Giornate degli Autori, the European Parliament LUX Film Prize, and Europa Cinemas, in collaboration with Cineuropa, join forces once again this year for the 9th edition of the 28 Times Cinema project, which brings 28 young cinephiles from the 28 European Union countries to the Venice Film Festival.

14 young women, 13 young men and one non-binary person, all aged between 18 and 25, will make up the jury for the GdA Director's Award, now in its fifth year, which carries a cash prize of €20,000 to be split between the director and the international distributor of the winning film. "Over the last nine years," says Giornate Delegate Giorgio Gosetti, "we have built up a genuine network of youthful vitality, with all its passions and competencies, which we feel is the very meaning of European culture. The exceptional creativity and professionalism of our young jurors this year, along with the high caliber and international profile of the jury president (finally an Italian), as well as the know-how and generosity of the jury's coordinator, Karel Och, are all guarantees for the outcome of this year's Giornate."

The participants in the 28 Times Cinema project have been selected from among the most assiduous filmgoers frequenting the Europa Cinemas network of theaters, and being a jury member is just part of the story. During the festival, they'll also be taking part in numerous masterclasses and workshops tailor-made for them and hosted by professionals in different areas: film critics, festival organizers, experts on VoD platforms, dubbing and screen adaptations. It's all a great opportunity for our 28 young jurors to get an up-close look at the film industry and go behind the scenes at the oldest film festival in the world. They'll also be on hand for the LUX Prize screenings and talks so they'll be ready for their post-festival role as "ambassadors" for the three finalist films when they are screened at the LUX Film Days in their own countries.

For the first time, an Italian filmmaker will be heading the jury: Jonas Carpignano, one of the revelations of the last few seasons and Italy's candidate for the 2018 foreign language Oscar® for his A Ciambra (2017), which premiered at Cannes Directors' Fortnight two years after his debut film Mediterranea (2015).

"I had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with the 28 Times Cinema project in 2015, during a debate at the Villa degli Autori. I was struck by the kids' energy, enthusiasm and intelligence, and three years later I'm still in touch with some of them. I'm delighted that Giorgio Gosetti has asked me to take part in the jury. As jury president I'll have an opportunity to discover new films and meet 28 young film aficionados. I can't wait."

The jury's deliberations will be moderated by Karel Och, the artistic director of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, who has been collaborating with Giornate as a special jury "tutor" since the GdA Director's Award was established in 2014. In keeping with tradition, the jury's last session will be held at the Villa degli Autori, open to the public and livestreamed as a way to share the excitement of the verdict with festival audiences and the directors on the Giornate lineup.