Venice Film Festival Revamps Controcampo Section

LONDON –Venice Film Festival organizers said Wednesday it is revamping and expanding its Controcampo Italiano section, which is dedicated to new trends in Italian cinema.

Launched two years ago by festival chief Marco Mueller, the competitive sidebar is adding prizes in its documentary and shorts categories. It will continue to dish out its existing Controcampo Award for best feature.

Mueller said the addition of further prizes is due to a need to "diversify Controcampo's experience as a showcase laboratory" in its effort to attempt to "anticipate the most vibrant tendencies in Italian film."

Controcampo will now comprise features, docus and shorts, with seven entries in each category.

As previously announced, Roberta Torre will preside over this year's Controcampo Italiano Jury, which will decide on all of the section's three prizes.

The 68th edition of the festival runs Aug. 31-Sept. 10.