The film world is buzzing with anticipation as two major Italian documentary film contests announce their selections and prizes. One is the Italian Contest, and the other is its international counterpart, both part of Milan’s Visioni dal Mondo festival (14 – 17 September 2023).

The Italian Contest, specifically for Italian filmmakers, comprises 20 documentaries divided into Feature Films and New Talent First Work. Among the prizes is the Visioni dal Mondo Award for Best Italian Feature Film, worth €5,000, awarded by eminent jurors like producer #Alessandra Galletta# and film critic #Luisa Morandini#. There’s also a New Talent First Work Award worth €2,500, judged by students from renowned Milan film schools. The films also vie for the Rai Cinema Recognition, focusing on the acquisition of television rights for the Rai Networks.

Italian Competiton:

• Flegrea – A future for Bagnoli: (dir. Stefano Romano – Italy)
• The sky is mine: (dir. Ayoub Naseri – Italy)
• Sense of “my” life: (dir. Vito Robbiani – Italy)
• Spring is spring also in town: (dir. Multiple – Italy)
• Life is a game: (dir. Luca Quagliato, Laura Carrer – Italy)
• Missione Asclepios: (dir. Patrik Soergel – Italy)
• Points of View: (dir. Pepi Romagnoli – Italy)
• Refugee Girls: (dir. Leonardo Cinieri Lombroso – Italy)
• Spring in Mariupol: (dir. Matteo Ferrarini – Italy)
• The Deal: (dir. Chiara Sambuchi – Italy)

In contrast, the International Contest is aimed at foreign independent productions. It will feature the Italian premiere of nine documentary films. The winner will receive the Visioni dal Mondo Best International Documentary Award, worth €3,000, assessed by an international jury panel.

International Competition:

• Baghdad on fire: (dir. Karrar Al-Azzawi)
• Eat Bitter: (dir. Pascale Appora-Gnekindy, Ningyi Sun)
• How I Survived the Pyongyang Film Festival 3D: (dir. Martin Hans Schmitt)
• Make People Better: (dir. Cody Sheehy)
• Return to Raqqa: (dir. Albert Solé, Raul Cuevas)
• Scab Vendor: (dir. Lucas de Barros, Mariana Thomé)
• The Longest Goodbye: (dir. Ido Mizrahy)
• The Rise of Wagner: (dir. Benoit Bringer)
• Until the Sun Dies: (dir. Jonas Brander)

Both contests showcase a diverse range of topics and styles, underlining the importance of documentaries in contributing to global and local narratives. With these extensive line-ups and significant prizes, the Visioni dal Mondo festival promises to be a key event for documentary aficionados in Italy and in the wider European landscape.

Find more information on the full 2023 Visioni dal Mondo programme – HERE