Biennale College Cinema 2024-2025: 12 Global Projects Presented in Venice, Italy
The Biennale College Cinema, part of La Biennale di Venezia, has launched the first phase of its 2024-2025 edition with a workshop running from October 7-17. This intensive workshop culminates on Thursday, October 17, with a presentation of 12 projects, created by emerging filmmakers from across the globe. The event will take place from 3 to 5 pm at Ca’ Giustinian, the headquarters of the Biennale in Venice, Italy.
The 12 teams, each composed of a director and producer, represent a diverse array of countries, including Italy, Nigeria, USA, Canada, France, India, Vietnam, Iran, China, Cambodia, Turkey, Kenya, and Ukraine. Over the course of the workshop, the participants have developed their projects, focusing on both creative and production aspects, and will present their progress during the pitch session.
Out of the 12 selected projects, nine were chosen from the Biennale College Cinema – International call, and three from the Biennale College Cinema – Italia call. The Italia call was launched on January 18, 2024, and the international call on May 3, 2024. The competition was fierce, with 277 applications submitted for consideration.
The selected projects span a range of themes and countries, underscoring the global nature of the Biennale College Cinema initiative. Among the selected films are "1 Woman, 1 Bra" by Kenyan-Nigerian director Vincho Nchogu, "Becoming Human" from Cambodia-USA by director Polen Ly, and "The Family," a co-production between Ukraine and Iran by director Hanna Jalali.
The full list of projects includes:
- "1 Woman, 1 Bra" (Kenya/Nigeria) / Director: Vincho Nchogu / Producer: Josh Olaoluwa
- "Agnus Dei" (Italy) / Director: Massimiliano Camaiti / Producers: Giovanna Nicolai, Emilia Bandel
- "Badland" (Italy) / Director: Mounir Derbal / Producers: Lorenzo Fiuzzi, Bardo Tarantelli
- "Becoming Human" (Cambodia/USA) / Director: Polen Ly / Producer: Daniel Mattes
- "Last Time, Again" (China/Canada) / Directors: Di Zhang, Mariusz Rusiński / Producer: Beryl Liu
- "Orange Peel" (Italy) / Director: Anita Rivaroli / Producer: Marco Mingolla
- "Saving the Day" (Turkey/France) / Director: Serhat Karaaslan / Producer: Laure Dahout
- "Secret of a Mountain Serpent" (India) / Director: Nidhi Saxena / Producer: Vimukthi Jayasundara
- "Summer 1999" (Vietnam) / Director: Hang Luong Nguyen / Producer: Dinh Le Minh Trinh
- "The Booking" (USA) / Director: Gabriella Moses / Producer: Sarah Wharton
- "The Family" (Ukraine/Iran) / Director: Hanna Jalali / Producer: Moeinoddin Jalali
- "Vanishing Bones" (France) / Director: Simon Rieth / Producer: Inès Daïen Dasi
Following the workshop, up to four teams will be selected for additional mentorship through two more workshops, scheduled for December 2024 in Venice and January 2025 online. The chosen projects will proceed toward full production, supported by the Biennale with a budget of up to €200,000, and will be presented at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival in 2025. At least one of the selected films will be Italian, and two or more will be directed by women.
The eight projects not chosen for production will still benefit from professional feedback and guidance, with three of them invited to participate in the Venice Gap Financing Market in 2025. This structure ensures that even unselected projects can find future financing and production opportunities.
Biennale College Cinema continues to receive strong backing from the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities, with Vivendi as its primary sponsor. The program enjoys academic collaboration with Gotham Film & Media Institute and TorinoFilmLab. Alberto Barbera serves as the Director of the Biennale, while Savina Neirotti heads the Biennale College Cinema program, which remains committed to fostering new talent in international independent cinema.