The tenth edition of the UNIMED Award, presented as part of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, has come to a successful conclusion. This year, recent graduates Ludovica Amaro and Andrea Lo Nano (from the Visual Arts degree programme) proudly represented Università I

uav di Venezia on the international jury; they were selected by Prof. Marco Bertozzi, lecturer in cinema, and Prof. Angelo Maggi, delegate for international mobility.

An immersive experience of exchange and personal growth

For Ludovica Amaro and Andrea Lo Nano, the initiative represented an extraordinary opportunity to experience the Film Festival from a dynamic and in-depth perspective, assessing the 21 films in competition alongside a jury of 29 students from 8 countries and 17 universities within the UNIMED network and sub-Saharan Africa

Italy: Università Iuav di Venezia, Università Ca' Foscari, Università IULM, UNINT (Roma), Università di Padova, Politecnico di Torino

Europe: Cyprus University of Technology (Cipro), Università di Barcellona e Università di Murcia (Spagna)

Middle East: Erbil Polytechnic University (Iraq), Al-Ahliyya Amman University e Yarmouk University (Giordania), USEK (Libano), Hebron University, An-Najah National University e Palestine Technical University Kadoorie (Palestina), Arab International University (Siria)

Sub-Saharan Africa: AFDA School of Business (Sudafrica), Universidade Pedagógica de Maputo (Mozambico)

As well as viewing the films and attending official events, the two young Iuav jury members played an active part in debates, conferences and in-depth discussions, emphasising the importance of analysing cinematic language by bringing together different sensibilities, backgrounds and educational contexts.

As students in Venice, we’ve always been close to the major cultural events that bring the city to life,” say Ludovica Amaro and Andrea Lo Nano. “However, thanks to UNIMED, we experienced the Biennale from a new and stimulating perspective. The ongoing dialogue allowed us to reflect on the works not only from our own points of view, but also through the experiences and cultures of students from all over the Mediterranean and sub-Saharan Africa.”

The awards ceremony took place on Friday 11 September 2026 in the Sala Laguna at the Giornate degli Autori on the Lido of Venice, preceded by the second edition of the Africa Chiama! event.

The 29 jurors awarded the 2026 UNIMED Prize to the film *Look Back* by Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, who accepted the award in person and was enthusiastically welcomed by the students, with whom Amaro and Lo Nano were also able to engage directly.

The jury justified its decision by praising the film’s ability to portray the deep bond between two young artists and the value of shared passion in the face of isolation

Established 10 years ago in collaboration with the Venice Biennale and co-funded by the Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR), the UNIMED Award celebrates cinema as a key tool for integration, inclusion and the breaking down of linguistic and cultural barriers.

By taking part in this important event, Università Iuav di Venezia reaffirms its ongoing commitment to offering its students courses of high educational value, capable of linking academic artistic research with the most prominent international cultural institutions.