Joanna Hogg Jury President of Venice’s Giornate degli Autori 2024

Renowned British filmmaker Joanna Hogg has been named the jury president for the XXI edition of Giornate degli Autori at the Venice Film Festival. Hogg, known for her critically acclaimed films “The Souvenir” and “The Eternal Daughter,” will lead the panel in selecting the prestigious GdA Director’s Award winner. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the award, which honours one of the ten films in competition.

Once Upon a Time in Soho

Joanna Hogg‘s journey in cinema began in the vibrant Soho of the 1980s, where she created Super8 videos inspired by mentor Derek Jarman. Hogg graduated with a short film starring an unknown Tilda Swinton, and since then, she has crafted a legacy with films like “The Souvenir,” “The Souvenir Part II,” and “The Eternal Daughter.” This year, she follows in the footsteps of Portuguese director João Pedro Rodríguez as jury president.

Celebrating 10 Years of GdA Director’s Award

The GdA Director’s Award established a decade ago with the European Parliament’s “27 Times Cinema” project, grants a €20,000 prize to the winning film. This award is split between the director and the international seller, supporting the film’s promotion. Joanna Hogg, alongside ten former “27 Times Cinema” participants, will select the winning film. The jury meetings will be coordinated by Karel Och, artistic director of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.

Diverse Jury of Former Participants

The jury comprises past “27 Times Cinema” participants, chosen from the 388 young cinephiles who have attended Venice over the years. Representing various cultures and professions within the European film community, these jurors bring a wealth of experience and passion to the table.

Joanna Hogg’s Enthusiastic Involvement

“What could be more fun and stimulating than watching films and sharing ideas with a jury of young film professionals who are above all cinephiles,” said Hogg. “I thank the Giornate degli Autori for inviting me to what I anticipate will be days of joyful and inspiring discussions about cinema and its possibilities.”

Artistic Director and Delegate’s Praise

Gaia Furrer, artistic director of Giornate degli Autori, expressed her excitement: “Over the course of her film career, Hogg has probed the human soul, family dynamics, and romantic attachments with great psychological depth, accuracy and a rare authenticity. Her cinema is implosive – the very word used by Martin Scorsese, who produced Hogg’s last three films, to describe the way her films often bring inconvenient and even unspeakable truths to light. I am proud to have her with us on the Venice Lido and know she’ll be an excellent guide for our young jurors.”

Giorgio Gosetti, general delegate, added, “The president’s own story, and the passion she will inject into our tenth anniversary jury, goes hand in hand with the enthusiasm of the ten other jurors, eager to return to Giornate degli Autori. Their first time around, they were budding cinephiles, many of whom had never even been to a major festival. They return in 2024 as rising young professionals in a variety of areas that make up the ‘film machine’: programmers, critics, producers, sales agents, and more. ”

The Ten Jurors

• David Bakum (Germany, 27 Times Cinema 2022) – Curator and organizer for XPOSED Queer Film Festival, Berlin.
• Victor Courgeon (France, 27 Times Cinema 2019) – Public relations and communications manager at Cinéma Le Méliès.
• Maarja Hindoalla (Estonia, 27 Times Cinema 2015) – Freelance journalist and critic, acquisitions head at the Estonian National Film Archive.
• Dimosthenis Kontes (Greece, 27 Times Cinema 2018) – Sales coordinator at Pluto Film.
• Amalia Mititelu (Romania, 27 Times Cinema 2020) – Art director for short films, commercials, and series by Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+.
• Saulė Savanevičiūtė (Lithuania, 27 Times Cinema 2022) – Program coordinator for European Film Forum Scanorama, writer.
• Esmée van Loon (Netherlands, 27 Times Cinema 2017) – Film programmer at LantarenVenster, Rotterdam.
• Gregor Valentovic (Slovakia, 27 Times Cinema 2015) – Filmmaker.
• Isabella Weber (Italy, 27 Times Cinema 2010) – Development executive at Kino Produzioni, freelance story editor.
• Chris Zahariev (Bulgaria, 27 Times Cinema 2020) – Director and screenwriter at Razkaz, working on his first feature film.

Joanna Hogg’s appointment as jury president highlights the unique blend of experience and youthful passion that Giornate degli Autori continues to foster, celebrating the rich diversity and talent within the European film community.