After reaping the rewards of a protracted growth spurt, Italy’s film industry is facing a forced slowdown as the country’s right-wing government dithers with modifications they plan to make to several key regulations, most significantly to the country’s now stalled tax incentives for film and TV production.
At a packed protest event held earlier this month in Rome’s Cinema Adriano multiplex, industry figures from all sectors – including producers, writers, actors and big-name directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Marco Bellocchio – lashed out against having to wait endlessly for the government to approve new guidelines so production companies can apply for the 40% tax credits that basically drive the business. Some are also concerned that their projects might end up not complying with still murky new eligibility criteria.
“We are waiting for the new regulatory framework, and more importantly we need to know how much money the government will grant,...
At a packed protest event held earlier this month in Rome’s Cinema Adriano multiplex, industry figures from all sectors – including producers, writers, actors and big-name directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Marco Bellocchio – lashed out against having to wait endlessly for the government to approve new guidelines so production companies can apply for the 40% tax credits that basically drive the business. Some are also concerned that their projects might end up not complying with still murky new eligibility criteria.
“We are waiting for the new regulatory framework, and more importantly we need to know how much money the government will grant,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
“The White Lotus” star Sabrina Impacciatore and Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbera play alternate versions of themselves on the final episode of the Italian adaptation of “Call My Agent,” which was released this weekend on pay-tv Sky Italia.
Shot in September 2023, during the real Venice event, the show sees Impacciatore play the fest’s master of ceremonies who, wearing a red gown, disembarks with her agent from a motorboat on the Lido at the Excelsior Hotel dock, greeted by throngs of fans and paparazzi. She then starts acting a bit strange, speaking to Barbera in English instead of Italian and almost falling into the lagoon, as seen in the above exclusive subtitled clip.
Impacciatore, who played Valentina, the hotel manager in the Sicily-set second season of “White Lotus,” was mostly unknown outside of Italy before appearing in the hit HBO show which also gave her domestic career a nice boost.
Shot in September 2023, during the real Venice event, the show sees Impacciatore play the fest’s master of ceremonies who, wearing a red gown, disembarks with her agent from a motorboat on the Lido at the Excelsior Hotel dock, greeted by throngs of fans and paparazzi. She then starts acting a bit strange, speaking to Barbera in English instead of Italian and almost falling into the lagoon, as seen in the above exclusive subtitled clip.
Impacciatore, who played Valentina, the hotel manager in the Sicily-set second season of “White Lotus,” was mostly unknown outside of Italy before appearing in the hit HBO show which also gave her domestic career a nice boost.
- 4/10/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Scarlett Johansson has been a star in a wide variety of films over the past thirty years. She had a prosperous early career, starring in films such as Robert Redford’s The Horse Whisperer (1998) and Terry Zwigoff’s Ghost World (2001). However, she also had the unpleasant experience of hearing fans boo one of her career’s best films.
Yes, we are discussing Under the Skin. Despite the negative feedback, the talented actress did not let it bring her down. Instead, she sought sound advice that helped her keep things in perspective. Her career has seen critical and commercial peaks and troughs over the last 20 years, some of which are not necessarily aligned.
Scarlett Johansson in Under the Skin
In a 2014 interview with The Guardian, Johansson stated that she would rather experience both the highs and lows of success and failure than “tepid” mediocrity. The audience “booed” the 2013 flick, which made...
Yes, we are discussing Under the Skin. Despite the negative feedback, the talented actress did not let it bring her down. Instead, she sought sound advice that helped her keep things in perspective. Her career has seen critical and commercial peaks and troughs over the last 20 years, some of which are not necessarily aligned.
Scarlett Johansson in Under the Skin
In a 2014 interview with The Guardian, Johansson stated that she would rather experience both the highs and lows of success and failure than “tepid” mediocrity. The audience “booed” the 2013 flick, which made...
- 2/26/2024
- by Siddhika Prajapati
- FandomWire
For Italian conductor Beatrice Venezi, 2024 kicked off on a decidedly sour note.
On New Year’s Eve the baton-wielding Venezi, a friend of right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, was heckled at the Opéra de Nice by French anti-fascist protesters as she took to the podium.
The incident reflected tensions rippling through European entertainment industry circles as far-right parties sweep to power in Italy and the Netherlands and gain ground across the EU.
Italy took a sharp turn to the right in 2022, when Meloni, whose Brothers of Italy party has neo-fascist roots, emerged the winner in the national elections. Since then her right-wing camp, which denies accusations of nostalgia for fascism, has moved to hold more sway within state-controlled media and cultural institutions such as broadcaster Rai, the Centro Sperimentale film school and the Biennale, the Venice Film Festival’s parent organization.
Scrutiny is being directed at Venezi, an adviser to Meloni-appointed culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano.
On New Year’s Eve the baton-wielding Venezi, a friend of right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, was heckled at the Opéra de Nice by French anti-fascist protesters as she took to the podium.
The incident reflected tensions rippling through European entertainment industry circles as far-right parties sweep to power in Italy and the Netherlands and gain ground across the EU.
Italy took a sharp turn to the right in 2022, when Meloni, whose Brothers of Italy party has neo-fascist roots, emerged the winner in the national elections. Since then her right-wing camp, which denies accusations of nostalgia for fascism, has moved to hold more sway within state-controlled media and cultural institutions such as broadcaster Rai, the Centro Sperimentale film school and the Biennale, the Venice Film Festival’s parent organization.
Scrutiny is being directed at Venezi, an adviser to Meloni-appointed culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano.
- 2/2/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Renowned French director Luc Besson, director of Léon and The Fifth Element is releasing a new thriller next year. Briarcliff Entertainment will release Luc Besson’s thriller DogMan in select theatres on March 15, 2024, and will expand on March 22, 2024. The film, written and directed by Besson, had its World Premiere at the Venice FIlm Festival and stars Caleb Landry Jones, Jojo T. Gibbs and Christopher Denham.
The plot synopsis from Briarcliff Entertainment reads,
“In DogMan, having just been arrested, Douglas opens his heart to tell the moving story of his life. As a survivor of childhood trauma, with a violent father who forces him to live in the family kennel, he develops a bond with dogs that defies understanding. Out of this hell, he grows to discover love, theatre, and cabaret, but also the injustice and disillusionment of the human world. In a life that’s been broken a thousand times,...
The plot synopsis from Briarcliff Entertainment reads,
“In DogMan, having just been arrested, Douglas opens his heart to tell the moving story of his life. As a survivor of childhood trauma, with a violent father who forces him to live in the family kennel, he develops a bond with dogs that defies understanding. Out of this hell, he grows to discover love, theatre, and cabaret, but also the injustice and disillusionment of the human world. In a life that’s been broken a thousand times,...
- 12/19/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
This year’s Marrakech International Film Festival opened with a testament to art.
Two months after a devastating earthquake, and in light of the ever-more heart-wrenching news coming out of the Middle East, the film showcase kicked off with a humanist rallying cry voiced by jury president Jessica Chastain.
“In the weeks leading up to the festival, we were not sure that we would even be able to be here,” Chastain said at the Marrakech opening ceremony on Friday. “The world we share is shattered and divided. And so I have immense gratitude… [that] throughout history, art has been used as an accessible tool for communication, raising awareness about social issues and affecting positive change.”
Indeed, now celebrating its 20th edition, the Moroccan event has always sought to shine a celebratory light, emphasizing art and international communion, especially in dark times. Upon taking the stage on Friday, Chastain echoed those overarching sentiments.
Two months after a devastating earthquake, and in light of the ever-more heart-wrenching news coming out of the Middle East, the film showcase kicked off with a humanist rallying cry voiced by jury president Jessica Chastain.
“In the weeks leading up to the festival, we were not sure that we would even be able to be here,” Chastain said at the Marrakech opening ceremony on Friday. “The world we share is shattered and divided. And so I have immense gratitude… [that] throughout history, art has been used as an accessible tool for communication, raising awareness about social issues and affecting positive change.”
Indeed, now celebrating its 20th edition, the Moroccan event has always sought to shine a celebratory light, emphasizing art and international communion, especially in dark times. Upon taking the stage on Friday, Chastain echoed those overarching sentiments.
