The Venice Film Festival has commenced, welcoming back Hollywood’s elite to Italy’s glamorous cinematic event. This year, 21 international films will compete for the coveted Golden Lion award.
Julia Roberts and George Clooney are among the top celebrities anticipated at the 82nd edition of the world’s oldest festival. Renowned directors such as Kathryn Bigelow, Guillermo del Toro, and Jim Jarmusch will also make appearances on the sandy Lido, overlooking the Venice lagoon.
In addition to the star-studded atmosphere, films expected to spark conversation include the Gaza-based film The Voice of Hind Rajab by two-time Oscar nominee Kaouther Ben Hania.
Prior to the festival, Italian film professionals urged organizers to address the ongoing Gaza conflict, with a protest slated for Saturday on the Lido.
Alberto Barbera, the festival’s artistic director, remarked on a “return to reality” among filmmakers.
“Today’s directors are reflecting on global issues that impact us daily, including wars, nuclear threats, the occupation of Gaza and Palestine, and rising dictatorships worldwide,” Barbera stated from the red carpet.
“The film festival is not isolated… it’s open to engaging with the world around us.”
Venice Film Festival
Identity Crisis
The festival commenced with the premiere of La Grazia, a drama by Paolo Sorrentino, known internationally for 2013’s The Great Beauty, featuring his frequent collaborator Toni Servillo.
During the opening ceremony, Francis Ford Coppola awarded German director Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man, Fitzcarraldo) a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, honoring his extensive 60-year career in film.
Herzog’s latest documentary, Ghost Elephants, about a lost herd in Angola, will debut out of competition.
Attention swiftly shifts to George Clooney, who on August 28 will thrill audiences with the premiere of Netflix’s comedy Jay Kelly, directed by Noah Baumbach, where he portrays a Hollywood actor facing an identity crisis.
That same evening features the sci-fi comedy Bugonia by Yorgos Lanthimos, starring Emma Stone as a pharmaceutical executive mistaken for an alien.
Their fourth collaboration promises more eccentric entertainment, following their award-winning film Poor Things in 2023.
Julia Roberts will make her first Venice appearance on August 29 in the cancel culture drama After the Hunt, directed by Luca Guadagnino.
Venice increasingly serves as a crucial launchpad for cinematic success, with previous winners like Nomadland and Joker achieving Oscar acclaim.
The challenging task of selecting the top prize winner on September 6 falls to two-time Oscar winner and Sideways director Alexander Payne and his jury.
Return to Venice
This year’s lineup features high-profile premieres including Del Toro’s Frankenstein remake starring Oscar Isaac, and Bigelow’s political thriller A House of Dynamite starring Idris Elba.
In a bold casting choice, Jude Law will portray Vladimir Putin in Olivier Assayas’s The Wizard of the Kremlin, while Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stars as MMA champion Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine by Benny Safdie.
Fans will rejoice in Park Chan-wook’s long-awaited return to Venice after two decades.
Park last graced the Lido in 2005, winning two awards with Lady Vengeance.
Now, he competes for a Golden Lion with No Other Choice, a thriller about a laid-off worker turned axe murderer.
Jim Jarmusch makes his first appearance in Venice’s main lineup with Father Mother Sister Brother, featuring Cate Blanchett, Adam Driver, and Tom Waits. Taiwan-born model and actress Shu Qi debuts as a director with Nuhai (Girl).
Next week, Ben Hania’s anticipated film about a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed while fleeing Gaza will be screened.
The film incorporates real audio of the girl calling for help.
