20/08/2024 - The initiative will bring together ten former participants to serve as the jury for the Giornate degli Autori's GdA Director’s Award, on its tenth anniversary

The 2024 edition of 27 Times Cinema will bring together ten former participants to serve as the jury for the GdA Director’s Award, marking the tenth anniversary of this accolade. This award, a significant honour within the industry, recognises one of the ten films in competition in the Venice International Film Festival's Giornate degli Autori (28 August-7 September) with a €20,000 prize. This amount is to be split between the film's director and its international distributor, supporting both the creative and commercial aspects of filmmaking. This year’s jury will be headed by acclaimed British director Joanna Hogg (see the news). Together with their jury president, these former 27 Times Cinema participants will evaluate the films in competition with a fresh perspective, informed by their diverse experiences across various film-industry fields. The jury sessions, coordinated by Karel Och, artistic director of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, will be an opportunity for these young professionals to demonstrate the skills and insights they have gained since their initial involvement with 27 Times Cinema.

This marks the 15th and final edition of the 27 Times Cinema initiative, inviting reflection on the profound influence it has had on the European film industry. Launched in 2010 by the European Parliament's LUX Audience Award in collaboration with Europa Cinemas, Giornate degli Autori and Cineuropa as a media partner, this unique project has brought together 388 young cinephiles from across Europe, nurturing their passion for film and paving the way for their careers within the industry. As these young professionals have grown, so too has the legacy of 27 Times Cinema, which now culminates in a special anniversary edition that promises to be both a celebration and a fitting conclusion to this remarkable journey.

During their stay on the Lido, the 27 Times Cinema participants will report on the films and events they attend through articles and interviews that will be published on Cineuropa's 27 Times Cinema blog.

The participants are (read more about each one of them here):

Chris Zahariev (film director, Bulgaria)
Maarja Hindoalla (head of acquisitions and access, Estonia)
Victor Courgeon (cinema exhibitor, France)
David Bakum (film curator and community builder, Germany)
Dimosthenis Kontes (film sales professional, Greece)
Isabella Weber (film development executive, Italy)
Saulė Savanevičiūtė (programmer and event coordinator, Lithuania)
Esmée Van Loon (director and programmer, Netherlands)
Amalia Mititelu (production designer and art director, Romania)
Gregor Valentovic (director and screenwriter, Slovakia)