- 11/24/2023
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
News of the death of Celluloid Dreams CEO Hengameh Panahi has sparked an outpouring of admiration and tributes from the independent film community.
Panahi, a pivotal figure in the global art house scene, died Nov. 5, aged 67. In her decades in the business — as a producer, co-financier and sales agent — Panahi introduced the world to international auteurs from Iran (Jafar Panahi, Marjane Satrapi), Europe (Jacques Audiard, François Ozon, Gaspar Noé, Marco Bellocchio, Aleksandr Sokurov, the Dardenne brothers) and across Asia (Takeshi Kitano, Naomi Kawase, Jia Zanghke, Hirokazu Kore-eda).
“She took films that were challenging, that were difficult to make, to sell, to promote, and she fought for them,” says Oscar-winning producer Jeremy Thomas (The Last Emperor) who knew and worked with Panahi for more than 30 years. “She was a unique part of the film ecosystem. She was really inspirational, with the films that she enabled to be made, and seen.”
Celluloid Dreams,...
Panahi, a pivotal figure in the global art house scene, died Nov. 5, aged 67. In her decades in the business — as a producer, co-financier and sales agent — Panahi introduced the world to international auteurs from Iran (Jafar Panahi, Marjane Satrapi), Europe (Jacques Audiard, François Ozon, Gaspar Noé, Marco Bellocchio, Aleksandr Sokurov, the Dardenne brothers) and across Asia (Takeshi Kitano, Naomi Kawase, Jia Zanghke, Hirokazu Kore-eda).
“She took films that were challenging, that were difficult to make, to sell, to promote, and she fought for them,” says Oscar-winning producer Jeremy Thomas (The Last Emperor) who knew and worked with Panahi for more than 30 years. “She was a unique part of the film ecosystem. She was really inspirational, with the films that she enabled to be made, and seen.”
Celluloid Dreams,...
- 11/10/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Writer nominated by Italian culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano.
Right-wing journalist and writer Pietrangelo Buttafuoco has been nominated by Italian culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano to take over as chairman of the Venice Biennale Foundation which runs the Venice Film Festival.
He will replace Roberto Cicutto when the latter’s term ends in March. Buttafuoco’s nomination requires parliamentary approval but is regarded as a formality.
Italian newswire Ansa described Buttafuoco as “one of Italy’s top public intellectuals and a practising Muslim” and described him as a far-right activist in his youth like Italian premier Giorgia Meloni who, like her, has...
Right-wing journalist and writer Pietrangelo Buttafuoco has been nominated by Italian culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano to take over as chairman of the Venice Biennale Foundation which runs the Venice Film Festival.
He will replace Roberto Cicutto when the latter’s term ends in March. Buttafuoco’s nomination requires parliamentary approval but is regarded as a formality.
Italian newswire Ansa described Buttafuoco as “one of Italy’s top public intellectuals and a practising Muslim” and described him as a far-right activist in his youth like Italian premier Giorgia Meloni who, like her, has...
- 10/27/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Venice Biennale Chief Roberto Cicutto Set to Be Replaced by Right-Wing Writer Pietrangelo Buttafuoco
Italy’s culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano has designated Italian journalist and writer Pietrangelo Buttafuoco as the new president of the Venice Biennale, the foundation that oversees the Venice Film Festival.
Buttafuoco, an openly right-wing member of Italy’s cultural establishment known to be an eclectic thinker, is now set to replace former film producer Roberto Cicutto at the Biennale’s helm when Cicutto’s four-year mandate expires in March 2024. Buttafuoco’s appointment still needs to be ratified by the culture commissions of Italy’s chamber of deputies and senate, but this is considered a mere formality.
Besides the film festival, the Venice Biennale foundation oversees other renowned events in the spheres of visual arts, music, architecture, dance and theater, making it one of the world’s most prestigious cultural institutions.
Buttafuoco taking the Biennale reins is not expected to immediately impact management of the Venice Film Festival, since its artistic...
Buttafuoco, an openly right-wing member of Italy’s cultural establishment known to be an eclectic thinker, is now set to replace former film producer Roberto Cicutto at the Biennale’s helm when Cicutto’s four-year mandate expires in March 2024. Buttafuoco’s appointment still needs to be ratified by the culture commissions of Italy’s chamber of deputies and senate, but this is considered a mere formality.
Besides the film festival, the Venice Biennale foundation oversees other renowned events in the spheres of visual arts, music, architecture, dance and theater, making it one of the world’s most prestigious cultural institutions.
Buttafuoco taking the Biennale reins is not expected to immediately impact management of the Venice Film Festival, since its artistic...
- 10/27/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
From the strikes to awards contenders and the inclusion of films by controversial directors.
The 80th edition of the Venice Film Festival wrapped on September 9 with Yorgos Lanthimos’ acclaimed Poor Things taking the Golden Lion for best film.
Screen considers the big talking points from an 11-day festival marathon, which opened with Edoardo De Angelis’ Commandante and closed with J.A. Bayona’s Society Of The Snow.
The strikes were the main talking point
The challenges keep on coming for festival directors. First, they had to navigate Covid restrictions, now it is the ongoing Hollywood strikes. Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera...
The 80th edition of the Venice Film Festival wrapped on September 9 with Yorgos Lanthimos’ acclaimed Poor Things taking the Golden Lion for best film.
Screen considers the big talking points from an 11-day festival marathon, which opened with Edoardo De Angelis’ Commandante and closed with J.A. Bayona’s Society Of The Snow.
The strikes were the main talking point
The challenges keep on coming for festival directors. First, they had to navigate Covid restrictions, now it is the ongoing Hollywood strikes. Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera...
- 9/12/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Emmy-nominated “The White Lotus” star Sabrina Impacciatore will play the Venice Film Festival’s master of ceremonies in the upcoming second season of the Italian version of “Call My Agent,” which will also feature a cameo by Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera.
Impacciatore, wearing a red gown, disembarked from a water taxi at the Excelsior Hotel pier on the Venice Lido on Saturday welcomed by Barbera, as cameras rolled for a key scene in the show. Actors playing photographers for the scene and also real paparazzi snapped away upon her arrival.
“’Call My Agent – Italia’ is a true love letter to cinema, its rituals and its protagonists,” Nils Hartmann, EVP of Sky Studios for Italy and Germany, said in a statement. “It is therefore a truly great emotion, and at the same time a great motive of pride for us, to be able to shoot the second season of such...
Impacciatore, wearing a red gown, disembarked from a water taxi at the Excelsior Hotel pier on the Venice Lido on Saturday welcomed by Barbera, as cameras rolled for a key scene in the show. Actors playing photographers for the scene and also real paparazzi snapped away upon her arrival.
“’Call My Agent – Italia’ is a true love letter to cinema, its rituals and its protagonists,” Nils Hartmann, EVP of Sky Studios for Italy and Germany, said in a statement. “It is therefore a truly great emotion, and at the same time a great motive of pride for us, to be able to shoot the second season of such...
- 9/11/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Attending a major film festival is soul-draining and exhilarating in equal measure, with days bookended by crack-of-dawn P&i screenings and until-dawn 2 a.m. parties. At this year’s 80th Venice Film Festival, which unfolds on the former plague quarantine island of the Lido that’s a water taxi away from the main city, things were different.
There were no paparazzi shots of “Maestro” director and star Bradley Cooper taking those water taxis because he didn’t attend. Ditto Zendaya, whose would-be opening-night title “Challengers” was removed from the lineup, or Emma Stone for “Poor Things.” The ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes and the work stoppage orders prevented talent without an interim agreement from attending or promoting their films, an idea that initially seemed at odds with film festivals and Venice — a city that seems to float on glamour as much as the Adriatic Sea — in particular.
And certainly: The party scene was less lively,...
There were no paparazzi shots of “Maestro” director and star Bradley Cooper taking those water taxis because he didn’t attend. Ditto Zendaya, whose would-be opening-night title “Challengers” was removed from the lineup, or Emma Stone for “Poor Things.” The ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes and the work stoppage orders prevented talent without an interim agreement from attending or promoting their films, an idea that initially seemed at odds with film festivals and Venice — a city that seems to float on glamour as much as the Adriatic Sea — in particular.
