A first trailer has arrived for Agon, Giulio Bertelli’s feature debut that spotlights elite sport through three women preparing for a fictional Olympic-style event, with Italian judo star Alice Bellandi among the cast. The film premieres in competition at Venice’s International Critics’ Week and is billed as a hybrid work that threads fiction with essayistic elements as its athletes ready for and compete at the “Ludoj 2024” Games.
Festival materials describe Agon as following competitors in rifle shooting, fencing and judo while situating their routines amid the political, social, technological and physical pressures that shape high-performance sport. The Venice program lists Yile Vianello, Bellandi and Sofija Zobina in the principal lineup, with screenings scheduled across the first festival weekend.
The trailer lands ahead of a coordinated rollout: Mubi has acquired Italian rights and will handle the theatrical release at home, while The Match Factory is overseeing worldwide sales. The project marks an unusual crossover between top-tier athletics and cinema, anchored by Bellandi, who won Olympic gold in Paris in 2024 and the world title in 2025 in the women’s 78 kg category.
Behind the camera, Bertelli—an architect and professional offshore sailor turned filmmaker—teams with production designer Ludovica Ferrario and music supervisor Randall Poster. Credits also list cinematographer Mauro Chiarello and visual effects supervisor Stefano Leoni, signaling an emphasis on tactile environments and integrated graphics as the film moves from training halls to competition floors.
Producers include Bertelli and Max Brun (Art+Vibes) alongside Jules Daly and Joe Anton (Big Red Films) and Stella Rossa Savino (MIA FILM). Venice’s Critics’ Week positions the title as a discovery-focused world premiere, with multiple public and industry screenings dated August 28–30. The trailer release, first reported by Deadline, frames Agon as a character-driven inquiry into how bodies, institutions and media co-author the modern spectacle of sport.
