Ilenia Pezzaniti

Ilenia Pezzaniti (Lain) is a multidisciplinary artist working in documentary storytelling + ceramics. She earned her BA in communications and photojournalism at Kent State University where she also studied documentary filmmaking. Ilenia has produced her own short films such as #iwokeuplikethis which premiered at the Nightlight in Akron in 2016, as well as award-winning work for the former Devil Strip magazine and with Pritt Entertainment Group where her work as producer, writer, cinematographer, and director on “Kofi: Made in Akron” and “Why Not Akron,” was nominated for two Emmy Awards and won both Judges Choice Award and Gold ADDYS for “Why Not Akron” in 2018. In 2020 and 2021 she received the Best in Show awards in the Cleveland Print Room’s National Juried Exhibitions and in 2020 also received the print room’s Capturing Cleveland Fellowship for her photo work. In 2017 Ilenia was a juror in the short film category for the HighArts Film Festival in Akron. Though her work focuses on documentary, she appreciates all forms of storytelling.

Ilenia’s work is quiet and introspective, as well as curious and bold. She is drawn to the raw and nuanced, and is inspired by limitations.