And certainly: The party scene was less lively,...
- 9/9/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Maestro, starring and directed by Bradley Cooper, is set to close the 37th AFI Fest next month. The Leonard Bernstein biopic also starring Carey Mulligan will put a bow on the annual event with a red carpet gala Sunday, October 29, at the Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
The Netflix film’s North American premiere on October 2 will come a month after its world premiere at Venice, where the film got an extended ovation. Cooper’s directorial follow-up to A Star Is Born, Maestro focuses on West Side Story composer Bernstein’s decades-long relationship with his wife, Felicia (Mulligan).
Related: ‘Maestro’ Venice Film Festival Premiere Photo Gallery
The cast also includes Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke and Sarah Silverman, and Cooper also produces along with Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Fred Berner, Amy Durning and Kristie Macosko Krieger. Cooper and Josh Singer penned the screenplay.
“Maestro displays Bradley Cooper’s symphony of talent...
The Netflix film’s North American premiere on October 2 will come a month after its world premiere at Venice, where the film got an extended ovation. Cooper’s directorial follow-up to A Star Is Born, Maestro focuses on West Side Story composer Bernstein’s decades-long relationship with his wife, Felicia (Mulligan).
Related: ‘Maestro’ Venice Film Festival Premiere Photo Gallery
The cast also includes Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke and Sarah Silverman, and Cooper also produces along with Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Fred Berner, Amy Durning and Kristie Macosko Krieger. Cooper and Josh Singer penned the screenplay.
“Maestro displays Bradley Cooper’s symphony of talent...
- 9/7/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Ava DuVernay’s latest film, “Origin,” received a warm welcome at Venice Film Festival on Wednesday night, where it premiered to a five-minute and 46-second standing ovation.
The drama, which is an adaptation of Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson’s book “Caste: The Origin of Our Discontent,” left many audience members in tears as it weaved together Wilkerson’s own life story with harrowing depictions of the Holocaust, slavery and India’s caste system.
The audience began to clap during the film’s several-minute acting credits sequence and continued as the lights came on. While the crowd cheered, DuVernay couldn’t stop smiling and encouraged the crew members with her to share in the spotlight. “Thank you,” DuVernay mouthed over and over before sharing a hug with Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera.
The film stars Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Niecy Nash-Betts, Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash-Betts, Vera Farmiga, Audra McDonald, Nick Offerman, Blair Underwood,...
The drama, which is an adaptation of Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson’s book “Caste: The Origin of Our Discontent,” left many audience members in tears as it weaved together Wilkerson’s own life story with harrowing depictions of the Holocaust, slavery and India’s caste system.
The audience began to clap during the film’s several-minute acting credits sequence and continued as the lights came on. While the crowd cheered, DuVernay couldn’t stop smiling and encouraged the crew members with her to share in the spotlight. “Thank you,” DuVernay mouthed over and over before sharing a hug with Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera.
The film stars Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Niecy Nash-Betts, Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash-Betts, Vera Farmiga, Audra McDonald, Nick Offerman, Blair Underwood,...
- 9/6/2023
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Republic Pictures President Dan Cohen and producer Annabelle Dunne were among the main representatives of William Friedkin’s last film The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial at its posthumous world premiere at the Venice Film Festival over the weekend.
Taking place less than a month after Friedkin died at the age of 87 on August 7, it was an emotional night for both.
Alongside tributes from this year’s jury president Damien Chazelle and Venice director Alberto Barbera, Dunne took to the stage to share anecdotes, including how Guillermo del Toro and J.J. Abrams became involved as back-up directors after Friedkin’s age made it impossible to secure a completion bond.
Deadline caught up with the pair on the terrace of the Venice Lido’s Excelsior Hotel the next day, ahead of a screening of Friedkin’s The Exorcist in Venice Classics.
“It was really emotional for everybody. It was important to us that...
Taking place less than a month after Friedkin died at the age of 87 on August 7, it was an emotional night for both.
Alongside tributes from this year’s jury president Damien Chazelle and Venice director Alberto Barbera, Dunne took to the stage to share anecdotes, including how Guillermo del Toro and J.J. Abrams became involved as back-up directors after Friedkin’s age made it impossible to secure a completion bond.
Deadline caught up with the pair on the terrace of the Venice Lido’s Excelsior Hotel the next day, ahead of a screening of Friedkin’s The Exorcist in Venice Classics.
“It was really emotional for everybody. It was important to us that...
- 9/6/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
“There has been a lack of respect towards Polanski,” said Barbera of the overwhelmingly negative reviews of his film.
Alberto Barbera, artistic director of the Venice Film Festival, has elaborated on his controversial selection of Roman Polanski’s The Palace after he revealed he himself told the director it was “not completely resolved” and in the face of generally excoriating reviews of the film.
Barbera has faced criticism for including the film, which is playing out of competition in official selection.
As Polanksi has admitted to the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl in the US in 1977 he is unable...
Alberto Barbera, artistic director of the Venice Film Festival, has elaborated on his controversial selection of Roman Polanski’s The Palace after he revealed he himself told the director it was “not completely resolved” and in the face of generally excoriating reviews of the film.
Barbera has faced criticism for including the film, which is playing out of competition in official selection.
As Polanksi has admitted to the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl in the US in 1977 he is unable...
- 9/6/2023
- by Alina Trabattoni
- ScreenDaily
“There has been a lack of respect towards Polanski,” said Barbera of the overwhelmingly negative reviews of his film.
Alberto Barbera, artistic director of the Venice Film Festival, has elaborated on his controversial selection of Roman Polanski’s The Palace after he revealed he himself told the director it was “not completely resolved” and in the face of generally excoriating reviews of the film.
Barbera has faced criticism for including the film, which is playing out of competition in official selection. As Polanksi has admitted to the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl in the US in 1977 he is unable...
Alberto Barbera, artistic director of the Venice Film Festival, has elaborated on his controversial selection of Roman Polanski’s The Palace after he revealed he himself told the director it was “not completely resolved” and in the face of generally excoriating reviews of the film.
Barbera has faced criticism for including the film, which is playing out of competition in official selection. As Polanksi has admitted to the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl in the US in 1977 he is unable...
- 9/6/2023
- by Alina Trabattoni
- ScreenDaily
With 12 reviews so far, Roman Polanski’s latest film, “The Palace,” currently sits at a horrendous 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. Polanski hasn’t really had a hit film in a very long time and has also been at the center of controversy for decades, but a 0% is still really rough, with some reviews calling it the worst movie of the year. But somehow, “The Palace” had a massive debut at the Venice Film Festival, where the festival director Alberto Barbera defended the film’s inclusion despite the filmmaker’s aforementioned controversy.
Continue reading Venice Director Admits Roman Polanski’s ‘The Palace’ Is A “Weak” Film But Says Negative Reviews Were Too “Mean” at The Playlist.
Continue reading Venice Director Admits Roman Polanski’s ‘The Palace’ Is A “Weak” Film But Says Negative Reviews Were Too “Mean” at The Playlist.
- 9/5/2023
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
Comandante.Beyond the Venice Film Festival's habitual paucity of female filmmakers, the most striking aspect of this year’s lineup was its astounding number of biopics. Granted, the genre has always been a staple of the fest, which under artistic director Alberto Barbera has effectively metastasized into a launchpad for Hollywood’s awards race. But the inclusion of so many in its eightieth edition was nonetheless remarkable. The official competition alone was home to six—among them big studio projects like Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, Bradley Cooper’s Maestro, Michael Mann’s Ferrari—to say nothing of all those slotted in the parallel sidebars, from Quentin Dupieux’s fittingly surrealist Daaaaaali! to Neo Sora’s Ryuichi Sakamoto—Opus. Beyond the industry’s flirtations with the genre for its bona fide commercial potential, what accounts for our ongoing fascination with biopics is perhaps their promises of identification and revelation: in charting the lives of extraordinary figures,...
- 9/5/2023
- MUBI
“Judge the art, not the artist.” That is the mantra we hear each and every time someone in the entertainment world is accused of heinous behavior, and it’s one that was repeated by artistic director Alberto Barbera prior to this year’s Venice Film Festival.
