Five Italian Films Set to Compete at 82nd Venice International Film Festival
Venice: Five Italian films are competing at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, opening Wednesday and running until September 6th. In addition to Paolo Sorrentino’s La Grazia, which will open the festival, the competition also includes Leonardo di Costanzo’s Elisa, Pietro Marcello’s Duse, Franco Maresco’s A Film Made for Bene, and Gianfranco Rosi’s latest documentary Sotto le nuvole.
According to Ansa News Agency, among the international auteurs competing are Kathryn Bigelow’s A House of Dynamite, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia, Jim Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brother, Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice, and Fran§ois Ozon’s new adaptation of Camus’s The Stranger. Overall, 21 films are vying for the coveted Golden Lion.
A notable presence this year is Julia Roberts, making her debut on the Lido, starring in Luca Guadagnino’s film After the Hunt, which is presented out of competition. Roberts plays Alma, a respected professor at an Ivy League university. Festival Director Alberto Barbera highlighted the importance of Roberts’ presence, noting her reputation as a collaborative and kind professional on set.
The festival is also marked by a significant parade of stars, including George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Emma Stone, Jude Law, Oscar Isaac, Amanda Seyfried, Al Pacino, Martin Scorsese, Adele Exerchopoulos, Laura Dern, Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, and Adam Sandler. These celebrities will not only be seen at film screenings but also at various exclusive events and parties throughout the festival.
Notable films in competition include Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly featuring George Clooney, Laura Dern, and Adam Sandler; Olivier Assayas’s The Wizard of the Kremlin with Jude Law; and Jim Jarmusch’s episodic film Father Mother Sister Brother, starring Cate Blanchett, Adam Driver, Tom Waits, and Charlotte Rampling. Other significant entries include Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein with Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi, and Kathryn Bigelow’s The House of Dynamite starring Idris Elba and Rebecca Ferguson.
Out of competition, Al Pacino stars in Gus Van Sant’s thriller Dead Man’s Wire and Julian Schnabel’s In The Hand of Dante. The festival will close with C©dric Jimenez’s Chien 51, featuring a large cast of French stars. Additionally, films in the Orizzonti section include Carolina Cavalli’s The Abduction of Arabella and Gaston Solnicki’s The Souffleur, featuring Willem Dafoe, and Teona Strugar Mitevska’s Mother, starring Noomi Rapace as Mother Teresa of Calcutta.