Tiziana Rocca Celebrates Women, Emerging Talent and Global Cinema at the Filming Italy Venice Award

The Filming Italy Venice Award returns to the Venice Film Festival for its eighth edition, continuing its mission of celebrating artistic excellence while placing particular attention on women, emerging talent and the international dialogue between different film industries. Conceived and directed by Tiziana Rocca, the award has grown into one of the events associated with the Venice film season, bringing together established names and new voices from Italian and international cinema.

Ahead of this year’s edition, Rocca discusses the evolution of the award, the importance of recognizing talent beyond family names, the need for greater opportunities for women in the audiovisual industry and the role of Filming Italy in connecting Venice, Sardinia and Los Angeles.

1. The Filming Italy Venice Award has reached its eighth edition. When did you realize that it had developed a recognizable identity of its own in Venice?

Tiziana Rocca:
Over the years, I have seen the Filming Italy Venice Award become an increasingly anticipated appointment for professionals, audiences and the press. For me, this growth is particularly meaningful because the award was born from a very precise idea: to celebrate talent and the artistic and cultural value of cinema, with a special focus on women and their contribution to the industry.

My relationship with Venice goes back many years, including the events I organized on the terrace of the Venice Casino, where I had the opportunity to host extraordinary personalities such as Woody Allen, Meryl Streep, Sylvester Stallone and George Clooney. The Venice Film Festival has always represented a unique meeting point between cinema, culture and international audiences.

I am also grateful to Alberto Barbera for the attention and support he has shown toward the award over the years. Reaching the eighth edition means that the Filming Italy Venice Award has established its own identity, but it also means that we have a responsibility to continue evolving.

2. Clara McGregor is the ambassador of this edition. What made her the right choice?

Tiziana Rocca:
Clara represents qualities that I consider fundamental in a young artist: freshness, sensitivity, authenticity and an ability to approach acting naturally. She has an emotional depth that goes beyond appearances, and I believe this is particularly important for an ambassador of an award that wants to highlight genuine talent.

Her work includes American Horror Story, The Birthday Cake, Bleeding Love and Running on Empty, directed by Daniel André. What interested me was not simply her international background, but the artistic path she is building for herself.

3. You have often emphasized the importance of valuing artists beyond their surnames. Why is this principle so important to you?

Tiziana Rocca:
A surname can open a door, but artistic value has to be earned. Every artist needs to demonstrate talent, dedication and the ability to build an authentic identity.

This is particularly important when we talk about younger generations. At Filming Italy Sardegna, for example, we created opportunities for emerging filmmakers through short-film initiatives. The winning short receives distribution on the Rai Cinema Channel and enters the official Filming Italy Los Angeles program. We have also established collaborations that allow young professionals to receive free training.

I believe our role is to create opportunities, but then the talent has to speak for itself.

4. How do you see the position of women in the audiovisual industry today? Has the situation really changed?

Tiziana Rocca:
There has undoubtedly been progress, but I do not believe that the change is yet structural. Women are gaining greater visibility, but there is still a need for more opportunities, more representation and greater recognition of their work both in front of and behind the camera.

This is one of the reasons why the Filming Italy Venice Award places such importance on female talent. I want it to be a beacon for parity and for all those actresses, directors, screenwriters and producers who are continuing to establish their voices in the industry.

Our commitment cannot be limited to celebrating successful women. It must also mean helping create the conditions for new generations to emerge.

5. Filming Italy now connects Venice, Sardinia and Los Angeles. What does this international dimension mean to you?

Tiziana Rocca:
It is at the heart of the entire Filming Italy project. Venice, Sardinia and Los Angeles represent three different but complementary dimensions of cinema.

Los Angeles allows us to build a direct dialogue with Hollywood and to bring Italian cinema and talent to an international audience. Sardinia gives us the opportunity to promote emerging artists, productions and the territory, while Venice represents one of the world’s most important meeting places for cinema.

For me, Filming Italy is a bridge between cultures. The international dimension is not simply about bringing stars to Italy; it is about creating relationships, exchanging ideas and giving visibility to talent.

This is also why I believe strongly in investing in the next generation. An international career requires talent, training, visibility and the ability to tell stories that can resonate beyond geographical borders.

If I had to describe this edition in three words, they would be authenticity, innovation and debut. These are the values that I would like audiences to discover through the Filming Italy Venice Award.