During the 77th Venice International Film Festival, 12 projects have been selected for the 9th edition of Biennale College – Cinema 2020/21; their teams (composed of a director and a producer) will participate in the first 10-day workshop which will be held from October 3-12, 2020.

Nine projects were selected from the Biennale College – Cinema  International competition, whereas another three came from the Biennale College Cinema – Italy competition. A total of 188 projects participated.

The 12 projects selected for this first phase of Biennale College – Cinema are:

• 78 DAYS – director: Emilija Gasic (Serbia);  producers: Milos Ivanovic; Andrijana Sofranic Sucur (Serbia)

• BIKECHESS – director: Assel Aushakimova (Kazakhstan);  producer:  Almagul Tleukhanova (Kazakhstan)

• IBLIS LOVERS – director: Yuke QIN (China);  producer:  Jenny Man Wu  (China)

• MADAME NÉGRITUDE – director: Madeleine  Hunt – Ehrlich (USA); producer: Christine Elyce – Sanders (USA)

• NUESTROS DÍAS MÁS FELICES – director: Sol Berruezo Pichon-Rivière (Argentina); producer: Laura Mara Tablón (Argentina)

• THE CATHEDRAL – director: Ricky D’Ambrose (USA);  producer: Graham Swon (USA)

• THE FOREIGN WOMAN – director: Patricia Pérez Fernandez  (Spain); producer: Heidi Hassán (Switzerland)

• THE SUBLETTER – director: Caspar Newbolt (UK);  producer: Valerie Steinberg (USA)

• THE TREASURE OF ATAHUALPA – director: José María Avilés (Ecuador);  producer: Julieta Juncadella (Argentina)

• A MUTUAL GIFT – director: Gianclaudio Cappai (Italy);  producer: Pilar Saavedra Perrotta (Italy)

• IN/BETWEEN – director: Marco Pellegrino (Italy);  producer: Giada Mazzoleni (Italy)

• LA TANA – director: Beatrice Baldacci (Italy);  producer: Aurora Alma Bartiromo (Italy)

After the workshop which will be held from October 3-12, 2020, four of these twelve projects (including one from the Italy section and at least two by female directors) will be selected to receive support from the Biennale to cover production costs, which cannot exceed 150,000 Euros, and will be presented at the 78th Venice Film Festival in 2021.

Biennale College – Cinema promotes new film talents, offering them the opportunity to work in contact with top professionals to make micro-budget movies. Four of these 12 projects will receive support totaling 150,000 Euros, to make a maximum of four feature films (first or second films) which will be presented in 2021 at the 78th Venice Film Festival.

Biennale College – Cinema, conducted by the Biennale di Venezia, has the support of the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities – Directorate General for Cinema. Biennale College – Cinema receives academic collaboration from IFP New York and TorinoFilmLab. The Director is Alberto Barbera; the Head of Programme is Savina Neirotti.