Born in 1950 (Biella, Italy). Graduated in Literature in Torino, where he works from 1972 in Aiace - Associazione Amici Cinema d'Essai), from 1977 to 1989 as President.
From 1980 he was film critic for several daily and newsmagazines (La Gazzetta del Popolo, Città, La Stampa - Torino Sette, Essai, Altro Cinema, Bianco & Nero, Cineforum) - tv and radio programs as CinemaScoop, Cineasti del Nord-Ovest for RAI 3 – Piemonte, La lampada di Aladino (RAI - DSE), Hollywood Party (Radio RAI).
From 1975 to 1996 he was the curator of several publishings like Erich von Stroheim (Aiace, Torino, 1975), François Truffaut (Il Castoro Cinema, La Nuova Italia, Firenze, 1976), Leggere il cinema (with Roberto Turigliatto, Oscar Studio Mondadori, Milano, 1979), Hitchcock e gli hitchcockiani (Aiace, Torino, 1985), Michael Snow (Festival Int. Cinema Giovani,Torino, 1986), Dennis Hopper (with Davide Ferrario, Aiace,Torino, 1988), Mohsen Makhmalbaf (Lindau, Torino, 1996). From 1982 Barbera worked with Festival Internazionale Cinema Giovani (now Torino Film Festival), as Head of the Press, then General Secretary and Selection Commitee Member, then from 1989 to 1998 as Director.
From December 1-1998 to April 8-2002 he was the Director of the Cinema Department in Biennale di Venezia. From July 2002 he his responsable of the Cinema Department and Director of Museo Nazionale del Cinema di Torino.