The party is not ruined. It will be a celebratory edition to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the Venice Film Festival-Biennale and does not appear to have been affected by the backlash from actors and screenwriters caused by the Hollywood strike. There will be some stars starring Emma Stone and also missing out is Luca Guadagnino’s The Pretenders with Zendaya rescheduled for spring 2024. Otherwise, the Venezia80 cartel is confirmed, solid and attractive than ever. This will be told by Alberto Barbera and Roberto Cicutto, Artistic Director of the exhibition and President of the Biennale, respectively. At least 23 titles in the Competition, where all films have a world premiere. Six Italian directors in competition: Edoardo De Angelis, Giorgio Rights, Matteo Garrone, Saverio Costanzo, Stefano Sollima and Pietro Castellitto. Not a “standalone” exhibition, as stated, but a selection that takes a close look at the world and its changes. International players include Sofia Coppola, Michael Mann, Luc Besson, Bradley Cooper, David Fincher, Yorgos Lanthimos and Ryusuke Hamaguchi. Appointment at the Lido from 30 August to 9 September. Hostess and godmother Katerina Murino
The party is not ruined. This will be a celebratory edition to mark the 80th anniversary of the Venice Film Festival-Biennale, which does not appear to have been affected by the backlash from actors and screenwriters caused by the Hollywood strike. There will be several stars starring Emma Stone and also missing out is Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers with Zendaya, rescheduled for spring 2024. The Venezia80 cartel is confirmed, solid and attractive than ever. This will be told by Alberto Barbera and Roberto Cicutto, Artistic Director of the exhibition and President of the Biennale, respectively. At least 23 titles in the Competition, where all films have a world premiere. Six Italian directors in competition: Edoardo De Angelis, Giorgio Rights, Matteo Garrone, Saverio Costanzo, Stefano Sollima and Pietro Castellitto. Not a “standalone” exhibition, as stated, but a selection that takes a close look at the world and its changes. International players include Sofia Coppola, Michael Mann, Luc Besson, Bradley Cooper, David Fincher, Yorgos Lanthimos and Ryusuke Hamaguchi. Appointment at the Lido from 30 August to 9 September. Mistress and godmother actress Katerina Murino. Point Cnvf-Sir.
Competition without a doubt
“The last week has been tumultuous, it took us by surprise.” Thus, Alberto Barbera, artistic director of the Festival, mentioned the earthquake recorded in Hollywood: the protest of actors for fairer contracts and a rethinking of the policy of film studios regarding artificial intelligence. An event that disrupts the production and distribution calendar for Stars and Stripes games. However, at Barber’s press conference, a seraph: “The Venezia80 program has already been closed.” “Even if the audiovisual industry shows its weaknesses, cinema is alive as ever.” So too was Biennale President Roberto Cicutto, who, in the opening words of his speech, addressed a thought to Andrea Purgatori, a journalist who died in July and who headed the Giornate degli Autori as president: “Andrea was a friend and classmate here in the Lido. We will miss him.” Speaking of industry crises, Cicutto added: “We have become experts in emergencies. This year we are celebrating the 80th anniversary of an exhibition looking to the future, as stated in the manifesto.”
Italy in the front row
There are quite a few six Italian titles in the competition, and the names of the authors are far from obvious. First, Edoardo De Angelis, who rose to fame in 2016 at the Lido for his Indivisible, who carries the honorary burden of an introductory film with his Comandante, written by Strega Award-winning director Sandro Veronesi. Pierfrancesco Favino as Captain Salvatore Todaro. Thus, the final exam for Pietro Castellitto: after the success of his first film Predators, the winner of the Horizons competition in 2020, he is presented in the main competition with his second film Aeneas, a shining look at today’s Rome. It stars Benedetta Porcaroli, Chiara Noschese, Cesare and Sergio Castellitto. Once again, Saverio Costanzo returns to directing film after the brackets dedicated to the television project My Brilliant Friend: he signs Dawn at Last with Lily James, Alba Rohrwacher and Willem Dafoe, a reflection on cinema set in Cinecitta.
(Favino – commander – press office photo)
After his success at the Berlinale with I Wanted to Hide, Giorgio Wrights returned behind the camera for Ljubo, inspired by Mario Cavatore’s The Sower. Rumors have been circulating for some time about the presence of Matteo Garrone with his “I’m the Captain,” a directorial feat that Barber says will be astounding because he abandoned the baroque style for a story told in a dry and dry style. direct key: the path of hope for young Africans to Europe. Finally, Stefano Sollima with Adagio, who sees Toni Servillo, Valerio Mastandrea and again Favino in the cast; the author is hunting for initiation into the cinema after excellent results with the TV series “Crime Romance” and “Gomorrah”.
