VENEZIA 82, SIC: The Settimana Internazionale della Critica announces its 2025 Juries

The Settimana Internazionale della Critica
announces its 2025 Juries

The Settimana Internazionale della Critica (SIC) is an independent section of the Venice International Film Festival, dedicated to debut feature films. Now in its 40. edition, it will take place from 27 August to 6 September 2025.

The Settimana is proud to renew its collaboration with its main partner IWONDERFULL and confirms the IWONDERFULL Gran Prize, a cash prize of € 10,000.
The award will be assigned to the best feature film among the 7 titles in competition and will be decided by an international jury composed of filmmaking duo Valentina and Nicole Bertani; Nathalie Jeung, head of international sales at Kinology; and Lee Hong-chi, director, screenwriter and actor.

While producer Alessandro Amato, film director Gianluca Matarrese, and Alessandra Speciale, artistic director of the African, Asian and Latin American Film Festival in Milan and Venice Film Festival programmer, will decide the winners for the Best Short Film, Best Director and Best Technical Contribution among the short films in competition within SIC@SIC.

Furthermore, the feature films in competition are eligible for:

The Settimana’s Audience Award, voted for by our audience and consisting in € 3,000.

Luciano Sovena Award, conferred to the Best independent producer by a jury of Luciano Sovena’s Friends Association members and consisting in € 3,000.

Verona Film Club Award, bestowed to the most innovative film in the section by a jury composed of under-35 members of the Verona Film Club: Giovanni Cicogna, Giovanni Delaini, Angela Giona, Adeesha Kekulthotuwage, and Anna Sergio.

Mario Serandrei – Hotel Saturnia Award, sponsored by the Hotel Saturnia & International Venezia and conferred for the Best Technical Contribution by Sara D’Ascenzo, Davide Di Giorgio, and Carlo Griseri, film critics and members of the SNCCI.

40.SIC Jury

in collaboration with IWONDERFULL
Valentina and Nicole Bertani share a common background: they grew up watching the same films, reading the same books, and taking care of the same pets: they are indeed sisters, just 15 months apart. After reaching adulthood (against their will), Valentina devoted herself to filmmaking, directing commercials and music videos, before shooting a documentary, The Crown Shyness. Released in Italy in 2023 by I Wonder Pictures, the film was included in the 79. Venice Film Festival (Giornate degli Autori) and was shortlisted for the David di Donatello. It went on to win the Valentina Pedicini special prize at the Nastri d’Argento before being distributed in the UK by BBC and in the US by Chapter Two Films. Nicole studied art direction and graphic design in Milan and London (Central Saint Martin). She is a freelance creative director, graphic designer, and filmmaker. She works both in print and digital media, collaborating as a freelancer with publishing companies and brands. After many years of working together on many projects in different roles, Valentina and Nicole decided to co-direct their first feature film. Thus, Mosquitoes (Le bambine) was born—the first film by the Bertani Sisters and the only Italian feature film in competition at the 78. edition of the Locarno Film Festival.
Graduated from La Sorbonne in French literature and cinema, Nathalie Jeung started her career as a sales agent at Le Pacte back in 2008, after meaningful experiences at Unifrance and Rezo Films. 12 engaging years later as a senior sales manager at Le Pacte, she joined Kinology’s great team in 2022 as head of international sales.

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Lee Hong-chi is an internationally recognized auteur whose directorial debut Love is a Gun (2023) premiered at the Settimana Internazionale della Critica and earned the Lion of the Future award at the 80. Venice Film Festival, establishing him as a visionary filmmaker with a singular cinematic voice. In recent years, he has starred in over ten critically and commercially successful films, such as Long Day’s Journey Into Night (2018 Cannes), Cities of Last Things ( 2018 TIFF, Platform Prize), Thanatos, Drunk（2015 Berlinale, Teddy Award. Returning to Venice in 2025, he serves on the international jury of the Settimana, while premiering his sophomore feature, A Dance in Vain. Notably, Lee is also the cinematographer of the film.

