Directors Valérie Donzelli, Carolina Cavalli to Head Venice Sidebar Juries

Venice has picked the juries for its main sidebar Orizzonti (Horizions) and for its best first feature honor.

French director Valérie Donzelli (The Queen of Hearts, Marguerite & Julien) will chair the Orizzonti jury, overseeing a five-person group that will include Criterion Collection/ Janus Films president Peter Becker; U.S./Hong Kong director Elizabeth Lo (Mistress Dispeller), Mexican filmmaker David Pablos (On the Road), and Italian actress Barbara Ronchi (Familia).

The Italian filmmaker Carolina Cavalli (Amanda, The Kidnapping of Arabella) will head up the jury for best first feature, the Luigi De Laurentiis “Lion of the Future” honor. Joining her are the BAFTA-winning British-Nigerian director Akinola Davies Jr. (My Father’s Shadow) and veteran U.S. producer Ted Hope (The Ice Storm, American Splendor).

An actress turned director, Donzelli premiered her first feature The Queen of Hearts (2009), in Locarno. Her follow-up, Declaration of War (2011), opened Cannes’ Critics’ Week. Marguerite & Julien (2015), her first feature, screening in Cannes’ main competition. Her lastest feature, At Work (2025), premiered in Venice competition last year, where it won the best screenplay award.

Cavalli’s debut Amanda (2022), screened in the Venice’s Orizzonti Extra section, as well as in Toronto. Her latest, The Kidnapping of Arabella (2025) screened in Venice’s Orizzonti section, where it won the best actress honor for star Benedetta Porcaroli.

The Orizzonti jury will award the best film, best director, jury prize, best actor, best actress, and best screenplay honors for films screening in Venice’s main sidebar, as well as the best short film honor.

The first film jury will present the Lion of the Future best film honor to a feature-length debut screening in either the official Venice festival competition or one of its sidebars. The Lion of the Future prize comes with a €100,000 ($114,000) cash bursary to be split evenly between the director and producer of the winning film.

All of the official awards will be announced at the closing ceremony of the 83rd Venice Film Festival on Sept. 12.

Venice will announce its full 2026 lineup on July 23.