The Summer School on Films in Venice and Filming Venice is an initiative of Venice International University, in partnership with its member universities Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Iuav University of Venice, Tel Aviv University, Waseda University and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, organized to coincide with the Venice International Film Festival.
The aim is to combine film analysis, theory and practice, applying them to representations of Venice, through a multidisciplinary and multicultural approach, reflected both in the composition of the faculty and the student body. In one part of the program, students are introduced to the history, culture and anthropology of Venice and its relation to visual media. They are offered basic notions of film analysis and film-making theory. The other part is devoted to film-making practice. Students are encouraged to develop a team project on Venice: a film, which is screened and collectively discussed and analyzed at the end of the Summer School. Deserving projects have been shown at the Ca' Foscari Short Film Festival the following year.
7th Edition | August 25 – September 3, 2025
Faculty/Scientific Committee
Nitzan Ben-Shaul, Professor of Film and Television, Head of the Digital Media Program, Tel Aviv University
Sally Faulkner, Professor of Hispanic Studies and Film Studies, University of Exeter, Member of the VIU Academic Council
Norimasa Morita, Professor of Film Studies, Waseda University
Maria Roberta Novielli, Professor of History of Cinema, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Luca Pes, Professor of Italian Contemporary History in Films, Venice International University
Thomas Reinhardt, Professor of Media & Visual Anthropology and Semiotics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität
Angela Vettese, Professor of Theory and Criticism of Contemporary Art, Director of the Master in Visual Arts, Iuav University Venice
Visiting Lecturers
Fran Apprich, Modul University (Vienna and Dubai), script writer and film director
Giuseppe Ghigi, film critic and scholar
Special Guest
Roberta Torre, film director and screenwriter
Trainers
Francesco Bertin, professional filmmaker
Luca Pili, video maker and artistic curator, coordinator of the Ca' Foscari Short Film Festival
Tutors
Rebecca Legnaro, photographer, Ca’ Foscari Short Film Festival staff
Corinne Mazzoli, video artist, PhD researcher at the University of Milano- Bicocca
Giorgia Velluti, Ca’ Foscari Short Film Festival staff
6th Edition | August 26 – September 4, 2024
Faculty/Scientific Committee
Nitzan Ben-Shaul, Professor of Film and Television, Head of the Digital Media Program, Tel Aviv University
Sally Faulkner, Professor of Hispanic Studies and Film Studies, University of Exeter, Member of the VIU Academic Council
Norimasa Morita, Professor of Film Studies, Waseda University
Maria Roberta Novielli, Professor of History of Cinema, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Luca Pes, Professor of Italian Contemporary History in Films, Venice International University
Thomas Reinhardt, Professor of Media & Visual Anthropology and Semiotics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität
Angela Vettese, Professor of Theory and Criticism of Contemporary Art, Director of the Master in Visual Arts, Iuav University Venice
Visiting Lecturers
Fran Apprich, Professor at Modul University (Vienna and Dubai), Film Director and Scriptwriter
Giuseppe Ghigi, Film Critic and Scholar
Roberta Torre, Film Director and Screenwriter
Trainers
Francesco Bertin, Professional Filmmaker
Luca Pili, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Tutors
Alessio Barbazza, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Rebecca Legnaro, Ca' Foscari University of Venice Short Film Festival staff
Lili Szuhay-Murciano, VIU Films School Alumna and MFA in filmmaking graduate, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Angelica Vuocolo, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
5th Edition | August 28 – September 6, 2023
Scientific Committee
Luca Pes, Venice International University
Nitzan Ben Shaul, Tel Aviv University
Sally Faulkner, University of Exeter
Norimasa Morita, Waseda University
Maria Roberta Novielli, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Thomas Reinhardt, Ludwig Maximilians Universität of Munich
Angela Vettese, Iuav University of Venice
Visiting Lecturer
Fran Apprich, Professor at Modul University (Vienna and Dubai), Script writer and director
Trainers
Giovanni Andreotta, professional cinematographer
Luca Pili, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Tutors
Simone Bonfrisco, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Flavio Brunelli, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Rebecca Legnaro, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Lili Viràg Szuhay-Murciano, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
4th Edition | August 29 – September 7, 2022
Faculty/Scientific committee
Nitzan Ben-Shaul, Professor of Film and Television, Head of the Digital Media Program, Tel Aviv University
Sally Faulkner, Professor of Hispanic Studies and Film Studies, University of Exeter, Member of the VIU Academic Council
Norimasa Morita, Professor of Film Studies, Waseda University
Maria Roberta Novielli, Professor of History of Cinema, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Luca Pes, Professor of Italian Contemporary History in Films, Venice International University
Thomas Reinhardt, Professor of Media & Visual Anthropology and Semiotics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität
Angela Vettese, Professor of Theory and Criticism of Contemporary Art, Director of the Master in Visual Arts, Iuav University Venice
Faculty/Trainers
Luca Pili, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Fran Apprich, Modul University
Tutors
Hanna Ammari, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Lydia O’Malley, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Giovanni Pinna, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Lili Szuhay-Murciano Virag, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Giulio Venturi, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
3rd Edition | August 30 – September 8, 2021
The 2021 program started with a virtual component - online sessions - from July 30 to August 9, in order for students to be ready to start on their projects once they arrived in Venice.
