Directors Valerie Donzelli and Carolina Cavalli chair the Sidebar jury in Venice

Venice selected the jury for its flagship sidebar Orizzonti (Horizions) and for its best debut film honor.

French director Valéry Donzelli (Queen of hearts, Margaret and Julian) will chair Orizzonti’s jury, overseeing a five-person panel that includes Criterion Collection/Janus Films President Peter Becker; US and Hong Kong director Elizabeth Lo (Mistress Dispeller), Mexican director David Pablos (On the road) and Italian actress Barbara Ronci (familia).

Italian director Carolina Cavalli (Fremont, Amanda) will preside over the jury for Best First Film, the Luigi De Laurentiis Award for “Lion of the Future.” She will be joined by BAFTA Award-winning British-Nigerian director Akinola Davies Jr (My father’s shadow) and veteran American producer Ted Hope (Ice storm, American splendor).

An actress turned director, Donzelli makes her film debut Queen of hearts (2009), in Locarno. Follow her, Declaration of war (2011), opened the Critics’ Week at the Cannes Film Festival. Margaret and Julian (2015), her first feature film, was screened in main competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Its latest features, At work (2025), which premiered at the Venice Competition last year, where it won the Best Screenplay award.

Cavalli’s first appearance Amanda (2022), shown in the Orizzonti Extra section in Venice, as well as in Toronto. Follow her, Fremont (2023), premiered at Sundance. her latest, Arabella’s kidnapping (2025) was shown in the Orizzonte section of Venice, where it won the Best Actress award for star Benedetta Porcaroli.

The Orizzonti jury will award awards for Best Film, Best Director, Jury Prize, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay to the films screened in the main sidebar in Venice, as well as the Best Short Film award.

The Premier Film Jury will present the Lion of the Future Award for the Best Film in the Feature Premiere either in the official Venice Film Festival competition or in one of its sidebars. The Future Lion Award comes with a cash grant of 100,000 euros ($114,000), which is divided equally between the director and producer of the winning film.

All official awards will be announced at the closing ceremony of the 83rd session^Third Venice Film Festival on September 12.

Venice will announce the full 2026 lineup on July 23.