Beyond the Red Carpet: Better World Fund Brings Cinema, Art and Humanity Together in Venice

During the Venice International Film Festival, the Better World Fund will transform one of the world’s great cultural stages into a platform for humanitarian action, bringing together cinema, philanthropy and global leadership in the heart of Venice.

Every year, the Venice International Film Festival draws the eyes of the world. Filmmakers, actors, artists, business leaders and cultural figures descend on the city for a celebration of creativity that extends far beyond the cinema screen. On 8 September 2026, the Better World Fund will once again harness that extraordinary international spotlight for a different purpose: using cinema and art as catalysts for positive change. Taking place during the International Venice Film Festival at the historic Procuratie Vecchie in Piazza San Marco, the Better World Fund Venice programme will bring together influential voices from cinema, culture, philanthropy and international leadership around three central themes: women’s rights, gender equality and education. Founded in 2016 by Manuel Collas de La Roche, the Better World Fund has developed a distinctive position within the international cultural calendar. Its philosophy is simple but ambitious: the enormous visibility surrounding cinema and the arts can be used not simply to entertain, but to educate, mobilise and support organisations creating measurable humanitarian impact. Over the past decade, its events have attracted internationally recognised figures and changemakers while supporting humanitarian organisations and initiatives around the world. Venice 2026 continues that mission.

Stories, Scripts and Screens

The day begins with a forum from 10am to 1pm centred around a compelling question: “Can We Sculpt a Better World through Cinema?” Moderated by Valentina Castellani-Quin, the masterclass will examine the influence that stories, scripts and screens can have upon society. It is a particularly relevant conversation at a film festival. Cinema has always possessed the ability to reach beyond borders. A powerful film can humanise an issue that statistics alone cannot communicate. It can introduce audiences to communities they may never encounter personally, challenge established attitudes and ensure that stories at risk of being overlooked are given an international platform. For the Better World Fund, that influence carries responsibility. Its approach is to bring together the people creating those stories with individuals and organisations capable of turning awareness into practical action. Following the forum and an exclusive lunch, attention will turn towards the evening’s Gala for Humanity.

A Gala With Purpose

Beginning with a red carpet and cocktails at 7.30pm, the evening will combine the glamour expected of Venice with a clear humanitarian mission. A gala dinner, charity auction and presentation of the Better World Awards will bring together guests from across the worlds of film, business, philanthropy, diplomacy and culture. The awards recognise those who have transformed influence into impact through three principal distinctions: the Best Commitment Award, Best Achievement Award and Best Engagement Award. Previous recipients and beneficiaries associated with the Better World Awards have included figures such as Prince Albert II of Monaco, Catherine Deneuve, Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, Isabelle Huppert, Sharon Stone, Lang Lang, Chief Raoni and David Lynch. It is an impressive roll call, but the significance of the awards lies beyond celebrity. They represent the Better World Fund‘s wider belief that visibility becomes considerably more powerful when attached to action. Tickets: Book Your Seat – Better World Fund Venice 2026 Sponsorship: Become a Sponsor – Better World Fund Venice 2026

Protecting the Amazon

Among the initiatives being honoured in Venice will be the Amazônia Fund Alliance Program, a global alliance launched during the Cannes Film Festival in 2023 and dedicated to protecting the Brazilian Amazon while supporting Indigenous communities. Its model connects high-impact projects on the ground with international financial, technical and strategic support. The programme has continued to translate that international network into tangible outcomes. In 2026, an exceptional €500,000 donation from one of the programme’s benefactors enabled the acquisition and preservation of 20,501 hectares of forest and biodiversity in the Acre region, with the land returned to the Huni Kui People. The Alliance has also supported Raoni, a film dedicated to Indigenous leader Chief Raoni and directed by Alexandre Bouchet, helping mobilise funding to bring the project to life. It is perhaps one of the clearest demonstrations of the Better World Fund philosophy: cinema raising awareness, international networks creating momentum and financial support helping to deliver action.

Supporting Healthcare and Education

Venice 2026 will also support the work of the Akbaraly Foundation. Established in 2008, the Foundation operates from the belief that access to healthcare and education should not be determined by geography, income or gender. Its work has particular significance in Madagascar, where economic hardship continues to restrict access to essential healthcare for large sections of the population. Bringing organisations such as the Akbaraly Foundation into an international gathering during Venice creates something valuable beyond fundraising alone. It provides access to an audience of potential advocates, partners, investors and influential voices who can carry those stories into new networks. That ability to connect worlds that might otherwise rarely meet has become one of the Better World Fund’s defining strengths.

Egypt Takes Centre Stage

Egypt will be the Country of Honour for the 2026 Venice edition, adding another international dimension to a programme built around cultural exchange and collaboration. It follows the Fund’s continued engagement with humanitarian and cultural initiatives across different continents and its presence at some of the world’s most influential gatherings. Since its creation, the organisation has staged programmes alongside events including the Cannes and Venice film festivals, as well as initiatives in Monaco, Dubai, Cairo and Paris. Its supported organisations have ranged from foundations working with children and refugees to environmental, educational and healthcare projects. The formula combines masterclasses and conferences with networking, cultural programming, awards, gala dinners and charity auctions — creating an environment in which philanthropy becomes part of the conversation rather than something taking place quietly in the background.

A Symbol of Interconnection

One of the most visually powerful elements of the Venice programme will take place throughout the day at the Procuratie Vecchie. A Tibetan Sand Mandala will be created from millions of grains of coloured sand. Traditionally associated with meditation, compassion, peace and harmony, the intricate artwork also carries a deeper message about impermanence and interconnectedness. Against the extraordinary backdrop of Piazza San Marco, its presence feels particularly appropriate. The Better World Fund is, ultimately, built around that same concept of connection: connecting artists with causes, influential individuals with humanitarian organisations, international attention with local action and cultural celebration with social responsibility.

When Influence Becomes Action

There will always be glamour surrounding Venice. The gowns, the photographers, the premieres and the red carpets are an intrinsic part of one of cinema’s most celebrated occasions. Yet global gatherings of this magnitude also create something far more valuable: attention. The question is how that attention is used. The Better World Fund has spent a decade developing an answer. By positioning humanitarian causes alongside cinema and art, it provides organisations working at ground level with access to an international stage that would otherwise be extraordinarily difficult to replicate. As founder Manuel Collas de La Roche explains, the ambition behind the Fund is to highlight and financially support the people taking action against social inequality while using the power of cinema and art to inspire citizens around the world. Venice provides the perfect setting for that philosophy. On 8 September, beneath the grandeur of the Procuratie Vecchie and surrounded by one of the world’s greatest celebrations of cinema, the Better World Fund will offer a timely reminder that influence carries its greatest value when it is transformed into action. Because beyond the premieres, cameras and red carpets, the most powerful story told in Venice may ultimately be the one about creating a better world. The factual programme details are drawn from the official Better World Fund Venice 2026 programme and the organisation’s main site. (betterworld.fund) Tickets: Book Your Seat – Better World Fund Venice 2026 Sponsorship: Become a Sponsor – Better World Fund Venice 2026