The Better World Fund Returns to the 82nd Venice International Film Festival 2025

Under the High Patronage of H.I. & R.H. Prince Murat VIII
In collaboration with The Higher Committee of Human Fraternity

Venice, August 7th, 2025 – The Better World Fund (BWF), a prestigious international initiative founded to promote social change through the power of art, is pleased to announce its return to the 82nd Venice International Film Festival with a new edition scheduled for August 30, 2025.

Founded in 2016 by Manuel Collas de La Roche, the Better World Fund is committed to supporting and highlighting concrete actions that address global challenges such as climate change, education, social inequality, and cultural promotion—leveraging art as a powerful tool for impact and awareness.

JOACHIM MURAT – 8th Prince MURAT
Born on November 26, 1944, Joachim Murat is the Imperial and Royal Highness, Head of the Royal House of Murat, and posthumous son of the 7th Prince Murat, a Resistance hero executed by the SS Das Reich division. He is a direct descendant of Joachim Murat, King of Naples and the Two Sicilies, and Caroline Bonaparte, sister of Napoleon, as well as Marshal Ney and Marshal Berthier. A graduate of the Institut d’Études Politiques with degrees in literature and geography, he directed the Monaco Tourist Office and founded the Prince Murat Museum and Contemporary Art Center in Nointel.

In 2017, he restored the Royal Order of the Two Sicilies and awarded medals to notable figures. As Honorary President of several Napoleonic and memorial associations, he has devoted his life to preserving and promoting French and Italian historical heritage.
A Solidarity Focus: Supporting the NGO “La Princesse Murat”

During the Venetian event, BWF will devote special attention to supporting the NGO “La Princesse MURAT”, founded in Paris in 2017 by H.I.&R.H. Princess Murat. The association is actively committed to providing access to healthcare, education, nutrition, and justice for women and children in need. Promoting long-term, sustainable development, the NGO will this year launch the “La Princesse Murat Award,” centered this year on autistic children.

Confidential

“The Magnificent 7 – Masterful Hands” by Dante Mortet
Simultaneously, at the historic Palazzo Nani Mocenigo in Venice, Italian artist Dante Mortet will inaugurate his sculpture exhibition titled “The Magnificent 7 – Masterful Hands.” The exhibit showcases bronze artworks inspired by the original hand casts of legendary cinema figures such as Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Ennio Morricone, among others. These sculptures are reinterpretations transformed into works of art with strong narrative and symbolic value, representing gesture, memory, and the identity of those who have shaped global cinematic imagination.

Dante Mortet is also the creator of the exclusive Better World Fund awards, specially designed to honor outstanding contributions to art, peace, and human fraternity.

Official Program – August 29 & 30, 2025
August 29

Confidential

“The Magnificent 7 – Masterful Hands” by Dante Mortet
Simultaneously, at the historic Palazzo Nani Mocenigo in Venice, Italian artist Dante Mortet will inaugurate his sculpture exhibition titled “The Magnificent 7 – Masterful Hands.” The exhibit showcases bronze artworks inspired by the original hand casts of legendary cinema figures such as Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Ennio Morricone, among others. These sculptures are reinterpretations transformed into works of art with strong narrative and symbolic value, representing gesture, memory, and the identity of those who have shaped global cinematic imagination.

Dante Mortet is also the creator of the exclusive Better World Fund awards, specially designed to honor outstanding contributions to art, peace, and human fraternity.

Previous editions

International Forum: « The Human Lens : Cinema as a Mirror of Compassion and Coexistence »

How can cinema become more than entertainment—how might it serve as a mirror, a compass, and even a catalyst for compassion and coexistence?

This forum session will explore the transformative power of film to reflect, inspire, and mobilize humanity through storytelling, emotion, and shared experience.

At the heart of this gathering, the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity (HCHF) will take a leading role, promoting intercultural dialogue, peaceful coexistence, and universal human fraternity at the intersection of diplomacy and the arts. Rooted in the values of the Abu Dhabi Document on Human Fraternity, the Committee continues to work globally to foster unity and build bridges across cultures and faiths. The HCHF will deliver the keynote address of this forum.

The forum will broaden into a dynamic exchange with artists, cultural leaders, public officials, and other key international figures, deepening the inquiry into how film and diplomacy, art and empathy, can work in tandem.

A leading international celebrity will share insights on the role and potential of « celebrity diplomacy » in conflict resolution. Does visibility translate into responsibility and action?

Adding historical depth and cinematic perspective, Joel Soler, award-winning documentary filmmaker and founder of the Magos Foundation, will offer a reflection on socially conscious cinema. How has film advanced social causes, promoted coexistence, and shifted public consciousness ?

Special mention the presence of renowned Ukrainian psychologist Natalia Kholodenko will lead a conference on the emotional impact of trauma and PTSD. Drawing from her experience as both a clinician and war refugee, she will explore how trauma reshapes the nervous system and how hope, strength, and self-reclamation can help us heal and restore purpose. Her message is: “Your future is bigger than your trauma”

https://nataliia.kholodenko.net

The session will be moderated by Enzo Di Taranto, former United Nations diplomat, pioneer of the “celebrity diplomacy” concept, and global promoter of the sustainable development agenda through art and communication.

Panel “Cinema DAY” by Valentina Castellani-Quinn, who is an award-winning film producer and President of Quinn Studios Entertainment, continuing the legacy of Francesco and Anthony Quinn. She has produced Oscar-contending films and received major honors like the US Congress Award, UNESCO Peace Award, and WIFTS Visionary Producer Award.

Recognized globally for ethical filmmaking, she has spoken at the UN, UNESCO, and the US Congress. She’s currently producing a documentary on democracy with Thomas Friedman and will lead the Matera International Film Festival in 2025.

Gala & Better World Awards Ceremony
The day will conclude with a prestigious Gala Dinner and the presentation of the Better World Awards, which will be assigned in the following three categories:

• Best Commitment Award – for outstanding dedication to humanitarian causes
• Best Achievement Award – for concrete results in the field of social action
• Best Engagement Award – for those who have inspired and mobilized the public for a cause

Previous editions have honored distinguished individuals such as H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, David Lynch, Catherine Deneuve, Susan Sarandon, Kevin Costner, Sharon Stone, Juliette Binoche, Isabelle Huppert, Catherine Deneuve, Keni Silva, Kevin Spacey and many other notable personalities from the worlds of cinema, diplomacy, and culture.

Special thanks to BETTER WORLD FUND SUPPORTERS AND SPONSORS:
Higher Committee of Human Fraternity; Natalia Kholodenko; Beth Rosenthal.

Special thank you to the Global Event Magazine as one of our media partners.

By author

Ekaterina Shevliakova