Guido Santi's journey in the film industry began in Italy, where he was mentored by renowned director Ermanno Olmi as part of a group called "Ipotesi Cinema". He co-directed his first short film, Concertino, with his lifelong friend Marco Simon Puccioni, which was produced by RAI, the Italian public broadcaster.
As a duo, Puccioni and Santi then ventured to the United States, attending separate film schools. Puccioni enrolled at CalArts, while Santi was accepted into the University of Southern California, where he earned a master's degree in film production. Following his degree, Santi went on to produce TV specials and documentaries, as well as teaching filmmaking at various US film schools.
Together with his partner, Tina Mascara, Santi co-founded "Asphalt Stars Productions", a production company that would go on to produce a range of projects.
Santi's friendship with Don Bachardy, the long-term partner of celebrated author Christopher Isherwood, began in 1992. This connection led to the creation of the successful documentary Chris & Don, which was released in 2008.
In addition to his work as a filmmaker, Santi was also a respected educator, teaching Film Aesthetics and History of Cinema at the College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, California. Tragically, Santi passed away suddenly on February 4, 2019, due to a heart attack, on the first day of the College of the Canyons' Spring Semester.
