Giorgio Gosetti, critic and soul of the Giornate degli Autori, has passed away

Giorgio Gosetti, film critic, journalist, and cultural organiser who, for more than forty years, helped shape and redefine the Italian film festival landscape, passed away in Rome on the morning of 6 March 2026.

His passing leaves a profound void in the Italian and international film community among journalists, critics, filmmakers and festival organisers.

Throughout his career, Gosetti represented a rare figure in the European cultural scene: a professional equally authoritative in film criticism, journalism and cultural programming.

The Venice Years

His professional path began in Venice, a city with which he maintained a deep lifelong bond. In 1980, he began collaborating with the Venice International Film Festival under the direction of Carlo Lizzani. In the following years, he worked alongside Gian Luigi Rondi and Gillo Pontecorvo, becoming Deputy Director of the Festival and Head of its permanent activities.

At the same time, he developed an intense career in journalism. From 1990, he was a professional journalist with ANSA and contributed to several film publications, including Cinecittà News and the monthly magazine Ciak.

As early as the 1980s, his strong vocation for cultural organisation became evident. After collaborating with MystFest in Cattolica, he served as its director from 1987 to 1990. Previously, he had founded the television festival AntennaCinema, anticipating reflections on the relationship between cinema and television.

Noir in Festival and the Giornate degli Autori

In 1991, Gosetti founded Noir in Festival, which became one of Europe’s leading events dedicated to noir cinema and culture. Under his direction, the festival fostered dialogue between cinema, literature and television, turning the crime genre into a space for cultural and critical reflection.

In the late 1990s, he was appointed by Luciana Castellina to direct Italia Cinema, later FilmItalia, a position he held until 2004. That same year, he helped found the Giornate degli Autori at the Venice Film Festival. This independent section, promoted by Italian authors’ associations and supported by Citto Maselli and Emidio Greco, aimed to provide space for freer and more daring cinema.

Over the years, Gosetti became one of its central figures, serving as General Delegate and helping shape its international identity.

Rome, Institutions and Education

His professional path was also deeply connected to Rome. Giorgio Gosetti participated in the creation of the Rome Film Fest, which he directed from 2006 to 2008.

He later led the Casa del Cinema at Villa Borghese until 2022, transforming it into one of the key meeting places for audiences and industry professionals. He was one of the founders of AFIC (Association of Italian Film Festivals), serving several terms as its president until 2024.

Over the years, he coordinated cultural missions in China for ANICA and the Ministry of Culture and contributed to the planning of the National Museum of Cinema in Turin.

He also collaborated with international festivals, including the Reykjavik International Film Festival. Alongside these roles, he pursued an intense academic activity. He taught cultural event management at IULM University in Milan, sharing his experience with new generations of professionals.

Critic and Essayist

Alongside his institutional work, Gosetti maintained a strong commitment to critical research and writing. He published essays and books on key figures and themes in film history, including studies on Marguerite Duras, Luigi Comencini, Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles and Allan Dwan. Part of his research focused on post-war Italian noir cinema and on the relationship between cinema and journalism.

He was a member of the Italian Film Academy, served on the jury of the David di Donatello Awards, and was a member of the National Union of Italian Film Critics.

Remembering Giorgio Gosetti — FRED Film Radio

For the FRED Film Radio editorial team, Giorgio Gosetti held a special place. His support and trust accompanied the radio’s growth across international festivals, opening the doors to key events, meetings and collaborations.

As General Delegate of the Giornate degli Autori, Gosetti supported FRED Film Radio from the very beginning, when it started broadcasting from the section’s headquarters at the Venice Film Festival in 2011. His openness and confidence allowed the radio to find a natural home within one of the festival’s most vibrant spaces.

It is no coincidence that FRED Film Radio calls itself “The Festival Insider”: the station’s identity is rooted in its close attention to film festivals — those very places of discovery, dialogue and creative freedom that Gosetti always considered central to the life of cinema.

Without his work, his trust and his professional generosity, the journey of FRED Film Radio at festivals and at the Giornate degli Autori would not have been the same.

FRED Film Radio expresses its condolences to the family, friends, and the global film community, mourning the loss of a man who dedicated his life to cinema.

Farewell, Giorgio.