Francesco Casetti appointed as member of Venice Film Festival Jury

Francesco Casetti, Sterling Professor of Humanities and Film and Media Studies, has been appointed as a member of the International Jury for the Eighty–Third Venice International Film Festival, making him the first academic to serve on the Golden Lion jury in Venice. This appointment is a rare recognition of a scholar’s contributions to the field and reflects both Casetti’s longstanding influence on film and media studies as one of the early scholars who helped establish film studies in Europe during the 1980s, and the international prominence of Yale’s Film and Media Studies program.

The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the world and one of the most prestigious. The festival was organized for the first time in 1932 and since then has attained great popularity, growing into an annual event that presents a selection of world-class films, bringing some of the most successful directors and actors of our time to the red carpet at Lido di Venezia.

Casetti, who is honored to be appointed as a member of this year’s jury, stated that his upcoming duties will be to “listen to the voices of others, to discuss our different points of view, and to work towards a shared opinion."  

Casetti’s contributions to film analysis, film theory, and film archaeology have allowed him to explore the transformation of cinema within a rapidly changing media landscape, examining how film continues to evolve across new technologies and viewing environments. Reflecting on this, Casetti shared his viewpoint on the significance of film studies, describing it as a “double act of love: love for cinema, the great art of the twentieth century that is now renewing its means of expression, and love for knowledge, with the possibility of understanding even the smallest detail that introduces the essential note for the entire symphony."  

Casetti will be serving on the jury alongside talented professionals from the film industry, led by Maggie Gyllenhaal, a three-time Academy Award nominee. Stories in the Italian newspaper and on social media have described Cassetti’s inclusion as an exciting surprise, indicating that his appointment signifies that cinema is still an art form and not just a business, and that his presence on the jury reveals that academics are starting to have a significant voice in the industry again.