Venice to honour Campion film school

The 82nd Venice International Film Festival (27 August – 6 September 2025) will honour A Wave in the Ocean, the film school founded in 2022 by two-time Oscar winner Jane Campion, with a special programme of short films and a title in competition in the Orizzonti Shorts section.

Seven films by students of the Wellington-based school will screen as part of a dedicated tribute, alongside Lion Rock (16 min), directed by Nick Mayow and Prisca Bouchet, which has been selected for competition. All films were developed through the school’s 12-month intensive workshop, supported by Netflix. Each filmmaker received mentorship from Campion and co-director Philippa Campbell, as well as financial backing to complete their projects in time for submission to the festival.

Reflecting on the creation of the school, Campion said: “It struck me that the conditions in which I was given a true opportunity to be a filmmaker are not available today and have never been in Aotearoa… In 1981, I was lucky enough to attend film school in Australia where everyone was paid a stipend and we could make short films with budgets supplied by the school. In my experience the true learning happened on projects and between peers. This moment feels like a time to give back and I am incredibly grateful that Netflix has chosen to fully support this Pop Up Film Intensive which I characterise as A Wave in the Ocean.”

Festival Director Alberto Barbera praised the standard of the work: “When I saw the eight graduation short films… I was struck by the exceptional quality of each. It is rare that, at the end of a learning cycle, students produce films that demonstrate such professionalism and genuine talent. The credit must go to Campion and Campbell, who have passed on their knowledge to a group of promising young filmmakers, whom I hope to see soon taking on the challenge of their first feature film.”

Following the tribute screening, Campion will deliver a masterclass discussing the school’s formation and creative philosophy.

The seven short films screening on the Lido as part of the tribute are: A Very Good Boy by Samuel Te Kani, Girl Time by Eleanor Bishop, Socks by Todd Karehana, In Conversation with Jack Maurer by Hash Perambalam, The Girl Next Doorby Mingjian Cui, Kurī by Ana Chaya Scotney, and The Brightness by Freya Silas Finch.