Venice Film Festival Outlines Structure For 77th Edition: Fewer Titles, Section Shifts

Andreas Wiseman International EditorThe 77th Venice Film Festival (September 2 – 12) has revealed all jury members, with Competition jury president Cate Blanchett joined by Austrian director Veronika Franz (Goodnight Mommy), Brit filmmaker Joanna Hogg (The Souvenir), Italian writer Nicola Lagioia, German filmmaker Christian Petzold (Barbara), Romanian director Cristi Puiu (The Death of Mr.

Richard Kuipers “A Life Turned Upside Down: My Dad’s an Alcoholic” casts a damning eye on the pernicious role alcohol plays in the working careers and social lives of Japanese men. Narrated by the innermost thoughts of a daughter during the 25 years she spends watching her father drink himself to death, Kenji Katagari’s second feature cleverly plays like a quirky little TV sitcom about an ordinary middle-class family before moving into darker territory.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorIn a first for an Italian movie in over a decade, Daniele Luchetti’s Lacci has been set to open the Venice Film Festival’s 77th edition on September 2. The drama is based on the novel by Domenico Starnone and stars Alba Rohrwacher, Luigi Lo Cascio, Laura Morante, Silvio Orlando, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Adriano Giannini and Linda Cadri.

Manori Ravindran International EditorThe Venice Film Festival is set to open with Daniele Luchetti’s “Lacci.”The Naples-set film, which will play out of competition, stars Alba Rohrwacher, Luigi Lo Cascio, Laura Morante, Silvio Orlando, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Adriano Giannini and Linda Caridi.“Recently, we have all feared that cinema might become extinct,” said Luchetti. “Yet during the quarantine it gave us comfort, like a light gleaming in a cavern.

Dino-Ray Ramos Associate Editor/ReporterThe online fest will bring the energy and magic of the live fest as it spotlights the best of independent Black cinema, studio premieres, conversations and panels, along with virtual networking events.

Patrick Hipes Executive Managing EditorThe Bentonville Film Festival set the lineup for its sixth edition Tuesday, with the festival co-founded by Geena Davis unveiling its spotlight and competition program of indie feature films, shorts and episodic titles.The fest is set to run August 10-16 in the Arkansas city and is being engineered as a hybrid event because of coronavirus concerns, with digital screenings, panels and events to run alongside some on-the-ground premieres and

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and Media“American Utopia,” a filmed-version of David Byrne’s hit Broadway show, will be the opening night presentation of the 45th Toronto International Film Festival. This edition of the annual Canadian gathering for film lovers is unlike any of the previous 44 iterations.

Andreas Wiseman International EditorFilmmaker Ann Hui and actress Tilda Swinton are each to receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 77th Venice International Film Festival (2 September – 12 September, 2020).The decision was made by the Board of Directors of the Biennale di Venezia upon the recommendation of Venice Film Festival Director, Alberto Barbera.Accepting the award, Swinton said: “This great festival has been dear to my heart for three decades: to be honoured by her in

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentBoth are no strangers to Venice, where Hui’s “The Golden Era” unspooled in 2014. Swinton is a Venice veteran.“This great festival has been dear to my heart for three decades: to be honored by her in this way is extremely humbling,” said Swinton.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentThe Rome Film Festival has announced plans to hold a physical edition from Oct. 15-25, featuring several titles from the Cannes Film Festival’s Official Selection, alongside a roster of other pics including local crowdpleaser “Mi Chiamo Francesco Totti” (“My Name is Francesco Totti”), a doc about the A.S.

Tom Grater International Film ReporterMahmoud Sabbagh, the director of Saudi Arabai’s Red Sea Film Festival, is resigning from his role after being unable to take the reins at the event’s inaugural edition after it was cancelled due to the pandemic.No reason was given for Sabbagh’s decision to step down. The festival posted a statement on its social media channels thanking the exec for his work and noting he will now return to working in the Saudi film industry as a filmmaker.

First Cannes and now Telluride. The Telluride Film Festival informed pass holders that 2020 edition of the festival has been canceled due to concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.

Pete Hammond Awards Columnist/Chief Film CriticAfter many attempts to carry on, the Telluride Film Festival has given into the reality of the Coronavirus pandemic and continuing outbreaks across the nation and today announced it is cancelling the 2020 edition. Here is the official letter sent by the festival:While there will be those who might say they’re not surprised by it, that this was inevitable, we beg to differ. It didn’t have to be this way.

Shalini Dore Features News EditorThe 20th edition of the New York Indian Film Festival will go online, powered by Movie Saints, following in the footsteps of many other fests.Running July 24-Aug. 2, the digital NYIFF will open with the streaming of Geetha J’s Malayalam-language “Run Kalyani,” about a woman who works as a cook while caring for her ailing aunt.

Tom Grater International Film ReporterThe Jerusalem Film Festival (JFF) has shelved plans to host its latest edition August 20-30, and instead will look to hold a winter edition of the event this year, running December 10-20.The Israeli fest had been set to become of the first international film festivals to hold a physical incarnation following the spate of cancellations and postponements this summer prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Also Read: Sundance 2021 to Extend Beyond Utah, Be Held in 20 Cities Nationwide and OnlineAll four festivals take place within a month and a half of one another in the fall, and they’re the first stepping stone on the road to the Oscars, which for 2021 has already delayed its ceremony to late April.Venice is meant to take place Sept. 2-12, Telluride runs from Sept.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentThe Venice, Toronto, Telluride and New York Film Festivals have joined forces in an alliance that will see the prominent fall events, all positioned six weeks from each other, collaborate rather than compete in a spirit of post-pandemic solidarity.The statement announcing this alliance provides scant details of what concrete form it will take, beyond saying that they “are offering our festivals as a united platform for the best cinema we can find.” But

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentThe upcoming Venice Film Festival’s reconfiguration due to coronavirus safety measures has been officially unveiled.Barring complications, Venice, which runs Sept.

Leo Barraclough Senior International CorrespondentThe Czech Republic’s Karlovy Vary Intl. Film Festival, the leading movie event in Central and Eastern Europe, is to hold a special four-day event in the fall, despite its decision to postpone its 55th edition until next year.The special event, running under the banner “Karlovy Vary IFF 54½,” will unspool Nov.