The 81st Venice International Film Festival has revealed the esteemed members of its international juries for this year’s event, which will take place from August 28 to September 7. One of the key juries that have been announced is the Orizzonti (Horizons section) jury, which includes a diverse group of individuals from different parts of the world. The jury will be chaired by American director and screenwriter Debra Granik and will also feature Iranian writer, director, and producer Ali Asgari, Syrian film director and screenwriter Soudade Kaadan, Greek director, screenwriter, and producer Christos Nikou, Swedish actress and director Tuva Novotny, Hungarian filmmaker Gábor Reisz, and Italian screenwriter and director Valia Santell.
The Orizzonti Jury will be responsible for awarding several prestigious prizes, including the Orizzonti Award for Best Film, Orizzonti Award for Best Director, Special Orizzonti Jury Prize, Orizzonti Award for Best Actress, Orizzonti Award for Best Actor, Orizzonti Award for Best Screenplay, and Orizzonti Award for Best Short Film. The jury will carefully evaluate each submission and choose the winners for each category, ensuring that there are no joint awards allowed.
Luigi De Laurentiis Venice Award Jury
In addition to the Orizzonti Jury, the Venice International Film Festival has also announced the members of the international jury for the “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award, also known as the “Lion of the Future” award for a debut film. This esteemed jury will be chaired by Italian film critic Gianni Canova and will include American writer and director Ricky D’Ambrose, Brazilian director, visual artist, actress, and producer Barbara Paz, Canadian actress and director Taylor Russell, and film festival curator and project market director Jacob Wong.
The jury of the Venice Award for a Debut Film will have the important task of awarding the Lion of the Future – “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Film to one of the debut feature-length films selected from the various competitive sections of the Venice Film Festival. The prestigious award comes with a cash prize of $100,000, which will be donated by Filmauro and divided equally between the director and the producer of the winning film.
All the official awards, including those from the Orizzonti Jury and the Venice Award for a Debut Film, will be announced during the closing ceremony of the 81st Venice International Film Festival on Saturday, September 7. The stage for this grand event will be set at the Sala Grande of the Palazzo del Cinema at the Venice Lido, where the winners will be honored and celebrated for their exceptional contributions to the world of cinema.