Elisa Bonora is an ACE BFE film editor and a documentary producer.
She was born in Milan, Italy, and moved to Los Angeles to pursue her editing career. She initially worked with director JOE PYTKA, a three-time DGA Award winner, and fifteen-time nominee, editing commercial campaigns for a wide range of well-known global brands.
Her breakthrough in long-format editing came when director OLIVER STONE approached her to edit COMANDANTE (2003), a feature length documentary about Fidel Castro. Since that pivotal moment in her career, she has edited over 40 documentaries including ASHES AND SNOW (2005), directed by GREGORY COLBERT, in collaboration with two-time Oscar winner PIETRO SCALIA.
She was nominated for 2 Emmys as a producer, and nominated for an ACE award and a Grammy as an editor.
Among her most important credits are NO SUBTITLES NECESSARY: LAZLO AND VILMOS (2008), directed by JAMES CHRESSANTHIS, which premiered at Cannes Film Festival and earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Arts & Culture Programming. Another collaboration between Elisa and OLIVER STONE came in the form of SOUTH OF THE BORDER (2009), premiering at Venice Film Festival.
Elisa then edited and co-produced BRAVE MISS WORLD (2013), directed by CECILIA PECK, which earned her a second Emmy nomination for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking. In the same year, she also worked on BLACKFISH (2013), directed by GABRIELA COWPERTHWAITE, which was shortlisted for an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.
The multi-award winning GLEN CAMPBELL...I'LL BE ME (2014), directed by JAMES KEACH, was nominated for 2 Grammys, an Oscar, a Satellite Award and a Critics Choice Award, and also brought Elisa her nomination for BEST EDITED DOCUMENTARY by the AMERICAN CINEMA EDITORS.
In 2016 she worked on the Oscar-shortlised film THE IVORY GAME (2016), and later the same year worked on BENDING THE ARC (2017) by PEDRO KOS and FRANCA, CHAOS AND CREATION (2016) by FRANCESCO CARROZZINI.
In 2018 Elisa edited the Emmy-nominated GHOST FLEET (2018), directed by SHANNON SERVICE and JEFFREY WALDON, which premiered at Telluride Film Festival. Returning to a music documentary, she then edited DAVID CROSBY: REMEMBER MY NAME (2019), produced by CAMERON CROWE and directed by AJ EATON, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Musical Film.
In 2020, while moving to Northern Ireland, Elisa edited STILL WORKING 9-5 (2022), directed by CAMILLE HARDMAN and GARY LANE, which premiered at South by SouthWest in 2022.
After moving to the UK, Elisa was invited to join the honorary society of British Film Editors (BFE). Red Wolf Films had just opened its doors when editing began on DEEP RISING (2023), directed by MATTHIEU RYTZ and narrated by JASON MOMOA. It premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2023.
In 2023 she worked on MAESTRA (2023), directed by MAGGIE CONTRERAS which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in June 2023 and earned the Audience Award at the same festival.
In collaboration with her Red Wolf team and her business partner GIORDANO BONORA GROOME, between 2022 and 2024 Elisa has edited A MAN WITH SOLE, THE IMPACT OF KENNETH COLE by Tony and Emmy awards winner DORI BERINSTEIN, THE LAST AMATEUR by BILLY RAFTERY and KENNY LOGGINS CONVICTION OF THE HEART, also directed by DORI BERINSTEIN.
She is currently editing the beautifully shot along the Colorado river banks THE RIVER - about the crucial topic of water rights and climate change, directed by MARA TASKER.
