The Cathedral by Ricky D’Ambrose wins at the Independent Spirit Awards

Biennale College Cinema – the advanced training workshop of La Biennale di Venezia organized since 2012 to support emerging filmmakers in making micro-budget feature-length films – has won an important new acknowledgment at the Independent Spirit Awards, which have been awarded in Los Angeles since 1986 to promote independent filmmaking, and on Saturday announced the 2023 winners.

The Cathedral by Ricky D’Ambrose, produced for the 9^th edition of Biennale College Cinema 2020-2021, won the prestigious John Cassavetes Award, awarded to feature films made with a budget of under $1,000,000.

The Cathedral tells the story of a boy through the rise and fall of an American family over two decades.  Following its acclaimed world premiere at the 78^th Venice International Film Festival in 2021, the film was also nominated for the Spirit Awards for Best Supporting Performance for Brian D’Arcy James, and Best Editing for Ricky D’Ambrose.

The nominees for this edition of the Spirit Awards also included another title from Biennale College Cinema 2020-2021, Our Father, the Devil by Ellie Foumbi (Usa), in the short list for Best Film.

At the 2023 Spirit Awards, the winner of the Golden Lion of the 79^th Venice Film Festival, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed by Laura Poitras, won Best Documentary, while Tár by Todd Field won the award for best cinematography by Florian Hoffmeister. La Biennale di Venezia sends its warmest congratulations to the personalities and productions honoured with these awards.

In previous editions of the Spirit Awards, two other films from Biennale College Cinema – which in 2022 celebrated its tenth anniversary – have won acknowledgments. In 2017 Anna Rose Helmer (USA) won as best emerging director (Kiehl’s Someone to Watch Award) for The Fits, made for the 3^rd edition 2014-2015 of Biennale College Cinema. In 2015, Rania Attieh (Lebanon) and Daniel Garcia (USA) won the Kiehl’s Someone to Watch Award for H., made during the 2^nd edition 2013-2014 of Biennale College Cinema.

Overall, since 2012, Biennale College – Cinema has produced 34 feature-length films by emerging directors, often winning awards in national and international competitions, having received 2,337 applications submitted from all around the world.

Biennale College Cinema, organized by La Biennale di Venezia, is supported by the Ministry of Culture – General Directorate Cinema. The main sponsor of the initiative is Vivendi. The sponsor is Gruppo Multiversity, of which the Università Pegaso is a subsidiary. Biennale College Cinema relies on the academic collaboration of the Gotham Film & Media Institute and the TorinoFilmLab. The educational activities are made possible by the Creative Europe – Media programme. The Director is Alberto Barbera, the Head of Programme is Savina Neirotti.