In 1887 he moved with his parents and two brothers from his native
Ripatransone to Rome, where his father worked as a state civil servant. He became a pupil of
Gaston Velle, director of the production company
Cines and learned how to use the
movie camera. Between 1902 and 1913 he made many short films of 2 to 5 minutes duration, in which many Italian actors made their debut, e.g., Hesperia, Leda Gys, Diomira Jacobini,
Maria Jacobini, Fulvia Perini, and Elvira Radaelli. In 1917 Illuminati changed his production company from
Medusa Film to Silentium Film of
Milan, with whom he made
La nemica (1917) and
Automartirio (1917). However, Illuminati ran into conflicts with a film critic who preferred American imported movies and with the Italian government, which cut 600 meters from his film
La vita è fumo (1918). A similar fate hit
Tombola (1918, with neorealist leanings) and
La stirpe (1918).
Tombola convinced a public which in general preferred movies from the United States. In the 1920s Illuminati's career halted because of the advent of sound movies and the death of his beloved actress Margherita Soave, who starred in
Alba rossa (1920). In 1921 he still directed three movies and finally became an assistant-director for
Carmine Gallone's
Giuseppe Verdi (1938). In 1941 Illuminati directed his last film,
Il vetturale del San Gottardo, even if the Italian Ministry of Popular Culture forced the collaboration of the German
Hans Hinrich on him. Forgotten by the public, Ivo Illuminati died at Rome in 1963. ==Restored copies of his movies==