SIC@SIC Jury
Alessandro Amato graduated in Film Production from the Gian Maria Volonté School of Cinematographic Art in Rome, after earning a master’s degree in Law. Following professional experience in theatre, audiovisual production, and the organization of cultural events, in 2015 he co-founded the film production company dispàrte with Luigi Chimienti. He has produced films selected and awarded at numerous international festivals, including Margins by Niccolò Falsetti (Venice Critics’ Week 2022 – Audience Award) and Maternal by Maura Delpero (Locarno International Competition 2019 – winner of four awards). In 2022, he was selected as one of the Producers on the Move at the Cannes Film Festival. He is a member of the European Film Academy (EFA), the European Producers Club (EPC), and the networks ACE, EAVE, and Berlinale Talents. He teaches film and audiovisual production at Sapienza University and the Gian Maria Volonté Film School, and is an expert for EAVE PUENTES.
Gianluca Matarrese is an Italian director based in Paris who, over the past five years, has directed ten films, touring international festivals including the Venice International Film Festival (Settimana Internazionale della Critica and Giornate degli Autori), Sundance, IDFA, Thessaloniki, CPH:DOX, Hot Docs, DMZ, Torino Film Festival, Visions du Réel, Biografilm, Festival dei Popoli, Cinéma du Réel and more. He explores a variety of topics, including family, body manipulation, gender affirmation, economic decline, traces of unresolved traumas, the social meaning of sex practices, unemployment, debts, theatre, and the borders between reality and fiction. He has earned awards such as Best Italian Documentary at the Torino Film Festival and the Queer Lion in Venice. His main titles include Everything Must Go, The Last Chapter, Fashion Babylon, A Steady Job, Les Beaux Parleurs, Pinned into a Dress, and The Zola Experience. His ninth feature film, Gen_, focused on a hospital in Milan specializing in gender transition and fertility disorders, had its world premiere in competition at the Sundance Film Festival and is currently touring around a hundred international festivals. His tenth feature, I Want Her Dead, produced by RAI Cinema, will have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in the Giornate degli Autori section.
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Since 2013, Alessandra Speciale has been a member of the selection team of the Venice International Film Festival and the curator of Final Cut in Venice, an industry program that supports African and Arab films in post-production. In 2016, she was elected President of the Milano Film Network and she is a founder of the Milano Industry Days, professional meetings dedicated to Italian independent cinema. Since 1991, she has been the Artistic Director of the FESCAAAL – African, Asian and Latin American Film Festival in Milan, and has distributed over 200 films within Italy’s alternative cinema circuits. She has also collaborated with other festivals and industry platforms such as the Torino, Locarno, and San Sebastián International Film Festivals, as well as the Doha Film Institute.

The Settimana Internazionale della Critica (SIC) is an independent section of the Venice International Film Festival, dedicated to debut feature films. Now in its 40. edition, it will take place from 27 August to 6 September 2025.

The Settimana is proud to renew its collaboration with its main partner IWONDERFULL and confirms the IWONDERFULL Gran Prize, a cash prize of € 10,000.
The award will be assigned to the best feature film among the 7 titles in competition and will be decided by an international jury composed of filmmaking duo Valentina and Nicole Bertani; Nathalie Jeung, head of international sales at Kinology; and Lee Hong-chi, director, screenwriter and actor.

While producer Alessandro Amato, film director Gianluca Matarrese, and Alessandra Speciale, artistic director of the African, Asian and Latin American Film Festival in Milan and Venice Film Festival programmer, will decide the winners for the Best Short Film, Best Director and Best Technical Contribution among the short films in competition within SIC@SIC.

Furthermore, the feature films in competition are eligible for:

The Settimana’s Audience Award, voted for by our audience and consisting in € 3,000.

Luciano Sovena Award, conferred to the Best independent producer by a jury of Luciano Sovena’s Friends Association members and consisting in € 3,000.

Verona Film Club Award, bestowed to the most innovative film in the section by a jury composed of under-35 members of the Verona Film Club: Giovanni Cicogna, Giovanni Delaini, Angela Giona, Adeesha Kekulthotuwage, and Anna Sergio.

Mario Serandrei – Hotel Saturnia Award, sponsored by the Hotel Saturnia & International Venezia and conferred for the Best Technical Contribution by Sara D’Ascenzo, Davide Di Giorgio, and Carlo Griseri, film critics and members of the SNCCI.

