01/06/2020
Gaia Furrer takes the helm as Artistic Director
The President of the Associazione Giornate degli Autori, Andrea Purgatori, and its General Delegate, Giorgio Gosetti, are delighted to announce that starting this year, as decided by the Board of Directors, the role of Artistic Director of the showcase (set to run September 2-12, during the Venice Film Festival) will be assumed by Gaia Furrer, who will be working closely with the General Delegate, the selection committee, and Giornate's consultants and programmers.
"It's an honor and a challenge," declares Gaia Furrer, "given the exceptional circumstances. At the same time, though, Giornate 2020 is also a golden opportunity to rethink the very role of film festivals and how they reach their audiences. I'm excited about taking on this new role and what it stands for, and grateful for the trust shown in the team I've spent the formative years of my career with."
"It's great news and a marvelous sign," says Giorgio Gosetti, "when a woman who is an internationally known programmer, dedicated to her craft, takes the helm of such a prestigious showcase, an independent sidebar of the Venice Film Festival since 2004, created by the Italian filmmakers' associations, ANAC and 100autori. It's an important milestone not only for the Giornate degli Autori team, which has more than kept pace with the times, but also for film festivals in general, as they fully embrace gender equality and welcome a new generation of cultural professionals."
In overseeing the selection of the Giornate lineup, Gaia Furrer will be working closely with Renata Santoro (head of programming), Mazzino Montinari, Cédric Succivalli and Andrei Tănăsescu.
Born in Barga, near Lucca, in 1975, Gaia Furrer graduated from Rome's Sapienza University with a degree in film studies. She worked on a number of national and international projects with Italia Cinema (now FilmItalia). Since 2004, she has served as a programmer for Noir in Festival, and as programmer and head of programming at Giornate degli Autori since its own debut.