In an interview with The Guardian, Barbera discussed his decision to include films by Roman Polanski, Woody Allen, and Luc Besson in the 2023 festival program — Polanski’s The Palace, a class comedy about a dinner party at a luxury Swiss hotel on the eve...
In an interview with The Guardian, Barbera discussed his decision to include films by Roman Polanski, Woody Allen, and Luc Besson in the 2023 festival program — Polanski’s The Palace, a class comedy about a dinner party at a luxury Swiss hotel on the eve...
- 9/5/2023
- by Marlow Stern
- Rollingstone.com
When Venice head Alberto Barbera announced his competition lineup in July, he confessed that he and his selection team were surprised to see one submission in their database: a feature project by Japanese filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguchi.
Hamaguchi had quietly returned to filmmaking following the international success of his last two features, Drive My Car, which won best screenplay at Cannes before winning the best international feature film Oscar, and Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, silver bear winner at Berlin.
The final product is Evil Does Not Exist, an enigmatic feature screening this evening on the Lido.
Set deep in the forest of a rural Japanese village close to Tokyo, the pic follows Takumi and his daughter Hana, who, like generations before them, live a modest life according to the cycles and order of nature. One day, the village inhabitants become aware of a plan to build a glamping site near...
Hamaguchi had quietly returned to filmmaking following the international success of his last two features, Drive My Car, which won best screenplay at Cannes before winning the best international feature film Oscar, and Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, silver bear winner at Berlin.
The final product is Evil Does Not Exist, an enigmatic feature screening this evening on the Lido.
Set deep in the forest of a rural Japanese village close to Tokyo, the pic follows Takumi and his daughter Hana, who, like generations before them, live a modest life according to the cycles and order of nature. One day, the village inhabitants become aware of a plan to build a glamping site near...
- 9/4/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Venice Film Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera is adamant about his decision to place six Italian movies in this year’s 23-title festival lineup. “Nobody accused the French of chauvinism because they had seven French films in competition in Cannes this year,” Barbera quipped to a snarky Italian reporter when the Venice lineup was announced in July, though he did concede, “It’s true that in the past I have not done this.” Indeed, Barbera’s previous limit on Italian movies in competition for the Golden Lion was five titles last year, which some local critics considered a stretch.
More importantly, the Venice chief pointed out that he presently sees Cinema Italiano at a particularly favorable juncture largely thanks to the fact that Italians are making movies with bigger budgets, “which means greater quality and the ability to compete in international markets, and to travel beyond our borders,” he said.
More importantly, the Venice chief pointed out that he presently sees Cinema Italiano at a particularly favorable juncture largely thanks to the fact that Italians are making movies with bigger budgets, “which means greater quality and the ability to compete in international markets, and to travel beyond our borders,” he said.
- 9/4/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Woody Allen met the international press at the Venice Film Festival on Monday to support his 50th film as a director, Coup de Chance. Premiering out of competition, Coup de Chance is about the important role chance and luck play in our lives. It is Allen’s first feature told entirely in French, with a cast of all French stars, including Lou de Laage, Valerie Lemercier, Melvil Poupaud and Niels Schneider.
Early in the Venice press conference, Allen was asked to reflect on the role luck — or the absence of it — has played in his own life.
“I’ve been very, very lucky my whole life,” Allen said. “I had two loving parents. I have good friends. I have a wonderful wife and marriage and children — and I’ve never been in the hospital. I’ve never had anything terrible happen to me.”
He continued: “And I’ve had — over...
Early in the Venice press conference, Allen was asked to reflect on the role luck — or the absence of it — has played in his own life.
“I’ve been very, very lucky my whole life,” Allen said. “I had two loving parents. I have good friends. I have a wonderful wife and marriage and children — and I’ve never been in the hospital. I’ve never had anything terrible happen to me.”
He continued: “And I’ve had — over...
- 9/4/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski and Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Damien Chazelle paid tribute to late great director William Friedkin on Sunday in a moving speech at the Venice Film Festival where Friedkin’s last film “The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial” premiered out-of-competition to warm applause.
Friedkin, who died on Aug. 7 in Los Angeles at age 87, completed the film – which stars Kiefer Sutherland as Lt. Commander Queeg who stands trial for mutiny for taking command from a ship captain he feels is acting in a mentally unstable way that is endangering both the ship and its crew – shortly before passing,
“When I first became aware of the name Billy Friedkin I was a child, and the name itself filled me with fear,” said Chazelle, who is presiding over this year’s Venice jury.
“I probably had ‘The Exorcist’ in my mind. I hadn’t see the film yet, but I’d seen the letters written in that typeface, and the sound...
Friedkin, who died on Aug. 7 in Los Angeles at age 87, completed the film – which stars Kiefer Sutherland as Lt. Commander Queeg who stands trial for mutiny for taking command from a ship captain he feels is acting in a mentally unstable way that is endangering both the ship and its crew – shortly before passing,
“When I first became aware of the name Billy Friedkin I was a child, and the name itself filled me with fear,” said Chazelle, who is presiding over this year’s Venice jury.
“I probably had ‘The Exorcist’ in my mind. I hadn’t see the film yet, but I’d seen the letters written in that typeface, and the sound...
- 9/3/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Venice Film Festival chief Alberto Barbera is appreciated by many in the film and media industries not only for having cemented Venice as a must-attend blue-ribbon festival, but also for his candour.
As we do every year, Deadline sat down with Barbera at the festival’s mid-point to discuss a lineup that has already wowed and frustrated audiences and which is as rich in off-screen sub-plots as any I can remember.
We started out by discussing how the rhythm of the festival has changed over the years, both for media and for him and his team…
Deadline: I know this is the crunch time for you. It’s the stage of the festival when those covering it and those organizing it are feeling the pinch of the late nights and heavy workload. The way we cover festivals has changed so much due to the proliferation of video, social media and the sheer content volume…...
As we do every year, Deadline sat down with Barbera at the festival’s mid-point to discuss a lineup that has already wowed and frustrated audiences and which is as rich in off-screen sub-plots as any I can remember.
We started out by discussing how the rhythm of the festival has changed over the years, both for media and for him and his team…
Deadline: I know this is the crunch time for you. It’s the stage of the festival when those covering it and those organizing it are feeling the pinch of the late nights and heavy workload. The way we cover festivals has changed so much due to the proliferation of video, social media and the sheer content volume…...
- 9/3/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
For all the major films from established, auteur directors in the 2023 Venice Film Festival’s main competition (David Fincher’s The Killer, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things, Sofia Coppela’s Priscilla and Michael Mann’s Ferrari, to name just a few), when he made the official lineup announcement on July 31, festival director Alberto Barbera reserved his lengthiest praise for a small film from Germany.
So enthused was Barbera for Timm Kröger’s second feature The Theory of Everything — a black-and-white Hitchcockian melodrama set in a 5-star hotel in the Swiss Alps (and a “kind of” sequel to his 2014 debut The Council of Birds) — that he claimed it was one of the very first films selected to compete for this year’s Golden Lion.
“It was really wonderful what he said, and he really described the film in a lovely way,” says Kröger, speaking ahead of The Theory of Everything’s world...
So enthused was Barbera for Timm Kröger’s second feature The Theory of Everything — a black-and-white Hitchcockian melodrama set in a 5-star hotel in the Swiss Alps (and a “kind of” sequel to his 2014 debut The Council of Birds) — that he claimed it was one of the very first films selected to compete for this year’s Golden Lion.
“It was really wonderful what he said, and he really described the film in a lovely way,” says Kröger, speaking ahead of The Theory of Everything’s world...
- 9/3/2023
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Roman Polanski’s black comedy “The Palace” was given a tepid three-minutes of applause when it world premiered in the Palazzo del Cinema’s Sala Grande on Saturday night.
Producer Luca Barbareschi, French star Fanny Ardant and other key cast members including German actor Oliver Masucci (“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore”), Portugal’s Joaquim de Almeida and Italy’s Fortunato Cerlino (”Gomorrah”) stood up and took a bow, but the audience’s response seemed to be more polite than exited, though there were occasional bursts of laughter during the screening.