40.SIC Jury

in collaboration with IWONDERFULL
Valentina and Nicole Bertani share a common background: they grew up watching the same films, reading the same books, and taking care of the same pets: they are indeed sisters, just 15 months apart. After reaching adulthood (against their will), Valentina devoted herself to filmmaking, directing commercials and music videos, before shooting a documentary, The Crown Shyness. Released in Italy in 2023 by I Wonder Pictures, the film was included in the 79. Venice Film Festival (Giornate degli Autori) and was shortlisted for the David di Donatello. It went on to win the Valentina Pedicini special prize at the Nastri d’Argento before being distributed in the UK by BBC and in the US by Chapter Two Films. Nicole studied art direction and graphic design in Milan and London (Central Saint Martin). She is a freelance creative director, graphic designer, and filmmaker. She works both in print and digital media, collaborating as a freelancer with publishing companies and brands. After many years of working together on many projects in different roles, Valentina and Nicole decided to co-direct their first feature film. Thus, Mosquitoes (Le bambine) was born—the first film by the Bertani Sisters and the only Italian feature film in competition at the 78. edition of the Locarno Film Festival.
Graduated from La Sorbonne in French literature and cinema, Nathalie Jeung started her career as a sales agent at Le Pacte back in 2008, after meaningful experiences at Unifrance and Rezo Films. 12 engaging years later as a senior sales manager at Le Pacte, she joined Kinology’s great team in 2022 as head of international sales.

.
Lee Hong-chi is an internationally recognized auteur whose directorial debut Love is a Gun (2023) premiered at the Settimana Internazionale della Critica and earned the Lion of the Future award at the 80. Venice Film Festival, establishing him as a visionary filmmaker with a singular cinematic voice. In recent years, he has starred in over ten critically and commercially successful films, such as Long Day’s Journey Into Night (2018 Cannes), Cities of Last Things ( 2018 TIFF, Platform Prize), Thanatos, Drunk（2015 Berlinale, Teddy Award. Returning to Venice in 2025, he serves on the international jury of the Settimana, while premiering his sophomore feature, A Dance in Vain. Notably, Lee is also the cinematographer of the film.

SIC@SIC Jury
Alessandro Amato graduated in Film Production from the Gian Maria Volonté School of Cinematographic Art in Rome, after earning a master’s degree in Law. Following professional experience in theatre, audiovisual production, and the organization of cultural events, in 2015 he co-founded the film production company dispàrte with Luigi Chimienti. He has produced films selected and awarded at numerous international festivals, including Margins by Niccolò Falsetti (Venice Critics’ Week 2022 – Audience Award) and Maternal by Maura Delpero (Locarno International Competition 2019 – winner of four awards). In 2022, he was selected as one of the Producers on the Move at the Cannes Film Festival. He is a member of the European Film Academy (EFA), the European Producers Club (EPC), and the networks ACE, EAVE, and Berlinale Talents. He teaches film and audiovisual production at Sapienza University and the Gian Maria Volonté Film School, and is an expert for EAVE PUENTES.
Gianluca Matarrese is an Italian director based in Paris who, over the past five years, has directed ten films, touring international festivals including the Venice International Film Festival (Settimana Internazionale della Critica and Giornate degli Autori), Sundance, IDFA, Thessaloniki, CPH:DOX, Hot Docs, DMZ, Torino Film Festival, Visions du Réel, Biografilm, Festival dei Popoli, Cinéma du Réel and more. He explores a variety of topics, including family, body manipulation, gender affirmation, economic decline, traces of unresolved traumas, the social meaning of sex practices, unemployment, debts, theatre, and the borders between reality and fiction. He has earned awards such as Best Italian Documentary at the Torino Film Festival and the Queer Lion in Venice. His main titles include Everything Must Go, The Last Chapter, Fashion Babylon, A Steady Job, Les Beaux Parleurs, Pinned into a Dress, and The Zola Experience. His ninth feature film, Gen_, focused on a hospital in Milan specializing in gender transition and fertility disorders, had its world premiere in competition at the Sundance Film Festival and is currently touring around a hundred international festivals. His tenth feature, I Want Her Dead, produced by RAI Cinema, will have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in the Giornate degli Autori section.
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Since 2013, Alessandra Speciale has been a member of the selection team of the Venice International Film Festival and the curator of Final Cut in Venice, an industry program that supports African and Arab films in post-production. In 2016, she was elected President of the Milano Film Network and she is a founder of the Milano Industry Days, professional meetings dedicated to Italian independent cinema. Since 1991, she has been the Artistic Director of the FESCAAAL – African, Asian and Latin American Film Festival in Milan, and has distributed over 200 films within Italy’s alternative cinema circuits. She has also collaborated with other festivals and industry platforms such as the Torino, Locarno, and San Sebastián International Film Festivals, as well as the Doha Film Institute.