The 81st Venice International Film Festival, is scheduled from August 28 to September 7, 2024. The eleven day festival, officially recognized by the International Federation of Film Production, aims to raise awareness and promote international cinema, in the spirit of freedom and dialogue. The starry affair has created a buzz in the entertainment industry with its revealed lineups, fulfilling the festival’s promise to captivate audiences worldwide with impressive filmmaking.
Notable Highlights from the 2023 Edition
Before discussing what’s in store for us this year, let’s take a peek into the 80th annual Venice International Film Festival that took place from August 30 to September 9, 2023. The festival featured a diverse lineup of films across various sections, including Competition, Out of Competition, Horizons, and Biennale College Cinema Immersive.
Some impressive highlights from the 2023 edition of the film festival include:
- Italian World War II drama, “Comandante”, opened the festival with high spirits.
- Competition included highly anticipated films like Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro”, Pablo Larraín’s “El Conde”, and David Fincher’s “The Killer” from Netflix.
- Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla”, Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Thing”, Michael Mann’s “Ferrari” and Ava DuVernay’s “Origin”, were other competition titles that generated buzz throughout the world.
- The Out of Competition section sparked controversy surrounding the programming of “The Palace” by Roman Polanski and “Coup de Chance” by Woody Allen.
- Filmmakers Wes Anderson, Liliana Cavani and Tony Leung were honored for their contribution to the cinema industry.
(Source: London Mums Magazine)
Irrespective of challenges posed due to the Hollywood Strike, the 2023 edition of the film festival was successful in honoring its tradition of showcasing a mic of high profile awards contenders and acclaimed international cinema.
Theme of the Festival
This year, the festival hosted by La Biennale di Venezia will center on a theme described by artistic director Alberto Barbera as the “double expansive movement” of cinema. The concept aims to reflect the evolving nature of film as a medium of artistic expression, societal reflection, and commercial industry. The film festival is in a flurry of activity while preparing to fulfil its aim of exploring how cinema continues to expand in its forms and narratives, embracing new technologies and storytelling techniques while also engaging with traditional cinematic practices. This thematic focus has influenced the selection of films and discussions throughout the festival, highlighting the dynamic interplay between innovation and heritage in the filmmaking industry.
(Source: TheWrap)
Opening Film: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
The festival is set to commence with the highly anticipated sequel to Tim Burton’ 1988 horror-comedy classic, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”. The film will be shown out of competition and brings back the original cast, including Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara. It will be released internationally by Warner Bros, starting September 4, followed by its North American release on September 6.
(Source: IMdb)
Competition Lineup
This year’s lineup includes new films from famed directors such as Pedro Almodovar, Luca Gudagino, Pablo Larrain, Brady Corbet and Justin Kurze. Other notable filmmakers set to feature in the Competition include Wang Bang, Luis Ortega, Dea Kulumbegashvili, Dag Johan Hagerud, Athina Rachel Tsangari and Walter Salles.
Jon Watt’s movie, “Wolfs” starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney, will also feature in the Competition alongside TV series by popular directors such as Alfonos Cuaron’s “Disclaimer”, Thomas Vinterberg’s “Families Like Ours”, and Joe Wright’s “M. II Figlio Del Secolo”
Jury and Awards
The main Competition jury will be presided by eminent French actress, Isabelle Huppert and will also include James Gray, Andrew Haigh, Agnieszka Holland, Kelber Mendonça Filho, Abderrahmane Sissako, Giuseppe Tornatore, Julia von Heinz, and Zhang Ziyi.
(Source: Variety)
This year the Horizon Jury will be chaired by Debra Granik. The film festival will also bestow the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement upon Australian filmmaker Peter Weir and American actress Signourney Weaver. The 13 short films competing for the Orizzonti Award for Best Short Film will be judged by the Jury of the Orizzonti Section.
Other Sections
The festival’s Official Selection includes several other sections, such as Out of Competition, Horizons and Biennale College Cinema Immersive. The Final Cut in Venice program, which provides support in the completion of films from African and Middle Eastern countries, has selected seven work-in-progress films for its 12th edition.
Sixty-One projects from around the world will be featured in the Venice Gap-Financing Market. These projects are in the final stages of development and funding and will be showcased from August 30 to September 1, 2024. This initiative aims to foster spirits of inclusivity in show business.
Conclusion
The Venice International Film Festival, just like its previous editions, is destined to be a heavenly event fulfilling its promise to celebrate cinema while showcasing the best of international films and honoring the achievements of legendary filmmakers and actors. The star-studded lineup and prestigious awards together are sure to captivate cinema enthusiasts from around the world.