Before the film’s premiere “The Palace” set designer Tonino Zera received Venice’s Campari Passion for Film prize from artistic director Alberto Barbera.
Polanski directed the black comedy from a screenplay he wrote alongside Jerzy Skolimowski and Ewa Piaskowska. “The Palace” takes place during New Year’s Eve in 1999, when a dinner party at Switzerland’s Gstaad Palace hotel takes an unexpected turn.
Producer Luca Barbareschi, French star Fanny Ardant and other key cast members including German actor Oliver Masucci (“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore”), Portugal’s Joaquim de Almeida and Italy’s Fortunato Cerlino (”Gomorrah”) stood up and took a bow, but the audience’s response seemed to be more polite than exited, though there were occasional bursts of laughter during the screening.
Before the film’s premiere “The Palace” set designer Tonino Zera received Venice’s Campari Passion for Film prize from artistic director Alberto Barbera.
Polanski directed the black comedy from a screenplay he wrote alongside Jerzy Skolimowski and Ewa Piaskowska. “The Palace” takes place during New Year’s Eve in 1999, when a dinner party at Switzerland’s Gstaad Palace hotel takes an unexpected turn.
- 9/2/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli and Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Roman Polanski’s Venice Film Festival feature The Palace received a 3 minute ovation tonight at its world premiere screening.
The Palace unfolds against the backdrop of Switzerland’s luxury Gstaad Palace hotel and revolves around the chasm between its ultra-rich clients and those who serve them in the lead-up to a lavish New Year Party on the eve of 2000.
Featuring Mickey Rourke, Fanny Ardant and John Cleese in the ensemble cast, the film took inspiration from Polanski’s own stays at the Gstaad Palace. He wrote the screenplay with Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski and producer Ewa Piaskowska. Longtime collaborator Alexandre Desplat composed the score.
As we revealed earlier this week, the film has closed multiple distribution deals in international markets.
There remains fierce debate in the film world and beyond over whether Polanski should be endorsed or not as an artist while 1973 charges of unlawful sex with a minor in the U.
The Palace unfolds against the backdrop of Switzerland’s luxury Gstaad Palace hotel and revolves around the chasm between its ultra-rich clients and those who serve them in the lead-up to a lavish New Year Party on the eve of 2000.
Featuring Mickey Rourke, Fanny Ardant and John Cleese in the ensemble cast, the film took inspiration from Polanski’s own stays at the Gstaad Palace. He wrote the screenplay with Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski and producer Ewa Piaskowska. Longtime collaborator Alexandre Desplat composed the score.
As we revealed earlier this week, the film has closed multiple distribution deals in international markets.
There remains fierce debate in the film world and beyond over whether Polanski should be endorsed or not as an artist while 1973 charges of unlawful sex with a minor in the U.
- 9/2/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow and Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Venice Film Festival’s red carpet swapped glamour for politics on Saturday, hosting a flash mob in solidarity with the Iranian people, fighting against repression, as well as filmmakers who are being oppressed – and arrested – because of their work.
Such as “Leila’s Brothers” director Saeed Roustaee, recently sentenced to six months in prison for showing the film in Cannes. He has also been banned from making movies.
“Born in 1989, Roustaee represents a new generation of Iranian auteurs, and one who’s sly enough to embed his complex social critiques so deep into the fabric of sprawling modern stories that he hasn’t upset the regime. Not yet, at least,” ominously wrote Variety’s Peter Debruge following its premiere at the French fest.
Roustaee also made “Life and a Day” and thriller “Just 6.5,” which was shown in Venice.
Elham Erfani, Zahra Amir Ebrahimi and guests attend the Flash Mob in Solidarity With Iranian People.
Such as “Leila’s Brothers” director Saeed Roustaee, recently sentenced to six months in prison for showing the film in Cannes. He has also been banned from making movies.
“Born in 1989, Roustaee represents a new generation of Iranian auteurs, and one who’s sly enough to embed his complex social critiques so deep into the fabric of sprawling modern stories that he hasn’t upset the regime. Not yet, at least,” ominously wrote Variety’s Peter Debruge following its premiere at the French fest.
Roustaee also made “Life and a Day” and thriller “Just 6.5,” which was shown in Venice.
Elham Erfani, Zahra Amir Ebrahimi and guests attend the Flash Mob in Solidarity With Iranian People.
- 9/2/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
The cast, producers and collaborators of Roman Polanski’s The Palace showed their support for the filmmaker here in Venice today during a press conference for the movie that world premieres out of competition this evening.
Polanski himself is not on the Lido as it remains unclear whether he would be subject to Italy’s extradition treaty with the U.S. The selection of The Palace has sparked debate in the film world, which remains split over whether Polanski should be celebrated as an artist while 1970s charges of unlawful sex with a minor in the U.S. remain unresolved.
This is the second time in recent years that the filmmaker has been in official selection in Venice. However, following 2019’s prizewinning drama An Officer and a Spy, he’s back with a comedic movie.
The satire pokes fun at the ultra-rich and is set against the backdrop of Switzerland’s luxury Gstaad Palace Hotel,...
Polanski himself is not on the Lido as it remains unclear whether he would be subject to Italy’s extradition treaty with the U.S. The selection of The Palace has sparked debate in the film world, which remains split over whether Polanski should be celebrated as an artist while 1970s charges of unlawful sex with a minor in the U.S. remain unresolved.
This is the second time in recent years that the filmmaker has been in official selection in Venice. However, following 2019’s prizewinning drama An Officer and a Spy, he’s back with a comedic movie.
The satire pokes fun at the ultra-rich and is set against the backdrop of Switzerland’s luxury Gstaad Palace Hotel,...
- 9/2/2023
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
The stars were out in Venice for Variety and the Golden Globe Awards’ party on Thursday night, featuring Chase Stokes, Kelsea Ballerini, Lukas Gage and Pablo Larraín.
Presented by Iervolino and Lady Bacardi Entertainment, the event celebrated breakthrough talent and excellence in Italian filmmaking, handing out several awards under the moonlight. Stokes and Gage received breakthrough actor awards; Jack Huston and Alice Diop were given breakthrough director awards; director Larraín was named the Venice Visionary; director Saverio Costanzo received the Italian Excellence award; and “Ferrari” producers Andrea Iervolino and Monika Bacardi were honored with the breakthrough producers award.
Lady Monika Bacardi and Andrea Iervolino attend the Variety and Golden Globes Party at Venice Film Festival. Jack Huston, Helen Hoehne and Ramin Setoodeh attend the Variety and Golden Globes Party at Venice Film Festival.
Stokes, who dropped into Venice from a vacation on the Amalfi Coast with girlfriend and country singer Ballerini,...
Presented by Iervolino and Lady Bacardi Entertainment, the event celebrated breakthrough talent and excellence in Italian filmmaking, handing out several awards under the moonlight. Stokes and Gage received breakthrough actor awards; Jack Huston and Alice Diop were given breakthrough director awards; director Larraín was named the Venice Visionary; director Saverio Costanzo received the Italian Excellence award; and “Ferrari” producers Andrea Iervolino and Monika Bacardi were honored with the breakthrough producers award.
Lady Monika Bacardi and Andrea Iervolino attend the Variety and Golden Globes Party at Venice Film Festival. Jack Huston, Helen Hoehne and Ramin Setoodeh attend the Variety and Golden Globes Party at Venice Film Festival.
Stokes, who dropped into Venice from a vacation on the Amalfi Coast with girlfriend and country singer Ballerini,...
- 9/1/2023
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
France’s UFO Distribution has acquired French rights to Venice Horizons entry “An Endless Sunday” by first-time Italian director Alain Parroni from Fandango Sales.
The film will segue from Venice to Toronto where it screens in the fest’s Discovery section.
Set on the outskirts of contemporary Rome, this coming-of-age drama – which is based on the director’s own personal experiences – involves a trio of young characters named Alex, Brenda and Kevin. “An Endless Sunday” has been described by Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera as “a story of nihilism and rebellion” that “could become the manifesto of a lost generation.”
