«A list of award winners that perfectly reflects the breadth of our programme, from its most accessible works to its most radical, while above all recognising its profoundly contemporary character, firmly rooted in the complexities of the present. We live in a world undergoing profound change, and the response from both the juries and audiences was immediate, embracing the different directions explored by this year’s selection: from Prima della guerra, a poetic reflection on masculinity, racism, violence and the need for love in these dark times, with the threat of war looming over us, to The End of Times, which transcends genres to become both a theoretical reflection on the image and a political discourse on imperialism; from Our Share of Sand, a family story that evolves into a moral dilemma and an indictment of the exploitation of labour and resources, to Zoom In, Zoom Out, deeply engaged with the use of technology and a true manifesto film for Gen Z.
I am also extremely happy and proud that one of our films, London, has been awarded the Queer Lion. At such a complex moment, when the civil rights of all communities—and particularly those of the LGBTQI+ community—are constantly being called into question, I believe they must be defended with determination, even if that simply means remaining true to the principles enshrined in our wonderful Constitution.
I am equally delighted by the strong female presence in the SIC@SIC section, a sign that I am confident will translate into the emergence of a new generation of exceptionally talented women filmmakers. For me, there is also the satisfaction of having remained true, once again, to the mission that has defined SIC since its foundation: to stimulate discussion within the Venice Film Festival. I am particularly pleased to see how naturally the titles we selected have entered into dialogue with those presented in the festival’s other sections. From tomorrow, our eyes will already be on the 2027 edition, as we continue our search for the cinema of the future.»
Beatrice Fiorentino, Artistic Director 

The Settimana Internazionale della Critica, the independent and parallel section organized by the National Union of Italian Film Critics (SNCCI) during the 83. Venice International Film Festival (2 – 12 September 2026), conferred the awards of its 41. edition.

41. Settimana Internazionale della Critica

IWONDERFULL Grand Prize
Prima della guerra / Before the War by Tommaso Usberti
and special mention
The End of Times / El fin de los tiempos by Bibiana Rojas Gómez, Juan David Cárdenas

Audience Award
Our Share of Sand by Shalini Adnani

Luciano Sovena Award for Best Independent Production
Prima della guerra / Before the War by Tommaso Usberti

Premio Mario Serandrei – Hotel Saturnia for Best Technical Contribution
The End of Times / El fin de los tiempos by Bibiana Rojas Gómez, Juan David Cárdenas

Verona Film Club Award for Most Innovative Feature
Zoom In, Zoom Out / Fa xian zhi lü by Dong Jie

SIC@SIC Short Italian Cinema at Settimana Internazionale della Critica

Best Short Film Award – Frame by Frame
E-I-E-I-O by Noemi Arfuso
and special mention
Dove le lacrime aspettano / Where The Tears Await by Caterina Bertini, Blu Diego Fasoli

Best Director Award – Stadion Video
Revolver by Paoli De Luca

Best Technical Contribution Award – Advista
Se mai le cose / If Things Could Ever Talk by Giulia Cosentino

Centro Nazionale del Cortometraggio Award
Se mai le cose / If Things Could Ever Talk by Giulia Cosentino