Venice Film Festival selector to visit Australia

Paolo Bertolin, representative for the Venice International Film Festival, will be in Australia in June to view new Australian feature films for preselection.

The 71st Venice International Film Festival will take place from 27 August to 6 September 2014. It is the oldest film festival in the world and one of the most prestigious, part of the renowned La Biennale cultural institution.

Venice only accepts films available for world premiere status, in these official sections:

• official competition of 20 features films
• out of competition for 12 features including the Midnight time slot
• Orizzonti competition for 20 features films from newer filmmakers plus short films of up to 20 minutes duration.

There are also two independent parallel sections to which films must be entered separately:

• International Critics Week – 8 debut works selected by the Syndicate of Italian Film Critics.
• Venice Days  – 12 features or docs, promoted by the association of Italian film directors and authors.

The Venice Film Market, in its third year, will take place at the same time as the festival.

In 2013 Australian films selected for the festival were Ruin, which was awarded the Special Orizzonti Jury Prize, and Tracks in Competition, as well as Wolf Creek 2 and feature documentary Ukraine Is Not a Brothel out of Competition.

Deadline for feature films to Screen Australia is 2 June 2014. Short films should be submitted directly to the festival, with a deadline of 20 June 2014.