“For my generation, narrating our adolescence and coming-of-age is a matter of language,” said Parroni in his director’s statement.
His film questions “the languages and media that new generations are using, as well as their values in relation to the world around them. For me Alex, Brenda and Kevin...
The film will segue from Venice to Toronto where it screens in the fest’s Discovery section.
Set on the outskirts of contemporary Rome, this coming-of-age drama – which is based on the director’s own personal experiences – involves a trio of young characters named Alex, Brenda and Kevin. “An Endless Sunday” has been described by Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera as “a story of nihilism and rebellion” that “could become the manifesto of a lost generation.”
“For my generation, narrating our adolescence and coming-of-age is a matter of language,” said Parroni in his director’s statement.
His film questions “the languages and media that new generations are using, as well as their values in relation to the world around them. For me Alex, Brenda and Kevin...
- 9/1/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Roman Polanski’s dark comedy The Palace has sold to a host of key territories ahead of its Venice premiere, with distributors getting behind the film in spite of the controversy surrounding the director.
Goodfellas has unveiled deals to Benelux (Paradiso Films), Spain (Vértigo Films), Germany (Weltkino), Greece (Spentzos) and Portugal (Nos Lusomondo) in Western Europe.
Eastern and Central European distributors have also snapped up the film with sales to Bulgaria (Beta Film), Yugoslavia (McF), Hungary (Cirko), the Czech Republic and Slovakia (Pilot Films), the Baltics (Best Film) and Cis (Pro:vzglyad). United King has acquired Israeli rights, while Teleview has taken Middle East.
The Palace will be launched theatrically in Italy on September 28 by 01 Distribution. Its parent Rai Cinema is a key partner on the production alongside lead producer Luca Barbareschi.
Lausanne-based Cab Productions, which is also a producer, holds Swiss rights. Tomasz Przybecki is handling Polish rights in a deal brokered by Barbareschi.
Goodfellas has unveiled deals to Benelux (Paradiso Films), Spain (Vértigo Films), Germany (Weltkino), Greece (Spentzos) and Portugal (Nos Lusomondo) in Western Europe.
Eastern and Central European distributors have also snapped up the film with sales to Bulgaria (Beta Film), Yugoslavia (McF), Hungary (Cirko), the Czech Republic and Slovakia (Pilot Films), the Baltics (Best Film) and Cis (Pro:vzglyad). United King has acquired Israeli rights, while Teleview has taken Middle East.
The Palace will be launched theatrically in Italy on September 28 by 01 Distribution. Its parent Rai Cinema is a key partner on the production alongside lead producer Luca Barbareschi.
Lausanne-based Cab Productions, which is also a producer, holds Swiss rights. Tomasz Przybecki is handling Polish rights in a deal brokered by Barbareschi.
- 8/31/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
In an alternate universe, Zendaya would be breaking the Internet with her red carpet fashion as she promoted Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers,” the movie that was supposed to open the 80th annual Venice Film Festival.
But the SAG-AFTRA strike made it impossible for the tennis movie, starring one of the world’s buzziest movie stars, to come to the Lido.
So instead, Venice kicked off with World War II drama “Comandante” by young Italian auteur Edoardo De Angelis. The movie, mostly set on a submarine, landed a brief 90-second standing ovation as actor Pierfrancesco Favino — who plays naval officer Salvatore Todaro — took a bow.
Indeed, the lack of star power was strongly felt at Venice opening night. The size of the crowds that lined up outside the Sala Grande Theatre was modest, and the biggest cheers went to Damien Chazelle, who is presiding over the Venice jury. Jane Campion,...
But the SAG-AFTRA strike made it impossible for the tennis movie, starring one of the world’s buzziest movie stars, to come to the Lido.
So instead, Venice kicked off with World War II drama “Comandante” by young Italian auteur Edoardo De Angelis. The movie, mostly set on a submarine, landed a brief 90-second standing ovation as actor Pierfrancesco Favino — who plays naval officer Salvatore Todaro — took a bow.
Indeed, the lack of star power was strongly felt at Venice opening night. The size of the crowds that lined up outside the Sala Grande Theatre was modest, and the biggest cheers went to Damien Chazelle, who is presiding over the Venice jury. Jane Campion,...
- 8/30/2023
- by Ramin Setoodeh and Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
With Hollywood continuing to be essentially shuttered due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the 80th Venice Film Festival kicks off today with plenty of Oscar-contending movies but few stars on hand to help promote them on and off the red carpet. Both the Writers Guild (whose walkout enters its fifth month) and the actors’ union (on strike for nearly seven weeks) have instructed their members not to do any press for their studio movies until the work stoppages are settled. That means a potentially star-less Venice, with few major actors and filmmakers in attendance aside from those permitted by SAG-AFTRA interim agreements.
But since the show itself must go on, the festival is still featuring a decent number of premieres even as the A-listers are forced to stay away due to both union regs and lousy optics. The festival already lost its original opening-night film, “Challengers” starring Zendaya,...
But since the show itself must go on, the festival is still featuring a decent number of premieres even as the A-listers are forced to stay away due to both union regs and lousy optics. The festival already lost its original opening-night film, “Challengers” starring Zendaya,...
- 8/30/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
The Venice Film Festival has only continued to garner momentum under longtime festival director Alberto Barbera, who in recent years has managed to lure significant star power — from Lady Gaga to Joaquin Phoenix to Timothée Chalamet to Harry Styles — to the Lido. So imagine the heartbreak and fear last month when — just as Barbera was about to lock in one of his strongest lineups yet — he learned that, as a result of the SAG-AFTRA strike, many movie stars wouldn’t be able to make the trek to Italy this year. Could Venice even take place without Zendaya, who carried what was supposed to be the opening night movie, Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers,” not to mention Emma Stone (“Poor Things”) and Bradley Cooper (“Maestro”)?
During the first few days after the actors’ strike was called July 13, it seemed to Barbera that its impact on the festival could be devastating, allowing a...
During the first few days after the actors’ strike was called July 13, it seemed to Barbera that its impact on the festival could be devastating, allowing a...
- 8/30/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Paris-based sales company Charades has boarded international sales on “Stolen,” the only Indian feature selected at the Venice Film Festival.
The film, which will bow within the festival’s Horizons Extra strand, tells the story of the havoc that ensues when opposite worlds collide after two urban young men become embroiled in an impoverished mother’s desperate journey to be reunited with her child. It is described as a “breathtaking action thriller” and the “hidden gem in world cinema” by Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera.
“Stolen” marks the feature debut of Karan Tejpal who started his career working in large-scale Bollywood films including “Lage Raho Munna Bhai” and “3 Idiots” and directed short “No Anaesthesia.” It is produced by Gaurav Dhingra under his banner Jungle Book Studio. Sol Bondy, founder of Berlin-based One Two Films, serves as executive producer.
The film is written by Tejpal, Agadbumb and Dhingra. The cast...
The film, which will bow within the festival’s Horizons Extra strand, tells the story of the havoc that ensues when opposite worlds collide after two urban young men become embroiled in an impoverished mother’s desperate journey to be reunited with her child. It is described as a “breathtaking action thriller” and the “hidden gem in world cinema” by Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera.
“Stolen” marks the feature debut of Karan Tejpal who started his career working in large-scale Bollywood films including “Lage Raho Munna Bhai” and “3 Idiots” and directed short “No Anaesthesia.” It is produced by Gaurav Dhingra under his banner Jungle Book Studio. Sol Bondy, founder of Berlin-based One Two Films, serves as executive producer.
The film is written by Tejpal, Agadbumb and Dhingra. The cast...
- 8/30/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Venice Film Festival jury president Damien Chazelle showed up to the Palazzo del Casino Wednesday morning for the opening press conference wearing a Writers Guild on Strike T-shirt. So were his jurors Laura Poitras and Martin McDonagh. Fellow deliberators Jane Campion and Mia Hansen-Løve did not brandish their support through fashion, but the stance of solidarity with the ongoing double union strike from across the entire jury was felt.
