Jodie Turner Smith, Heather Graham, Ellie Goulding Dazzle at Venice AmfAR as Italy’s Ferzan Ozpetek is Honored

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Italy on Monday took a sharp turn towards the right as Giorgia Meloni and her Brothers of Italy party, which has neo-fascist roots, emerged as big winners in the country’s national elections. Final results on Monday showed Meloni and her party winning roughly 26% of the vote and the center-right coalition she leads scoring 44% of parliamentary preferences, while Matteo Salvini’s anti-immigrant League won nearly 9% and former prime minister and media mogul Silvio Berlusconi’s Forza Italia took 8%. Meloni’s closest challenger, with some 19.3% of the vote, is the center-left Democratic Party headed by Enrico Letta, who has announced his resignation. Italy’s anti-establishment 5-Star Movement — which had won the vote in Italy’s 2018 parliamentary elections — saw its support halved to some 15% this time around.

Heather Graham is glowing while enjoying an Italian holiday. The actress took to Instagram on Thursday and posted several photos of herself enjoying the breathtaking views of the Amalfi Coast. In one photo, the 52-year-old proudly unveiled her ageless physique while rocking a cream string bikini.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent The 17th annual Rome Film Festival will fete James Ivory with a career honor, a mini retrospective and the Italian launch of the Oscar-winning filmmaker’s personal new documentary “A Cooler Climate.” Ivory is expected in Rome to receive the award and present the doc about his life as a traveler that takes its cue from boxes of film the director shot during a life-changing trip to Afghanistan in 1960. The film premieres beforehand at the New York Film Festival. Rome’s Ivory mini-retrospective will comprise his films “Maurice”; “Mr. and Mrs. Bridge,” starring Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward; “The Remains of the Day”; and “A Room With a View.”

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Italian producer Andrea Iervolino (“Waiting for the Barbarians”) has acquired a controlling stake in central London’s Mercato Metropolitano food market and teamed with British music producer David Tickle’s Tickle Entertainment on a doc series set there about global food culture. Iervolino, whose Iervolino and Lady Bacardi Entertainment (ILBE) company produces feature films including Bobby Moresco’s upcoming “Lamborghini,” is also the founder of innovative digital entertainment platform TaTaTu, a social media platform that uses a form of rewards points called TTU Coins. TaTaTu recently acquired a controlling stake in London’s Mercato Metropolitano from its founder Andrea Rasca who in 2016 established this pioneering community market as a space for social exchange and environmental sustainability. The Mercato is now being used as the location for an upcoming docu-series chronicling the journey of four chefs who sought refuge in the United Kingdom respectively from Syria, Namibia, Nepal, and Uzbekistan.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Gianni Amelio’s “Lord of the Ants,” a biopic of Italian poet and playwright Aldo Braibanti, who was jailed in 1968 due to a Fascist-era anti-gay law, has reached the top spot at Italy’s box office following its launch from the Venice Film Festival. “Ants” on Monday reached the numero uno position at the local box office roster with a €483,474 ($487,000) intake from more than 300 screens following its September 8 release. While far from stellar in normal times, this result is being hailed as an encouraging sign for the country’s still sagging post-pandemic theatrical sector. Amelio’s film is now ahead of Japanese anime pic “Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo,” which was released as an event on Monday for a three day run, and “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” which is at the end of its run, following it’s Aug. 18 Italian outing.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent With “Chiara,” Susanna Nicchiarelli’s portrait of Saint Clare of Assisi – the 13th century saint born into a wealthy family who at age 18 became a nun after hearing St. Francis preach – the Italian director completes her trilogy of female biopics, segueing from “Nico, 1988” and “Miss Marx,” which both launched from Venice’s Horizons section. With “Chiara,” she makes the leap into the main Venice competition. Nicchiarelli spoke to Variety about what drew her to portraying this prototypical feminist and directing “My Brilliant Friend” star Margherita Mazzucco in the pic’s titular role. Excerpts. What drove you to want to tell us this story about St. Clare?Well, first of all, I was always passionate about Saint Francis. I have a very strong memory when I first saw Franco Zeffirelli’s “Brother Sun, Sister Moon.” I was at school when they showed it to us and this boy, this man, taking his clothes off in front of the Bishop. That was a very strong image. Francis’ battle speaks to us just as much today because it’s a battle for poverty, against social injustice. It’s about being on the side of the poor, of those who are different, and the injustices of a society in which very few have everything and then most have nothing. So, this was their battle. The medieval society was like that. It’s not so different from the way it is now.

Sarah Ferguson has shared a moving tribute to the Queen, labelling her "the most incredible mother-in-law and friend" in a moving Instagram post.The Queen died at the age of 96 on Thursday afternoon, with family members including Charles, who now goes by the title of King, Queen Consort Camilla and Princess Anne. Sarah had been in Venice for the film festival and following news of the Queen's turn for the worst, she was seen getting onto a plane at the Italian city's airport. In a statement posted on Instagram late on Thursday night, Sarah shared her devastation at the Queen's death.

Sarah Ferguson was spotted frantically making her way back to the UK at Venice airport just hours before the Queen sadly died at Balmoral. The ex-wife of Prince Andrew had been in Italy for the Venice International Film Festival, but when news of the Queen's ill-health broke, she embarked on a return to the UK. Just hours after Sarah was pictured at the Italian airport, the Duke of York and the Wessexes were pictured arriving at Balmoral in a car being driven by Prince William.They had all flown to Aberdeen airport together on an RAF jet.

Jodie Turner-Smith stepped out in another colorful look for the 2022 amfAR Venice Gala held at Arsenale on Wednesday night (September 7) in Venice, Italy.

Ellie Goulding showed off her incredible figure at the amfAR Gala at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on Wednesday. The singer, 35, was joined by Jodie Turner-Smith who wows in a bold skirt that she teamed with a corset top at the charity event that benefits AIDS research. Ellie's wet-look metallic gown clung perfectly to her gym-honed physique as she flashed a glimpse of her lithe legs through a daring thigh-high split.

Zooey Deschanel leans back for a kiss from boyfriend Jonathan Scott at the premiere of her movie, Dreamin’ Wild, during the 2022 Venice Film Festival on Wednesday night (September 7) in Venice, Italy.

Zooey Deschanel and Casey Affleck are stepping out to support their new movie.