Feature will shoot in London and Florence this year.

Pinch Media’s Enrico Tessarin and Mirko Pinchelli are developing their first original feature, The Habit of Beauty, due to shoot in London and Florence later this year.

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Noel Clarke, who previously worked with Tessarin on The Knot, will star alongside Francesca Neri, best known for roles in Almodovar’s Live Flesh and Ridley Scott’s Hannibal.

Set in the wake of the 2011 London Riots, Clarke plays successful gallery owner Stuart whose wayward godson, Ian, is from the same rough estate where he grew up.

Neri plays Milena, an ex-lover of Stuart’s, who is devastated by her break up with Ernesto – a photographer whose latest collection is set to be exhibited at Stuart’s gallery.

When Ernesto disappears, together with his photographs, Stuart, Ian and Milena fly to Florence in search of him, unearthing secrets – not least that Stuart has just weeks to live.

The project was selected for Film London’s Production Film Market last autumn, which resulted in Epic Film Capital coming on board to raise finance.  It is in the process of closing UK finance.

Cristiano Bortone, who worked with the Dardenne Brothers in 2011, is the Italian co-producer.

Director Pincelli previously made two feature documentaries: Uspomene 677 about contemporary Bosnia, which premiered at Raindance in 2011; and My Words and I about an Italian stuttering school, set to screen in London this year.

Tessarin has previously produced rom-com The Knot and web series Sofia’s Diary, as well as Pincelli’s two feature docs.

The pair is also developing a documentary about strip clubs with Clarke, whose credits include Kidulthood, Fast Girls, 4.3.2.1. and Storage 24 who will next be seen in Star Trek Into Darkness.