Another piece of good news for Greek cinema is the selection of Jacqueline Lentzou’s new film, A Day in the Life of Jo: Chapter Phaedra, for the Orizzonti section of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, where it will have its world premiere.
Lentzou’s second feature will screen alongside 18 other films from around the world in a section renowned for showcasing emerging trends and innovative voices in contemporary cinema. This year’s Orizzonti jury will be headed by French actress and filmmaker Valérie Donzelli.
An International Journey Before Venice
Before reaching Venice, Lentzou’s film has already followed an impressive international path. The director was a finalist in the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative (2022–2024) and received the Onassis Foundation New York Fellowship and Nipkow Fellowship in 2022.
The screenplay was selected for TorinoFilmLab’s FeatureLab 2024, where it won the ARRI Award for Cinematic Vision, before joining the Cannes Next Step – Volume II 2024 programme. Last year, it was also selected for Les Arcs Film Festival’s Work in Progress section, receiving the 22D Music Award, and earlier this year participated in First Cut Lab 2026.
Director Jacqueline Lentzou
The film follows Jo, a melancholic and rebellious 15-year-old who dreams she has become water. As she forms a new friendship with Phaedra, an angelic singer, a seemingly simple joke sets in motion a revelation that will change everything.
According to the production company, the film is a coming-of-age drama with supernatural elements—a story of adolescence violently interrupted, rooted in the harsh realism of life.
Just One Woman Among 20 Competition Films
Meanwhile, controversy has surrounded the lineup for the 83rd festival’s Official Competition, which runs from September 2 to 12. Of the 20 films competing for the Golden Lion, only one has been directed by a woman—a stark contrast to last year, when six female filmmakers were in contention.
The sole female-directed entry this year is Woman Unknown, by Egyptian-Danish filmmaker May el-Toukhy.
As previously announced, the festival will open with Danny Boyle’s Ink. The Competition jury will be chaired by American actress and filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal, whose film The Lost Daughter premiered at Venice.
