Francis Kaufmann, sentenced to life in Italy, had won a €863,595 film tax credit for an unmade movie

Kaufmann, a US citizen, secured a €863,595 tax credit from Italy's Ministry of Culture in 2020 for a feature, Stelle della Notte, that was never made, Deadline reported on November 5, 2026. Italy's film tax credits are public money tied to production. Deadline reported that an Italian court sentenced him to life for murdering his partner and daughter.