Venice Critics’ Week, the sidebar section of the Venice Film Festival, runs August 27 through September 6. It opens with the ’90s-set drama Stereo Girls and concludes with Julia Jackman’s feminist fairy tale 100 Nights of Hero starring Emma Corrin, Charli XCX, Maika Monroe, Nicholas Galitzine, Richard E. Grant, Amir El-Masry and Felicity Jones.
Venice Critics’ Week Lineup Revealed
Julia Jackman’s feminist fairy tale 100 Nights of Hero starring Emma Corrin, Charli XCX, Maika Monroe, Nicholas Galitzine, Richard E. Grant, Amir El‑Masry and Felicity Jones will close the sidebar on Sept. 6. It all kicked off Aug. 27 with Stereo Girls, a ’90s‑set drama about two 17-year-olds navigating friendship and first love.
Competition Highlights
The seven‑title competition reads like an indie director’s bucket list:
- Agon by Giulio Bertelli – Female athletes go for gold in a fictional Olympics
- Straight Circle by Oscar Hudson – Two soldiers, one isolated barracks, and zero escape routes
- Ish by Imran Perretta – The long shadow of a traumatic police stop on two 12‑year‑old boys
- Cotton Queen, Gorgonà, Roqia, Waking Hours – An international roundup from Palestine to Italy, serving up everything from surreal drama to cross‑cultural coming‑of‑age.
Main Jury Lineup
Two‑time Oscar winner Alexander Payne (Sideways, Nebraska) will preside over the jury, joined by Fernanda Torres, Mohammad Rasoulof, Stéphane Brizé, Maura Delpero, Cristian Mungiu and Zhao Tao.
tags: Venice Film Festival, Venice Critics’ Week, 100 Nights of Hero, Charli XCX, Emma Corrin, Julia Jackman, Maika Monroe, Nicholas Galitzine, Richard E. Grant, Amir El-Masry, Felicity Jones, Alexander Payne, Fernanda Torres, Mohammad Rasoulof, Stéphane Brizé, Maura Delpero, Cristian Mungiu, Zhao Tao
