Only films presented as world premieres that meet the following criteria are eligible for selection:
· Films that were completed after 7 September 2019;
· Films that have not had any form of commercial distribution or exhibition on the Internet;
· Films that have not been previously presented at any other International film festival or cinematographic event, including those in the country of origin.
The Venice International Film Festival reserves the right to select and invite films that will be presented in the Official Selection of the festival, which includes: Venezia 77. Competition 77, Orizzonti Competition, Venice Virtual Reality, Out of Competition, Sconfini, Venice Classics.
Each film invited to the official sections of the Festival will receive a certificate of participation.
3.1 Venezia 77
An International competition comprising a maximum of 21 feature-length films.
3.2 Out of Competition
Some of the most important works of the year will be presented in the non-competing section, for a maximum of 20 films; to these will be added the films produced within the Biennale College-Cinema program. They may include the works of established authors who have participated in previous editions of the Venice Film Festival, documentaries or films in which the spectacular dimension is accompanied by forms of expressive or narrative originality.
3.3 Orizzonti
An international competition reserved for a maximum of 20 films, dedicated to films that represent the latest aesthetic and expressive trends in international cinema, with special attention to debut films, young talents who are not yet firmly established, indie features and lesser-known cinema, as well as works that address specific genres and current production, with the aim of innovating and demonstrating creative originality. The Orizzonti section features a selection of competing short films lasting a maximum of 20 minutes, selected on the basis of criteria such as quality and originality of language and expression.
3.4 Venice Classics
This section features the world premiere screenings of a selection of the finest restorations of classic films carried out over the past year by film libraries, cultural institutions and productions around the world, committed to the preservation and cultivation of the cinematographic heritage and the rediscovery of neglected or undervalued works of the past. The section may be completed with the presentation of documentaries about cinema or individual authors of yesteryear or today, that can offer innovative elements for historical and critical assessment.
3.5 Sconfini
This non-competitive section features a selection of a maximum of 10 works of different genres, lengths and targets, provided their length is more than 60 minutes. The Sconfini section may include art-house and genre movies, experimental and artists’ films, TV series and crossover productions, which may be preceded or accompanied by public encounters and conversations with the directors, actors and personalities from the world of art and culture.
3.6 Venice Virtual Reality [ARTICLE REVISED on 15/05/2020]
The Festival will present works in competition and out of competition. A maximum of 30 world-premieres or international premieres of Immersive Projects that can be 360 videos, 3 DOF and 6 DOF interactive works. The works of the teams participating in the fourth edition of the Biennale College Cinema-VR, and a Best of VR will be presented Out of Competition.