Chazelle was joined on the dais by Venice Film Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera, La Biennale president Roberto Cicutto, Orizzonti president Jonas Carpignano, and Luigi De Laurentiis president Alice Diop. The Oscar-winning filmmaker, whose “La La Land” and “First Man” have both opened the Biennale in years past, used the opening remarks to send a strong message about the strikes and how art should ultimately trump content — something, he argued, Hollywood seems to be forgetting.
“Today is the 121st day that...
Chazelle was joined on the dais by Venice Film Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera, La Biennale president Roberto Cicutto, Orizzonti president Jonas Carpignano, and Luigi De Laurentiis president Alice Diop. The Oscar-winning filmmaker, whose “La La Land” and “First Man” have both opened the Biennale in years past, used the opening remarks to send a strong message about the strikes and how art should ultimately trump content — something, he argued, Hollywood seems to be forgetting.
“Today is the 121st day that...
- 8/30/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Venice Film Festival international jury president Damien Chazelle showed support for the ongoing strikes in Hollywood at the event’s first press conference, sporting a “Writers Guild on Strike” shirt and pin.
During the jury press conference — which also included artistic director Alberto Barbera, La Biennale president Roberto Cicutto, Orizzonti president Jonas Carpignano and Luigi De Laurentiis president Alice Diop — Chazelle made a powerful statement about the current state of Hollywood, touting “art over content.”
“Today is the 121st day that the writers in Hollywood have been on strike; the 48th day that the actors have been on strike,” Chazelle began. “I think there’s a basic idea that each work of art has value onto itself, that it’s not just a piece of content — to use Hollywood’s favorite word right now — to be put into a pipeline. And that idea is very basic, I think, to art...
During the jury press conference — which also included artistic director Alberto Barbera, La Biennale president Roberto Cicutto, Orizzonti president Jonas Carpignano and Luigi De Laurentiis president Alice Diop — Chazelle made a powerful statement about the current state of Hollywood, touting “art over content.”
“Today is the 121st day that the writers in Hollywood have been on strike; the 48th day that the actors have been on strike,” Chazelle began. “I think there’s a basic idea that each work of art has value onto itself, that it’s not just a piece of content — to use Hollywood’s favorite word right now — to be put into a pipeline. And that idea is very basic, I think, to art...
- 8/30/2023
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Chazelle gave an impassioned response in support of the strikes.
Venice Competition jury head Damien Chazelle and his fellow competition jurors offered their support to the striking actors and writers in the US, at the opening press conference for the 80th Venice Film Festival.
Chazelle and competition jurors directors Martin McDonagh and Laura Poitras wore T-shirts with the words ‘Writers Guild on strike’, while Chazelle gave an impassioned response to the opening question about the strike.
“There’s a basic idea that each work of art has value unto itself. It’s not just a piece of content to be put into a pipeline,...
Venice Competition jury head Damien Chazelle and his fellow competition jurors offered their support to the striking actors and writers in the US, at the opening press conference for the 80th Venice Film Festival.
Chazelle and competition jurors directors Martin McDonagh and Laura Poitras wore T-shirts with the words ‘Writers Guild on strike’, while Chazelle gave an impassioned response to the opening question about the strike.
“There’s a basic idea that each work of art has value unto itself. It’s not just a piece of content to be put into a pipeline,...
- 8/30/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Venice Film Festival jury head Damien Chazelle arrived at the opening press conference sporting a Writers Guild on strike t-shirt and badge today.
The La La Land and Whiplash director-writer said of the two Hollywood strikes: “Today is the 121st day the writers have been of strike and the 48th the actors have been on strike. I think there is a basic idea that each work of art has value unto itself, and is not only a piece of content to be put into a pipeline. That basic idea has been eroded in the past years. That’s the core issue for me. That issue of residuals and people being remunerated for each piece of art is key. A lot of people who would ordinarily be here aren’t able to be here. It’s a difficult time, particularly for crew and writers in Hollywood.”
Jury members Martin McDonagh and Laura Poitras,...
The La La Land and Whiplash director-writer said of the two Hollywood strikes: “Today is the 121st day the writers have been of strike and the 48th the actors have been on strike. I think there is a basic idea that each work of art has value unto itself, and is not only a piece of content to be put into a pipeline. That basic idea has been eroded in the past years. That’s the core issue for me. That issue of residuals and people being remunerated for each piece of art is key. A lot of people who would ordinarily be here aren’t able to be here. It’s a difficult time, particularly for crew and writers in Hollywood.”
Jury members Martin McDonagh and Laura Poitras,...
- 8/30/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
The 80th Venice Film Festival gets underway in earnest Wednesday and the landmark edition will be unlike any other, taking place as it does against the backdrop of two Hollywood strikes.
The build-up to the festival has been dominated by talk of which stars will make it to the event and which will stay at home. It hasn’t been as challenging for organizers as the Covid editions, but it’s surely up there in recent memory.
As we revealed Friday, the outlook for U.S. celebrity attendance is patchy, with a handful of big names set to appear and do the usual press obligations. Others have decided to stay away to avoid the accusation of strike breaking or simply “bad optics.” Expect media to be dominated by strike talk, especially on any American films.
Despite initial anxiety about...
The build-up to the festival has been dominated by talk of which stars will make it to the event and which will stay at home. It hasn’t been as challenging for organizers as the Covid editions, but it’s surely up there in recent memory.
As we revealed Friday, the outlook for U.S. celebrity attendance is patchy, with a handful of big names set to appear and do the usual press obligations. Others have decided to stay away to avoid the accusation of strike breaking or simply “bad optics.” Expect media to be dominated by strike talk, especially on any American films.
Despite initial anxiety about...
- 8/30/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman and Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
The first issue is the headline. As a culture journalist reporting the news of the 80th Venice Film Festival, should you lead with this year’s impressive list of directors, including Sofia Coppola, Ava DuVernay, David Fincher, Bradley Cooper and Yorgos Lanthimos, and stars — Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Penélope Cruz, Adam Driver, Mads Mikkelsen — speculating, perhaps, on who will and won’t make it to the Lido during Hollywood’s double strike? Or do you go for the all-important clicks by emphasizing scandal: Venice includes new films from Roman Polanski (The Palace), Woody Allen (Coup de Chance) and Luc Besson (DogMan) in the official lineup.
“I really struggled with it, to go for the stars or to go for the controversy,” says Eric Randolph, arts & lifestyle editor for the English division of international wire service Agence France-Presse. “I just couldn’t decide. And in the end, we went with the...
“I really struggled with it, to go for the stars or to go for the controversy,” says Eric Randolph, arts & lifestyle editor for the English division of international wire service Agence France-Presse. “I just couldn’t decide. And in the end, we went with the...
- 8/30/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Alberto Barbera is the longest-serving director of the Venice Film Festival. Counting this year’s event, which kicks off August 30, Barbera will have racked up 15 years at the helm. After a short, three-year stint from 1999-2001, Barbera returned in 2011, beginning what many consider the festival’s new golden age. Under his guidance, Venice has become a springboard for the Oscars (Gravity, Birdman, La La Land, The Shape of Water) and a launchpad for studio blockbusters (Joker, Dune).
His current term is up next year, but when asked if he would sign up again, Barbera just laughs. “Do you think if they offered it to me I would say no? It’s an offer you can’t refuse.”
Every sentence out of Barbera’s mouth seems to contain a film quote. But he came to cinema almost by accident. Unhappy with his job as a substitute teacher in middle school, he...
His current term is up next year, but when asked if he would sign up again, Barbera just laughs. “Do you think if they offered it to me I would say no? It’s an offer you can’t refuse.”
Every sentence out of Barbera’s mouth seems to contain a film quote. But he came to cinema almost by accident. Unhappy with his job as a substitute teacher in middle school, he...
- 8/30/2023
- by Concita De Gregorio
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Back in 2013, Scarlett Johansson was on hand at the Venice International Film Festival to premiere her movie “Under the Skin”.
It did not go well; as Variety reported at the time, the film — in which she played a shape-shifting extraterrestrial preying on unsuspecting Glasgow men — was met with tepid applause and “a smattering of boos” from the audience.
In a new interview with The Guardian, festival director Alberto Barbera reveals that Johansson took the booing far more personally than she may have let on.
