A professional, transformative and international
experience in the heart of Bologna
A professional, transformative and international experience in the heart of Bologna
Lynne Ramsay & Lav Diaz: Two Radical Voices.
The International Filmmaking Academy is pleased to announce that, for the first time, the IFA Masterclass in Filmmaking will bring together two Master Teachers: Lav Diaz and Lynne Ramsay.
A selected group of filmmakers will have the rare opportunity to engage directly with their unique visions and personal approaches to filmmaking, in a once-in a lifetime masterclass experience.
Under their guidance, participants will develop and produce their short films in Bologna, with the aim of affirming their own authorial voice.
Lynne Ramsay is a master of emotional and sensory storytelling, breaking conventional cinematic boundaries to create profoundly immersive, psychological experiences. Known for her distinctive use of image, sound, and fragmented narratives, Ramsay’s films explore memory, trauma, and perception in a way that challenges traditional filmmaking.
Lav Diaz is a revolutionary voice in world cinema, redefining the relationship between time and narrative. With his radical use of duration, minimalist storytelling, and stark black-and-white cinematography, Diaz crafts deeply reflective, political works that confront history, trauma, and collective identity.
Every year, we invite the best auteurs of our time. Past editions have hosted legends like Bernardo Bertolucci, Abbas Kiarostami, Béla Tarr, Danis Tanovic, Cristian Mungiu, Jane Campion, John Landis, Andrey Zvyagintsev, Asghar Farhadi, and Ruben Östlund, our Honorary President.
Lynne Ramsay a filmmaker who has redefined contemporary cinema, through an innovative language of emotional fragmentation. Her films are not meant to be merely watched – they are to be experienced, felt, and absorbed on a sensory level that transcends conventional viewing.
A Scottish filmmaker, Ramsay made her international breakthrough with a series of award-winning short films at the Cannes Film Festival, where her ability to deconstruct traditional narrative forms immediately garnered critical attention. With her feature debut, Ratcatcher (1999), and the haunting Morvern Callar (2002), she began to carve out a unique cinematic voice marked by fragmented storytelling and a bold use of silence.
It was with We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011) and You Were Never Really Here (2017) that Ramsay solidified her place among the foremost auteurs of her generation, earning international acclaim, including the Best Screenplay Award at Cannes for the latter. Her films are not simply narratives -they are profound explorations of trauma, memory, and perception, all conveyed through a deeply personal lens. Ramsay’s approach to cinema is one that operates outside the realm of dialogue and exposition, where rhythm, silence, and visual intensity are the primary vehicles for meaning.
Her filmmaking is not the result of an academic process but rather an ongoing pursuit of emotional and formal truth. Her work is not designed to comfort or explain; it seeks to confront, disturb, and challenge the viewer. In doing so, Ramsay has created a body of work that resonates deeply, pushing the boundaries of what cinema can achieve and how it can engage with its audience.
In her most recent work, Die, My Love (2025), Ramsay continues to push the limits of cinematic form, further establishing her career as one defined by intellectual audacity and artistic rigor. Each of her films stands as a testament to her unwavering commitment to independence, to breaking cinematic conventions, and to crafting deeply personal stories that leave an indelible mark on the viewer.
To engage with Lynne Ramsay’s work is to step into the realm of auteur cinema at its highest level, where filmmaking becomes not just a craft, but a language to master. Her films demand not only to be seen, but to be felt, experienced, and understood on a visceral level that goes far beyond the surface of the narrative.
Lav Diaz is one of the most radical and uncompromising voices in contemporary cinema. Born in the Philippines in 1958, he has transformed the political turmoil of his homeland into a profound cinematic investigation of memory, violence, trauma, and collective identity. Diaz’s films are not meant for passive viewing they demand active engagement and deep reflection, inviting viewers to reconsider the very nature of time, narrative, and history in cinema.
Emerging from a backdrop of political unrest and a complex colonial past, Diaz’s cinema is deeply rooted in a critical exploration of the socio-political history of the Philippines. His films address the scars of violence, dictatorship, and revolution, using cinema as a means to confront the often-silenced wounds of collective trauma. Through his work, Diaz draws profound connections between the past and present, creating a space for viewers to reflect on the mechanisms of memory, forgetting, and historical identity.
What sets Diaz apart is his radical rethinking of cinematic time. Rejecting the conventions of mainstream cinema: fast-paced editing, simplified narratives, and visual spectacle – he embraces extreme duration, long takes, and a minimalist narrative structure. His films are expansive and immersive, inviting the viewer to linger within moments of stillness, silence, and contemplation. By stretching time, Diaz offers a cinematic experience that allows the weight of history, violence, and human experience to be felt on a deeply visceral level.
