Venice Film Festival Unveils Star-Studded Lineup, Challenging Cannes’ Dominance
The Venice International Film Festival has announced a compelling lineup for its upcoming edition, set to run from August 27th to September 6th. Artistic director Alberto Barbera revealed a slate packed with acclaimed directors and a constellation of Hollywood and international stars, signaling Venice’s ambition to reclaim its position as a premier launchpad for important cinematic works.Among the highly anticipated films is Noah Baumbach‘s comedy-drama “Jay Kelly,” featuring a stellar cast including George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, and Greta Gerwig.Julian Schnabel’s meta-drama, “In the Hand of Dante,” which delves into the creative origins of “The Divine Comedy,” boasts a cast comprising Al Pacino, Gerard Butler, John Malkovich, and Martin Scorsese, who will portray an elder sage advising Oscar Isaac’s Dante alighieri.
Indie film icon Jim Jarmusch, notably absent from this year’s Cannes Film Festival, will make his Venice debut competing for the Golden Lion with his anthology film “Father Mother Sister Brother.” The ensemble cast includes Adam Driver, Charlotte Rampling, Cate Blanchett, vicky Krieps, and long-time Jarmusch collaborator Tom Waits. Barbera remarked on Jarmusch’s presence, stating, “Cannes had always prevailed. We have him this year.”
While Cannes has recently solidified its reputation for launching commercially triumphant and critically lauded films like Sean Baker’s “Anora,” Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall,” and Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest,” this year’s festival saw fewer obvious crossover contenders. This shift may provide Venice with an prospect to reassert its influence.
Veteran American director Gus Van Sant will present his historical kidnapping drama “Dead Man’s Wire,” while Kathryn Bigelow, director of “The Hurt Locker,” will screen her geopolitical thriller “the House of Dynamite,” starring Idris Elba.
European cinema will also be well-represented. Oscar-winning Hungarian auteur László Nemes returns with “Orphan,” a drama set in the aftermath of the 1956 Soviet-backed revolt. Barbera described it as the director’s “most personal film to date, because it is based on his father’s memories.” French director François Ozon’s black-and-white “L’Etranger,” the third cinematic adaptation of Albert Camus’ novel, will have its competition premiere.
Jude Law is set to portray Vladimir Putin in Olivier Assayas’s “The Wizard of the Kremlin,” a film exploring the Russian president’s ascent through the eyes of his spin doctor, played by Paul Dano. Italy’s contributions include Luca Guadagnino’s London-shot college drama “After the Hunt,” starring Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, and Chloë Sevigny, and Paolo Sorrentino’s “La Grazia,” which was previously announced as the festival’s opening film.
The jury for this year’s festival will be presided over by American director Alexander Payne and will include exiled Iranian filmmaker mohammad Rasoulof, Brazilian actor Fernanda Torres, and Romanian director Cristian Mungiu, among other notable figures.
