Spaghetti Western Directors, Screenwriters, Cinematographers

Spaghetti Western Director ~ Franco Giraldi

Franco Giraldi was an Italian film director and screenwriter known for his early contributions to the Spaghetti western genre during the 1960s and his later career of literary adaptations that frequently explored the historical, cultural, and personal complexities of the Italian-Slovenian border region around Trieste and Istria. Born on July 11, 1931, in Comeno Gorizia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy and raised in the divided post-war city of Trieste, he began as a film critic for the newspaper L’Unità before transitioning to cinema, where he worked as an assistant director on major productions including Sergio Leone's “A Fistful of Dollars” (1964). He debuted as a director with genre films such as “Sugar Colt” (1966) and the McGregor series (“7 pistole per i McGregor” and “7 donne per i McGregor”), followed by Italian comedies featuring prominent actors.

Giraldi's work later shifted toward more personal and literary projects in both cinema and television, often drawing from regional literature to address themes of identity, memory, and frontier life. Notable among these are the so-called Istrian trilogy, “La rosa rossa” (1973), “Un anno di scuola” (1977), and “La frontiera” (1996), as well as adaptations like “Il Corsaro” and “Le voci”. His documentaries, including “Il Carso” (1960) and others focused on Trieste and the border, further reflect his deep connection to the area's complex history. Giraldi maintained a prolific output across decades, collaborating with figures such as Gillo Pontecorvo, Giuseppe De Santis, and Sergio Corbucci early in his career, and he continued directing until the late 1990s and early 2000s. He died on December 2, 2020, in Trieste from COVI-19 at the age of 89.

Franco Giraldi directed four Spaghetti westerns: “7 pistole per i MacGregor” (7 Guns for the Mac Gregors) in 1965, “Sugar Colt” and “Sette donne per i MacGregor” (Up the MacGregors!) both in 1966 and “Un minute per pregare, un instante per morire” (A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die) in 1967.

GIRALDI, Franco (aka Vincent Eagle, Frank Garfield, Fernand Lion, Frank Prestland [7/11/1931, Comeno, Gorizia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy – 12/2/2020, Trieste, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy (COVID-19)] – director, assistant director, writer, film editor, actor, married to Palmira Petrongari [19??-2009] (2005–2009).

7 Guns for the Mac Gregors – 1965 [as Frank Garfield]

Spaghetti Western Screenwriter ~ Borja Cobeaga

Borja Cobeaga Eguillor was born on July 13, 1977. He is a Spanish screenwriter, film director, and television producer known for his contributions to comedy genres, including blockbuster films and satirical series that often explore Basque and Spanish cultural dynamics.

Cobeaga began his career directing and co-scripting the Basque television comedy ‘Vaya Semanita’ in 2003, establishing his reputation for sharp, regionally flavored humor. His short film “Éramos pocos” (One Too Many) (2005) earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film, marking an early international recognition. As a screenwriter, he co-authored “Ocho apellidos vascos” (Spanish Affair) (2014) with Diego San José, which became the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in Spain, surpassing €60 million in box office revenue. Directing credits include his feature debut “Pagafantas” (Friend Zone) (2009), earning a Goya Award nomination for Best New Director, and “Negociador” (2014), a tragicomedy about ETA truce negotiations that won the Irizar Basque Film Award at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. Later works encompass directing “Fe de etarras” (ETA's Faith) (2017) for Netflix and creating the series ‘No me gusta conducir’ (I Don't Like Driving) (2022) for Movistar+, alongside serving as president of the Spanish audiovisual authors' organization DAMA from 2014 to 2022.

Borja Cobeaga was a co-screenwriter on one Spaghetti western, “Limoncella” with Luis Berdejo and Jorge C.Dorado.

COBEAGA, Borja Borja Cobeaga Eguillor) [7/13/1977, Donostia-San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, País Vasco, Spain -     ] – producer, director, assistant director, writer, actor, film editor.

Limoncello – 2007 (co)

Sugar Colt – 1966

Up the MacGregors! – 1966 [as Frank Garfield]

A Minute to Pray, a Second to Die - 1967

Colt (TV) – 1994 [TV series was never made]

Spaghetti Western Cinematographer ~ Vjekoslav Kostanjsek

Like several other Kauka employees, Kostanjšek was originally an animator at Zagreb Film after graduating from the Zagreb Academy of Fine Arts, more precisely from 1957 to 1963. From 1964 initially working in Italy, he began working for Kauka around 1967. There he was best known for his position as a long-time art director/chief draftsman, which he held from the early 1970s to 1993. His corrective interventions in the works of the various draughtsmen often amounted to worsening and did not remain without controversy. For example, while Florian Julino was allergic to interventions in his works, Massimo Fecchi thinks highly of Kosta, as he encouraged him to apply his own personal style to Fix and Foxy.

For the various Kauka publications, the illustrator realized numerous individual illustrations, including the adventure series Der Tramp, which was published in FF in 1968/69. Especially in the 1970s, he also contributed many cover drawings, for which he often staged the Franco-Belgian licensed heroes; creative were his hidden object motifs, which adorned the Fix and Foxi fun volumes. The most famous cover designed by Kosta is perhaps the one for The Smurfs and The Magic Flute, while the impressive giant fun poster from 1974 (from FF 40/1974) is probably his real masterpiece. However, his style was too static for Fix and Foxi comics, of which there are a few of him.

Vjekoslav Kostanjsek was an animator on one Euro-western “Cowboy Jimmy” with Berislav Fabek, Leo Fabiani, Vladimir Jutrisa, Josip Peciknk and Vjekoslav Radilovic.

KOSTANJSEK, Vjekoslav [6/11/1928, Zagreb, Croatia -     ] – animator, cartoonist.

Cowboy Jimmy – 1957 (co)