21/08/2014 - The agenda of the programme, promoted by the European Parliament LUX Prize, is equally intense

They're the faces of "28 Times Cinema", and starting this year, they're also the jury for Venice Days. For 11 days they'll be having a real "campus experience" as they debate the merits of the 13 titles in the sidebar's official selection, together with an "expert" like Czech film critic Karel Och (their guide through the decision-making process) and the jury president, filmmaker Diego Lerman. At the end, the team of 28 will be in the spotlight as never before: the jury's final session to assign the 2014 Venice Days Award, will be open to the public as well as the press, and will be live-streamed as well.

And behind the scenes at "28 Times Cinema", promoted by the European Parliament LUX Prize along with the exhibitors' network Europa Cinemas (Media Programme) and Venice Days, the agenda is equally intense. Thanks in no small part to Cineuropa's support, the project has grown each year since 2010 to include new professional initiatives, and this year, aside from the viewing of films and the jury sessions, the 28 young jurors will be involved in seminars, debates and professional training, all with Venice Days and LUX Prize guests.

Divided into groups, they'll have the chance to explore 4 different film-related occupations. Amanny Mohamed, FRED radio host, will teach them how to "talk film" over the airwaves, to conduct a program about films and festivals, while Elena Di Giovanni, translator and university professor specialized in the audiovisual sector, will hold a master class on translating for cinema, focusing on the cultural differences in visual perception. Cineuropa's editor-in-chief, Domenico La Porta, will share his own experiences with social media and the latest web platforms to devise new strategies for promoting film-related projects, while Peter Paul Huth, ZDF editor as well as a member of the LUX Prize selection committee, will tutor aspiring critics by having them write daily reviews and providing them with his feedback.

Georgette Ranucci (Lucky Red) and Mira Staleva (Sofia Film Festival) are the guest speakers for the first in a series of conferences, "Film Distribution: What about tomorrow?" On September 2, both sides of the Venice Film Festival's program for new talent will meet for the first time at the Villa degli Autori, as the "28 Times Cinema" gang goes face-to-face with the rising stars of the Biennale College: Rania Attieh, Daniel Garcia (H.), Joseph Bull, Luke Seomore (Blood Cells) and Duccio Chiarini (Short Skin), accompanied by Savina Neirotti (head of the Biennale College project) and Giacomo Durzi (100autori).

Many of the talks will be devoted to the European Parliament LUX Prize. Silvia Costa, newly-elected President of the Committee on Culture, together with Tanja Fajon (Slovenian MEP) and Doris Pack (LUX Prize coordinator) will present the prize and the activities connected with it, explaining how film promotion fits in with European Parliament projects and is linked to defining Europe's cultural identity. And the nature of the European cinema of tomorrow will be discussed by none other than the three LUX Prize finalists, guests at Venice this year: Rok Biček (Class Enemy [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Rok Biček
interview: Rok Bicek
interview: Rok Bicek
film profile]), Céline Sciamma (Girlhood [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Céline Sciamma
interview: Céline Sciamma
film profile]) and Pawel Pawlikowski (Ida [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pawel Pawlikowski
interview: Pawel Pawlikowski
film profile]).

(Translated from Italian)