Scientific Coordinators and Faculty
Norimasa Morita, Professor of Film Studies, Waseda University
Maria Roberta Novielli, Professor of History of Cinema, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Luca Pes, Professor of Italian Contemporary History in Films, Venice International University
Nitzan Ben Shaul, Professor of Film and Television, Head of the Digital Media Program, Tel Aviv University
Thomas Reinhardt, Professor of Media & Visual Anthropology and Semiotics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität
Angela Vettese, Professor of Theory and Criticism of Contemporary Art, Director of the Master in Visual Arts, Iuav University Venice
Sally Faulkner, Professor of Hispanic Studies and Film Studies, University of Exeter, Member of the VIU Academic Council
Technical Assistant
Luca Pili, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Senior Trainer
Fran Apprich, Modul University
Tutors
Flavio Brunelli, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Stefania Cantele, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Lydia O'Malley, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Jacopo Renzi, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
2nd Edition | August 26 – September 4, 2019
Scientific Coordinators and Faculty
Norimasa Morita, Professor of Film Studies, Waseda University
Maria Roberta Novielli, Professor of History of Cinema, Ca' Foscari University
Luca Pes, Professor of Italian Contemporary History in Films, Venice International University
Nitzan Ben Shaul, Professor of Film and Television, Head of the Digital Media Program, Tel Aviv University
Thomas Reinhardt, Professor of Media & Visual Anthropology and Semiotics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität
Angela Vettese, Professor in Theory and Criticism of Contemporary Art, Director of the Master in Visual Arts, Iuav University Venice
Senior Trainers
Giovanni Robbiano, screenwriter and director, screenwriting mentor at FAMU, where he was Head of Department.
Eran Shapira, Professor in TV directing, script writing, cinematography and editing, Tel Aviv University; professional producer and director of TV commercials, participatory documentary video projects, infomercials.
Dubi Rubinstein, head of the Tel Aviv University Graduate Program in Film and Television, coordinator of the production and directing track, senior professor; professional producer, script editor and advisor.
Technical Assistant
Luca Pili, Ca' Foscari University of Venice
1st Edition | August 27 – September 5, 2018
Scientific Coordinators and Faculty
Norimasa Morita, Professor of Film Studies, Waseda University
Maria Roberta Novielli, Professor of History of Cinema, Ca' Foscari University
Luca Pes, Professor of Italian Contemporary History in Films, Venice International University
Nitzan Ben Shaul, Professor of Film and Television, Head of the Digital Media Program, Tel Aviv University
Angela Vettese, Professor in Theory and Criticism of Contemporary Art, Director of the Master in Visual Arts, Iuav University Venice
Fabio Vittorini, Professor in Comparative Literature, Director of the Master in Television, Cinema and New Media, IULM, Milan
Senior Trainers
Csaba Bollok, screenwriter director and producer, professor at Eszterházy Károly University, Hungary
Giovanni Robbiano, screenwriter and director, screenwriting mentor at FAMU, where he was Head of Department.
Technical Assistant
Luca Pili, Ca' Foscari University
