The organizers of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, set to take place from September 2–19, 2026, have unveiled the members of the Orizzonti and Luigi De Laurentiis Award for Best First Feature juries, completing the announcement of the festival’s main judging panels.

The Orizzonti jury, which recognizes the most innovative voices in contemporary cinema, will be chaired by French filmmaker Valérie Donzelli. Joining her are American distributor Peter Becker, Hong Kong-American director Elizabeth Lo, Mexican filmmaker and screenwriter David Pablos, and Italian actress Barbara Ronchi.

Donzelli, best known for films such as Declaration of War and Marguerite & Julien, shared the César Award for Best Adapted Screenplay with Audrey Diwan for Just the Two of Us. In 2025, she returned to the Venice competition with At Work, which received the festival’s Best Screenplay Award.

Peter Becker serves as president of The Criterion Collection and Janus Films, two companies that have played a pivotal role in bringing international arthouse cinema to American audiences. Elizabeth Lo previously screened Mistress Dispeller in the Orizzonti section, while David Pablos has enjoyed a longstanding relationship with the Venice festival, premiering his debut feature La vida después there before winning the Orizzonti Award for Best Film with En el camino. Barbara Ronchi won the David di Donatello Award for her performance in Settembre and most recently received the Italian Golden Globe for Elisa.

The jury for the Luigi De Laurentiis Award, presented to the festival’s best debut feature, will be chaired by Italian writer and director Carolina Cavalli. She will be joined by British-Nigerian filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr. and American producer Ted Hope.

Cavalli made her feature directorial debut with Amanda, which premiered in both Venice and Toronto. She also co-wrote Fremont, winner of the John Cassavetes Award at the Independent Spirit Awards. Last year, she returned to the Orizzonti section with The Kidnapping of Arabella, which earned Benedetta Porcaroli the Best Actress prize.

Akinola Davies Jr. gained international recognition with his debut feature My Father’s Shadow, which screened in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section and received a Caméra d’Or Special Mention. Completing the jury is Ted Hope, a producer of more than 70 films and one of the key executives behind Amazon’s expansion into film production.