
• 2009Impotenti esistenziali — De Fortis
• 2008Il nostro messia — Critico
• 2008Il nostro messia — Critico
• 2008Kick the Cock — The Boss, Director, Editor
• 2008La rabbia — Primo produttore
• 2005Monamour — Man with Cigar (uncredited), Writer, Editor, Director, Story, Screenplay
• 2004Western all'italiana
• 2003Private — Voyeur, Director, Author, Editor, Story, Screenplay
• 2002Black Angel — Film Director, Writer, Editor, Screenplay
• 2002Unchaste Relationships — Director
• 2000Cheeky — Man in Photo Shop, Director, Writer, Editor, Story, Screenplay
• 1999A Magic Mirror — Porter, Presenter, Producer
• 1999Blessed Transgression! — Presenter, Producer
• 1999Candlewick — Defense attorney
• 1999Dream — Presenter / Lifeguard, Producer
• 1999Hold My Wrists Tight — The Priest, Presenter, Producer
• 1999I Am the Way You Want Me — Presenter, Producer
• 1999Improper Liaisons — Presenter, Producer
• 1999Julia — Presenter, Producer
• 1999Ladybird — Jehova's Witness, Producer, Presenter
• 1999Quattro — Presenter, Producer
• 1999The Last Subway — Presenter, Producer
• 1999Tinto Brass Presents Erotic Short Stories: Part 1 - Julia — Presenter, Producer
• 1999Tinto Brass Presents Erotic Short Stories: Part 2 - Quattro — Presenter, Producer
• 1999Tinto Brass Presents Erotic Short Stories: Part 3 - Hold My Wrists Tight — Presenter, Producer
• 1999Tinto Brass Presents Erotic Short Stories: Part 4 - Improper Liaisons — Presenter, Producer
• 1999Voyeur — Presenter, Producer
• 1999Weekend in Lecco — Stationmaster, Producer, Presenter
• 1998Erotic Short Circuits Vol. 1 — Presenter, Producer
• 1998Erotic Short Circuits Vol. 4 — Presenter, Producer
• 1998Erotic Short Circuits Vol.2 — Presenter, Producer
• 1998Erotic Short Circuits Vol.3 — Presenter / Jehova's Witness, Producer
• 1998Frivolous Lola — Orchestra Conductor (uncredited), Director, Story, Writer, Editor
• 1997Quando l'Italia non era un paese povero
• 1995P.O. Box Tinto Brass — Tinto Brass, Director, Screenplay, Story, Editor
• 1994The Voyeur — Director, Editor, Screenplay, Story, Writer
• Eurotrash
• 1992All Ladies Do It — Comendator Scarfatti (uncredited), Director, Story, Screenplay, Editor
• 1991Paprika — Doctor Babarelli (uncredited), Director, Editor, Screenplay, Story
• 1988Snack Bar Budapest — Giudice (uncredited), Director, Editor
• 1987Love & Passion — Director, Editor, Writer
• 1985Miranda — Director, Writer, Editor
• 1983The Key — Father Confessor, Director, Writer, Editor
• 1980Action — The Director, Screenplay, Editor
• 1979Caligula — Camera Operator, Director, Editor
• 1976Salon Kitty — Director, Editor
• 1971I Miss Sonia Henie — Director, Writer
• 1971Vacation — Director, Screenplay, Producer, Editor
• 1970Dropout — Writer, Editor, Director
• 1970The Howl — Commissario di polizia, Director, Writer
• 1969Attraction — Director, Writer
• 1967Deadly Sweet — Director, Editor, Writer
• 1966Yankee — Director, Screenplay, Story, Editor
• 1964My Wife — Director
• 1964Tempo lavorativo — Director, Writer
• 1964Tempo libero — Director, Writer
• 1964The Flying Saucer — Director
• 1964Woman Is a Wonderful Thing — Mario (segment "Una donna dolce, dolce") (uncredited)
• 1964Ça ira - Il fiume della rivolta — Director
• 1963Who Works Is Lost — Director, Story, Screenplay, Editor
• 1960India: Matri Bhumi — Assistant Director
• 1959General Della Rovere — First Assistant Director
• 1959Venetian Honeymoon — First Assistant Director
• 1958Spatiodynamisme — Director

Appearances as themselves (10)

• 2021Inferno Rosso: Joe D'Amato on the Road of Excess — Self (archive footage)
• 2019Searching for Valentina: The World of Guido Crepax — Himself
• 2015Burning Love — Self
• 2014Tinto Brass: Maestro of Erotic Cinema — Self
• 2013Istintobrass — Self
• 2007My Roman Holiday With John Steiner — Self - Archive Footage
• 2007Tinto Brass: The Orgy Of Power — Self
• 2006Adolfo Celi, a Man for Two Worlds — Self
• 1981A Documentary on the Making of 'Gore Vidal's Caligula' — Self - Director
• NDR Talk Show — Self