Born in Rome, Italy. Screenwriter who began his career as a film reviewer for the daily paper La Republica, and soon became a regular contributor to the magazine L'Espresso. By the late 1950's, he had founded his own magazine, Il Delatore (the Informer), published 3 novels and had begun writing programs for the RAI television network. Zapponi entered Italian film in 1951 (É L'AMORE CHE MI ROVINA). He collaborated with Federico Fellini on six films: HISTOIRES EXTRAORDINAIRES / SPIRITS OF THE DEAD (1968), FELLINI - SATYRICON (1969), THE CLOWNS (1970), FELLINI'S ROMA (1972), FELLINI'S CASANOVA (1976) and LA CITTÀ DELLE DONNE / CITY OF WOMEN (1980). Other notable writing credits (alone or in collaboration) include POLVERE DI STELLE / STARDUST (1973), "Moses the Lawgiver" (1974, TV mini-series), TELFONI BIANCHI / THE CAREER OF A CHAMBERMAID (1976), ANIMA PERSA / LOST SOUL and I NUOVI MOSTRI / VIVA ITALIA! (both 1977), FANTASMA D'AMORE / GHOST OF LOVE (1981), RIMINI RIMINI (1987), PAPRIKA (1991), GIOVANI E BELLI / POOR BUT BEAUTIFUL (1996), and his last screenplay, FATE UN BEL SORRISO / GIVE US A SMILE (2000).  Nominated for Writing (Best Screenplay based on material from another medium) 1976: FELLINI'S CASANOVA (w. Federico Fellini) 1 nomination