Tinto Brass: key obituary facts
Is Tinto Brass dead? Yes. Tinto Brass died on November 4, 2026, at age 93.
Cause of death: Tinto Brass's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Tinto Brass known for?
He was an Italian film director.
More about Tinto Brass
Born: 26 March 1933.
Place of birth: Milan.
Place of death: Rome.
Gender: male.
Occupation: film director, screenwriter, film producer, film editor, actor, film screenwriter, director.
Nationality: Italy.
Education: University of Ferrara.
Notable work: The Key, Salon Kitty, Capriccio, Caligula, Monamour.
Spouse: Caterina Varzi, Carla Cipriani.
Occupations: Film director and screenwriter.
Years active: 1963–2026.
Tinto Brass, the Italian film director and screenwriter whose career encompassed avant-garde and erotic cinema, died on November 4, 2026, aged 93.
Born Giovanni Brass in Milan on March 26, 1933, he studied at the University of Ferrara and worked across film as a director, screenwriter, producer, editor and actor. His directing career began in 1963 and included films of varied genres; during the 1960s and 1970s he made numerous critically acclaimed avant-garde works.
Later, he became best known for films in the erotic genre, among them Caligula, Così fan tutte, released in English as All Ladies Do It, Paprika, Monella, known in English as Frivolous Lola, and Trasgredire. His later titles also included Monamour. The nickname “Tinto” came from “Tintoretto,” a name given to him by his grandfather, the Gorizian painter Italico Brass, and later shortened. Brass married Carla Cipriani, known as Tinta, in 1957; she was the daughter of Harry’s Bar founder Giuseppe Cipriani and collaborated as a screenwriter on Brass’s films. Their marriage lasted until her death in 2006, and they had two children, Beatrice and Bonifacio.