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Venice Film Festival Selector Coming to Australia

Screen Australia will host Venice Film Festival (La Biennale di Venezia) pre-selector Paolo Bertolin to view new eligible feature films for this year’s festival when he visits Australia in May.

2021 Silver Lion winner for Best Direction – Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog

Taking place from 30 August to 9 September 2023, Venice is one of the world’s A-list film festivals providing considerable prestige and publicity for selected titles, enhancing their sales and release strategies.

The festival screens only world premiere films across the following sections:

  • Venezia 80 (Competition) – an international competition for 21 feature films.
  • Out of Competition – for a maximum of 20 feature films.
  • Orizzonti (Competition) – up to 19 full-length films (60 minutes or longer) and short films (less than 20 minutes duration).
  • Orizzonti Extra - up to 10 works of various genres and lengths of more than 60 minutes.
  • Venice Classics - selected restorations of classic feature films.
  • Venice Immersive - up to 30 XR works and immersive media.

Bertolin will be viewing new theatrical drama features of 70 minutes or longer that are available for their world premiere meaning they will not screen anywhere prior to the festival. Short films and VR films must be entered following the instructions on the festival’s website.

The Venice Film Market also takes place at the same time and attracts international buyers and sellers.

Filmmakers interested in having their feature films seen by Bertolin must check the eligibility and regulations and then contact Dale Fairbairn at Screen Australia by Friday 28 April.

The official deadlines for submission to the 2023 festival are 15 June for feature films, 1 June for short films and 29 May for XR titles.

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

  • International Critics’ Week (Settimana Internazionale della Critica) – seven first features selected by the National Union of Italian Film Critics. Deadline is 20 June 2023.
  • Venice Days (Giornate degli Autori) – 12 features or documentaries, promoted by the association of Italian film directors and authors. Deadline is 16 June 2023.