Read More: Scarlett Johansson Responds To Being Highest-Grossing Actor In Hollywood History
“It was one of the worst screenings I’ve attended; it was the only time the audience booed a film,” he recalled.
“Scarlett was almost in tears,” he added. “I tried to say to her: ‘Don’t worry, in time the film will be recognized.’ And that’s exactly what happened. It’s now a cult movie.
It did not go well; as Variety reported at the time, the film — in which she played a shape-shifting extraterrestrial preying on unsuspecting Glasgow men — was met with tepid applause and “a smattering of boos” from the audience.
In a new interview with The Guardian, festival director Alberto Barbera reveals that Johansson took the booing far more personally than she may have let on.
Read More: Scarlett Johansson Responds To Being Highest-Grossing Actor In Hollywood History
“It was one of the worst screenings I’ve attended; it was the only time the audience booed a film,” he recalled.
“Scarlett was almost in tears,” he added. “I tried to say to her: ‘Don’t worry, in time the film will be recognized.’ And that’s exactly what happened. It’s now a cult movie.
- 8/29/2023
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
The 80th Venice Film Festival kicks off Wednesday with a robust roster of awards season hopefuls making their bows, such as Michael Mann’s “Ferrari,” Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro,” Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla” and David Fincher’s “The Killer,” accompanied by a smattering of stars.
As previously reported by Variety, the festival has confirmed that Adam Driver will be in Venice to promote “Ferrari” while Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi, who play Priscilla and Elvis Presley in “Priscilla,” as well as Priscilla Presley herself, are also expected to be on the Lido. Jessica Chastain is expected to jet in for Mexican auteur Michel Franco’s “Memory,” which is screening toward the end of the fest.
Although Cooper is not coming to Venice, his Netflix drama about Leonard Bernstein will be promoted by the maestro’s progeny, Jamie and Alexander Bernstein and Nina Bernstein Simmons.
All told, there will be enough actors,...
As previously reported by Variety, the festival has confirmed that Adam Driver will be in Venice to promote “Ferrari” while Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi, who play Priscilla and Elvis Presley in “Priscilla,” as well as Priscilla Presley herself, are also expected to be on the Lido. Jessica Chastain is expected to jet in for Mexican auteur Michel Franco’s “Memory,” which is screening toward the end of the fest.
Although Cooper is not coming to Venice, his Netflix drama about Leonard Bernstein will be promoted by the maestro’s progeny, Jamie and Alexander Bernstein and Nina Bernstein Simmons.
All told, there will be enough actors,...
- 8/29/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Scarlett Johansson couldn’t keep her tears under wraps after the “Under the Skin” premiere.
Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbera told The Guardian that upon the Jonathan Glazer-helmed film premiering at the 2013 festival, lead actress Johansson almost cried.
“It was one of the worst screenings I’ve attended; it was the only time the audience booed a film,” Barbera said. “Scarlett was almost in tears. I tried to say to her, ‘Don’t worry, in time the film will be recognized.’ And that’s exactly what happened. It’s now a cult movie.”
Actress Johansson told The Guardian in 2014 that she felt “super-exposed” at the first screening of “Under the Skin.”
“At the end, when the lights came up… there was this sound of people cheering and booing at the same time, but with equal gusto. I didn’t know how to react to it,” she said. “I think I was just…...
Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbera told The Guardian that upon the Jonathan Glazer-helmed film premiering at the 2013 festival, lead actress Johansson almost cried.
“It was one of the worst screenings I’ve attended; it was the only time the audience booed a film,” Barbera said. “Scarlett was almost in tears. I tried to say to her, ‘Don’t worry, in time the film will be recognized.’ And that’s exactly what happened. It’s now a cult movie.”
Actress Johansson told The Guardian in 2014 that she felt “super-exposed” at the first screening of “Under the Skin.”
“At the end, when the lights came up… there was this sound of people cheering and booing at the same time, but with equal gusto. I didn’t know how to react to it,” she said. “I think I was just…...
- 8/29/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Venice parallel section Giornate degli Autori (GdA), running alongside the main festival from August 30 to September 9, celebrates its 20th edition this year.
Partly modeled on Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, GdA (which is still often referred to by its initial name of Venice Days in English) was launched in 2004 as an alternative space for independent filmmakers to the star-studded, red-carpet focus of the main festival.
The compact 12-title inaugural edition featured Hubert Sauper’s feature-doc Darwin’s Nightmare, which was later nominated for an Oscar; This Is England director-writer Shaun Meadows’ fifth feature Dead Man’s Shoes and John Lvoff’s drama Now And Then, featuring Julie Depardieu in her first starring role.
Over the past 19 years, the event has expanded to include also special screenings, tributes and talks.
This year’s 10-title Competition line-up includes quirky Canadian teen vampire tale Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person; Moroccan road movie Backstage, Spanish adoption drama Foremost By Night,...
Partly modeled on Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, GdA (which is still often referred to by its initial name of Venice Days in English) was launched in 2004 as an alternative space for independent filmmakers to the star-studded, red-carpet focus of the main festival.
The compact 12-title inaugural edition featured Hubert Sauper’s feature-doc Darwin’s Nightmare, which was later nominated for an Oscar; This Is England director-writer Shaun Meadows’ fifth feature Dead Man’s Shoes and John Lvoff’s drama Now And Then, featuring Julie Depardieu in her first starring role.
Over the past 19 years, the event has expanded to include also special screenings, tributes and talks.
This year’s 10-title Competition line-up includes quirky Canadian teen vampire tale Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person; Moroccan road movie Backstage, Spanish adoption drama Foremost By Night,...
- 8/29/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
David Fincher reunites with his Seven screenwriter, Andrew Kevin Walker, for their new Netflix film, The Killer. The film stars Michael Fassbender, Arliss Howard, Charles Parnell, Kerry O’Malley, Sala Baker, Sophie Charlotte, and Tilda Swinton. There has not been much revealed about the project, and the only bit of footage seen thus far has been part of the compilation trailer that announces the big movie releases that Netflix will be putting out this year.
MovieWeb reports that the official one-sheet for The Killer has now been revealed. A Twitter account that follows the works of David Fincher with the handle @FincherAnalyst has tweeted out the first look at the poster as well as announcing the film being in contention at the Venice Film Festival on September 3. The Fincher Analyst posted the picture with the caption, “We Have the Exclusive First Look at the Teaser Poster for The Killer! World Premiere...
MovieWeb reports that the official one-sheet for The Killer has now been revealed. A Twitter account that follows the works of David Fincher with the handle @FincherAnalyst has tweeted out the first look at the poster as well as announcing the film being in contention at the Venice Film Festival on September 3. The Fincher Analyst posted the picture with the caption, “We Have the Exclusive First Look at the Teaser Poster for The Killer! World Premiere...
- 8/28/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Bradley Cooper is having his “dream come true” at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, despite not attending due to the ongoing strikes.
Cooper’s sophomore directorial effort “Maestro” will premiere at this year’s festival; however, lead actor, director, co-writer, and producer Cooper will not be in attendance in solidarity with the actors’ and writers’ strikes.
Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbera told The Guardian that Cooper “desperately” wanted “Maestro” to have its world premiere at the festival, where Cooper’s directorial debut “A Star Is Born” first debuted.
“So far the only filmmaker who definitely won’t be in Venice is Bradley Cooper, because he’s also the leading actor,” Barbera said. “He called me and said he desperately wanted the film to be in Venice, that it was his dream come true, but he doesn’t want to come against the strike. I understand, of course.”
To note, actors Adam Driver,...
Cooper’s sophomore directorial effort “Maestro” will premiere at this year’s festival; however, lead actor, director, co-writer, and producer Cooper will not be in attendance in solidarity with the actors’ and writers’ strikes.
Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbera told The Guardian that Cooper “desperately” wanted “Maestro” to have its world premiere at the festival, where Cooper’s directorial debut “A Star Is Born” first debuted.
“So far the only filmmaker who definitely won’t be in Venice is Bradley Cooper, because he’s also the leading actor,” Barbera said. “He called me and said he desperately wanted the film to be in Venice, that it was his dream come true, but he doesn’t want to come against the strike. I understand, of course.”
To note, actors Adam Driver,...
- 8/28/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.