Italian director and screenwriter Laura Samani was acclaimed for her debut feature film Small Body, selected for Cannes 2021 Semaine de la Critique and winner of the David di Donatello for Best Directorial Debut as well as the European Film Award for Discovery of the Year. She made her debut at the Festival de Cannes’s Cinéfondation in 2016 with her short film The Sleeping Saint, which won awards at several international festivals. Her latest film, A Year of School, loosely based on the novel by Giani Stuparich, was in competition in the Orizzonti section of the Venice Film Festival in 2025, where its lead actor won the Best Actor Award. Her work explores female characters who assert their identity, independence, and personal freedom while challenging social norms.
Jury attendance
- Member Un Certain Regard, 2026