Rich international booty
If Hollywood stars of studio-produced films are not available, independent production stars may be present instead. Director Barbera tells about it. Therefore, in Venice there will be no shortage of movie stars and stripes80, as well as excellent names from European, Latin American and Asian panoramas. Among the 23 entries in the competition are: Sofia Coppola with Priscilla, a Priscilla Presley biopic starring Kaley Spaeny and Jacob Elordi, co-produced with Lorenzio Mieli from The Apartment; the director had already won the Golden Lion in 2010 for Somewhere. Michael Mann is also returning to Venice with his highly anticipated Ferrari project, starring Adam Driver, Penélope Cruz and Shailene Woodley.
(Ferrari – press office photo)
It will also be a happy return to the Lido for Bradley Cooper, where he presented his directorial debut A Star Is Born in 2018, with Maestro, the Leonard Bernstein biopic starring Cooper himself and Carey Mulligan. Once again, there are expectations from David Fincher with The Killer, heightened by the presence of Michael Fassbender and Tilda Swinton.
The gaze was also riveted to new projects: Luc Besson with “Dogman”; Stéphane Brize with “Hors-saison”; Yorgos Lanthimos with Poor Girls. The presence at the Lido should not be underestimated by the presence at the Lido of Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Oscar winner for Drive My Car, with Evil Doesn’t Exist, as well as Mexican Michel Franco with Memory, and Chilean Pablo Larrain in competition with El Conde. Also to remember: Agnieszka Holland with the Green Border; Bertrand Bonello with “La Bête” with Léa Seydoux; “Promised Land” by Nicholas Arcel with Mads Mikkelsen; Ava DuVernay presents “Origin”, Timm Kröger with “Die theorie von allem”; the duo of Malgorzat Szumowska and Michal Englert representing “Woman from”; and Fien Troh with “Holly”.
(Dogman – photo by Shana Besson)
Among the 19 items out of competition, some proposals have a clear resonance: Woody Allen’s new direction under the French flag “Random Impact”; the return of William Friedkin with the film adaptation of the play Kane’s Rebellious Tribunal; Richard Linklater’s new project “The Assassin”. And again Roman Polanski with The Palace, after full recognition in Venice in 2019 with The Officer and the Spy. Italians in the out-of-competition section: Leonardo Di Costanzo with “Welcome to Paradise” and Luca Barbareschi with “The Penitent One”. With them is also Liliana Cavani, crowned with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, who presents the film “The Order of Time” at the Lido. The other Lion for Lifetime Achievement goes to Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Chiu-Wai.
(Coup de Chance – Woody_Allen – press office photo)
Horizons, Extras, Classic and Immersive Venice
Alberto Barbera emphasized that this year it was not an easy job due to the large number of quality games: 4061 films, of which 2100 feature films (226 Italian) and 1961 short films. In general, 2703 people were signed by men, 1298 by women. 54 countries represented. Looking at other sections of the Festival, we will mention: Horizons with 18 competing titles featuring Italian directors Enrico Maria Artale, Simone Massi and Alain Parroni; Orizzonti Extra with 9 films including “Happiness” by Michaela Ramazzotti; 9 titles in the Venezia Classici document section; and 3 projects of the Biennale College, where there is “The Year of the Egg” by Claudio Cazale. Not to mention Venice Immersive, which has 28 games.
Damien Chazelle at the helm of Venice80
As always, the “fate” of the films competing for the “Golden Lion” is decided by an international jury. This year it is led by American director Damien Chazelle. Next to him: New Zealand director Jane Campion; Italian director-producer Gabriele Mainetti; Palestinian actor Saleh Bakri; French writer and director Mia Hansen-Löwe; Irish writer and director Martin McDonagh; Argentine writer-director Santiago Mitre; Chinese actress Shu Qi; and American filmmaker-journalist Laura Poitras, The Golden Lion of Venice79.
Finally, let’s not forget the two historic awards awarded by the Lido: the Signis International Catholic Prize, the oldest of the associated awards for more than seventy years at the exhibition, and the Fondazione Ente dello Spettacolo “Robert Bresson” prize, awarded for this edition to Mario Martone.