by Lucia Caporalini
Artistic director Alberto Barbera announced on Tuesday, July 22, the films that will be competing for the Golden Lion at this year’s Venice International Film Festival.
The Festival will take place from August 27 to September 6.
‘La Grazia’, by Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino, will open the Festival.
Sorrentino is no stranger to Venice’s fanfare.
In 2021, his semi-autobiographical feature ‘The Hand of God’ won the Grand Jury Prize, an award considered second to the Golden Lion.
American director Alexander Payne will serve as President of this year’s Grand Jury.
A star-studded affair
Indie darlings and Hollywood stars will once again grace the red carpet in Venice’s stunning Lido.
American actress Julia Roberts will appear at the Festival. Roberts is coming to the Lido to present her new movie, Luca Guadagnino’s ‘After The Hunt’.
‘After The Hunt’ follows Roberts in the role of a college professor who is suddenly involved in a sticky situation when one of her colleagues is faced with a serious accusation.
A matter that poses the risk of revealing a dark secret from her past.
The film also stars ‘The Bear’ star Ayo Edebiri and British actor Andrew Garfield, and will screen Out Of Competition.
The occasion will mark Robert’s first appearance at the Venice Film Festival.
“We will be welcoming her with great pleasure,” Barbera said during Tuesday’s press conference.
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American actress Emma Stone will also make an appearance.
Stone will be in Venice with Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos to present their fourth collaboration, ‘Bugonia’.
The pair were last in Venice in 2023, when they presented the quirky fairytale, ‘Poor Things’.
The black comedy ‘Bugonia’ recounts the insane mission that two young men decide to pursue when they convince themselves that the CEO of a major company (Stone) is actually an alien, and they decide to kidnap her.
Horrors and biopics
Mexican director Guillermo Del Toro will also bring to Venice his latest effort, a new adaptation of Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein,’ starring ‘Euphoria’ star Jacob Elordi as well as ‘Dune’ and ‘Star Wars’ actor Oscar Isaac.
‘Frankenstein’ is one of the three Netflix movies that will be part of this year’s competition.
The other two, being Noah Baumbach’s comedy-drama ‘Jay Kelly,’ co-written with wife Greta Gerwig and starring George Clooney.
And Kathryn Bigelow’s ‘A House of Dynamite,’ starring Idris Elba.
Finally, indie production house A24 will contribute ‘The Smashing Machine,’ starring wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
In the film, Johnson plays two-time UFC heavyweight tournament champion, Mark Kerr.
‘The Smashing Machine’ is the latest work of American filmmaker Benny Safdie, starring English actress Emily Blunt in the role of Kerr’s then-wife, Dawn Staples.
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