14/07/2023 - The Portuguese director will lead the young European film buffs from the 27 Times Cinema project, who will choose the film they think deserves the GdA Director’s Award

Director João Pedro Rodrigues (© Diego Sanchez)

Portuguese writer-director João Pedro Rodrigues will have the honour of chairing the jury of the 20th Giornate degli Autori, the independent section of the Venice Film Festival, which will unspool from 30 August-9 September this year.

Rodrigues, who is also an editor, actor and producer, will head up the jury consisting of 27 young European film buffs from the 27 Times Cinema project, organised by the Giornate degli Autori, the European Parliament’s LUX Audience Award and Europa Cinemas, in conjunction with Cineuropa. These 27 individuals, coordinated by the director of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Karel Och, will take on the task of deciding which film will receive the GdA Director’s Award, the only official prize in the independent section, promoted by ANAC and 100autori.

“I am thrilled at the idea of chairing a jury of 27 young European cinephiles,” declared the Lisbon-born director. “As a young cinephile myself at 15 years of age, I developed a radical, passionate relationship with cinema. I’m looking forward to finding the radicality and individuality of each one of the jury members.”

The winner of the Best Director Award at Locarno in 2016 with The Ornithologist [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: João Pedro Rodrigues
film profile] and part of the Cannes selection last year with Will-o’-the-Wisp [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: João Pedro Rodrigues
film profile] (a movie that was also a finalist for the 2023 LUX Audience Award), Rodrigues will spend ten days guiding his young companions as they set off in search of the film in the Giornate’s Official Selection that best reflects the meaning of the award: the courage to see the world through new eyes.

“Just one year after the triumph of the Portuguese title Wolf & Dog [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Cláudia Varejão
film profile] by Claudia Varejão, named Best Film in the Giornate degli Autori,” declares artistic director Gaia Furrer, “it gives me immense pleasure to continue our love story with Portuguese cinema by welcoming one of its preeminent contemporary filmmakers. Selecting João Pedro Rodrigues as jury president for the 20th anniversary edition of the Giornate degli Autori means celebrating cinema that is free-spirited, provocative, versatile, and up to the task of probing our times audaciously and irreverently.”

“In the unique case of the Giornate jury,” notes general delegate Giorgio Gosetti, “the president is called upon to listen and be open to all that is new – that novelty which young eyes know how to seek out, making the jury president master and apprentice at the same time. This year’s president has a story and a talent that guarantee the uniqueness of his role.”

(Translated from Italian)