Central to Diaz’s aesthetic is his use of black-and-white cinematography, a tool of abstraction that conveys a timeless, universal quality. The stark contrasts of light and shadow intensify the emotional power of his scenes, where every gesture, every pause, is imbued with meaning. While his work is often referred to as “slow cinema,” this label is insufficient to describe the radical depth of his vision. Diaz’s films are not merely slow—they are meditative, transformative, and intellectually challenging, pushing the boundaries of what cinema can achieve.
Diaz’s major works – Norte, the End of History (2013), From What Is Before (2014), and The Woman Who Left(2016) – have received widespread international acclaim, with major awards at Venice, Berlin, and Locarno, including the Golden Lion at Venice and the Golden Leopard at Locarno. These films are not just critiques of history; they are profound meditations on the human condition, inviting the viewer to confront the cyclical nature of violence, the scars of colonialism, and the difficulties of reconciling the past with the present.
In his most recent work, Magellan (2025), Diaz continues his exploration of history, focusing on the legendary journey of Ferdinand Magellan. True to his style, Diaz’s approach to this historical narrative will likely challenge the linearity of storytelling, instead offering a slow, contemplative examination of colonialism, power, and the intersection of personal and collective destinies. As always, Diaz’s work invites us to reconsider the forces that have shaped global history through a deeply personal and philosophical lens.
His films do not simply recount events, they reconstruct our understanding of time, history, and memory. By rejecting conventional filmmaking techniques, Diaz has developed a radically personal cinematic language that invites intellectual and emotional engagement, transforming cinema into a means of political and philosophical reflection.
Today, Lav Diaz is considered one of the most essential auteurs of world cinema, whose work continues to challenge, provoke, and expand the boundaries of what cinema can be. For filmmakers seeking to understand the true potential of film as a tool for deep reflection, his work offers a privileged opportunity to engage with an extraordinary vision that transcends traditional narrative forms. Participating in his masterclass is not just a chance to learn—it is an invitation to be part of a unique cinematic journey that challenges conventional norms and reshapes how we perceive the world and our place within it.
Emerging
Directors
10
Emerging
DOP
10
Assistant
Directors
10
SHORT
MOVIES
10
IFA offerS an unique opportunity
- To write, shoot, edit and premiere a short film in Bologna under the guidance of one of the most influential world’s film authors as IFA Master Teacher.
- To get in touch with new visions and experience a deeper approach to cinema.
- To work closely and have a daily one-to-one experience with the Master Teacher
- Create a network and a deep and lasting relationship with fellow talents based worldwide
- To experience an intercultural exchange and live the masterclass through the point of view of different cultures
- To screening of each short film at the Theater and get the Master Teacher’s feedback
- To have a full-immersive Italian Dolce Vita experience in the iconic places of Bologna in the summertime
- To have welcome and closing dinner with the IFA Master Teacher, participants and IFA team
- To have an accreditation for Il Cinema Ritrovato festival,(real cinephile paradise) with access to 500 movies screened in 9 days
The program is in English and will take place in Bologna from June 25th to July 7th 2026.
Tuition Fee
The tuition fee for the participation in IFA Masterclass is 5.000 euros which includes:
- Participation to the Masterclass in Filmmaking, under the guidance of one of the Master Teachers in one of the parallel programmes.
- Participation to Il Cinema Ritrovato Film Festival.
- Two weeks of accommodation (food and travel expenses are not covered).
APPLICATION FOR MASTERCLASS 2026 : Open
IFA Masterclass Structure
30 international talents will be divided into three categories: 10 Directors, 10 DOPs & 10 Assistant Directors.
10 Filmmakers will write their script before they arrive to Bologna.
The participants will have access to the local actors’ book and the locations’ book, in order to make their creative choices match the beautiful setting of Bologna.
One online meeting with IFA Master Teacher will be organize before the beginning of the IFA Masterclass in Filmmaking in Bologna.
JUNE 25TH – JULY 7TH: THE IFA MASTERCLASS
1st WEEK: IFA Master Teachers will shares his experience, aesthetic and approach and dives deep into his cinematographic practice. All the participants are involved, and each talent will have the opportunity to nurture their own authorial and professional vision.
2nd WEEK: shooting and editing of 10 short films in various locations around Bologna. The IFA participants will be supported by Italian emerging professionals who will serve as location managers, and production assistants as a crew, assisting all participants.
10 short films will be premiered at the Cinema Lumière in Bologna on the last day of the Masterclass.
