The glamour and magic of cinema are gearing up to arrive in the marvelous lagoon city as the 80th International Venice Film Festival approaches, a globally renowned event that celebrates the world of international cinema in all its forms.
Organized by the prestigious Venice Biennale and under the direction of Alberto Barbera, the festival will take place from August 30th to September 9th, 2023, on the picturesque Lido of Venice.
Officially recognized by the FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Associations), the 80th Venice Festival aims to promote international cinema, treating it as both an art form and a true industry. The festival will not only showcase contemporary works but also pay homage to the past and its prominent figures, contributing to a better understanding of the history of cinema.
This event boasts a high-level competition with 23 new films competing, featuring world-renowned directors such as David Fincher, Sofia Coppola, Ava DuVernay, Yorgos Lanthimos, Bradley Cooper, and Ryusuke Hamaguchi. The selection was unveiled by the festival president, Roberto Cicutto, and artistic director Alberto Barbera. However, due to a strike by industry guilds (SAG-AFTRA) in the United States, Barbera replaced Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers” as the opening film with “Comandante” by Edoardo De Angelis. Meanwhile, the closing film will be “Society Of The Snow,” a Spanish-language film distributed by Netflix and directed by JA Bayona.
The competition will feature prominent directors such as Matteo Garrone, Michael Mann, Pablo Larrain, Stephane Brize, and Lucy Besson. Names like Roman Polanski and Woody Allen have been selected for out-of-competition screenings.
The competition jury will be presided over by the talented Damien Chazelle and will include luminaries such as Jane Campion, Mia Hansen-Løve, Laura Poitras, Martin McDonagh, Saleh Bakri, Gabriele Mainetti, Santiago Mitre, and Shu Qi.
Before announcing all the films in competition, the 80th Venice Film Festival seems poised to deliver an unforgettable experience for all cinema lovers (and non-lovers), reaffirming itself once again as one of the most important cultural events on the international stage.
Film in competition
Comandante (film d’apertura) (It) di Edoardo De Angelis
The Promised Land (Den-Ger-Sw), di Nikolaj Arcel
Dogman (Fr), di Luc Besson
La Bete (Fr-Ger), di Bertrand Bonello
Hors-Saison (Fr), di Stephane Brize
Enea (It), di Pietro Castellitto
Maestro (US), di Bradley Cooper
Priscilla (US-It) di Sofia Coppola
Finally Dawn (It), di Saverio Costanzo
Lubo (It-Switz), di Giorgio Diritti
Origin (US), di Ava DuVernay
The Killer (US), di David Fincher
Memory (Mex-US), di Michel Franco
Io Capitano (It-Bel), di Matteo Garrone
Evil Does Not Exist (Jap), di Ryusuke Hamaguchi
The Green Border (Czech-Pol-Bel), di Agnieszka Holland
Die Theorie Von Allem (Ger-Austria-Switz), di Timm Kroger
Poor Things (UK-Ire-US), di Yorgos Lanthimos
El Conde (Chile), di Pablo Larrain
Ferrari (US), di Michael Mann
Adagio (It), di Stefano Sollima
Woman Of (Pol-Swe), di Malgorzata Szumowska, Michal Englert
Holly (Bel-Neth-Lux-Fr), di Fien Troch
Non in competition (fiction)
Society Of The Snow (closing film) (Sp-Uru-Chil), di JA Bayona
Coup De Chance (Fr-UK), di Woody Allen
The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar (US), di Wes Anderson
The Penitent (It), di Luca Barbareschi
L’Ordine Del Tempo (It-Bel), di Liliana Cavani
Vivants (Fr-Bel), di Alix Delaporte
Welcome To Paradise (Fr), di Leonardo Di Costanzo
Daaaaaali! (Fr), di Quentin Dupieux
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (US), di William Friedkin
Making Of (Fr), di Cedric Kahn
Aggro Dr1ft (US), di Harmony Korine
Hit Man (US), di Richard Linklater
The Palace (It-Switz-Pol-Fr), di Roman Polanski
Snow Leopard (China), di Pema Tseden
Non in competition (non-fiction)
Amor (It-Lith), di Virginia Eleuteri Serpieri
Frente A Guernica (Versione Integrale) (It), di Yervant Gianikian, Angela Ricci Lucchi
Hollywoodgate (US), di Ibhraim Nash’at
Ryuichi Sakamoto | Opus (Jap), di Neo Sora
Enzo Jannacci Vengo Anch’io (It), di Giorgio Verdelli
Menus Plaisirs – Les Troisgros (US), di Frederick Wiseman
Non in competition (serie)
D’Argent Et De Sang (Bos & Her), di Xaviere Giannoli, Frederic Planchon
I Know Your Soul (Eps 1-2) (Fr-Bel), cre. Jasmila Zbanic, Damir Ibrahimovic; di Alen Drljevic, Nermin Hamzagic
Special Screenings
La Parte Del Leone: Una Storia Della Mostra, di Baptiste Etchegaray, Giuseppe Bucchi
‘Orizzonti’
A Cielo Abierto, di Mariana Arriaga, Santiago Arriaga
El Paraiso, di Enrico Maria Artale
Behind The Mountains, di Mohamed Ben Attia
The Red Suitcase, di Fidel Devkota
Tatami, di Guy Nattiv, Zar Amir Ebrahimi
Paradise Is Burning, di Mika Gustafson
The Featherweight, di Robert Kolodny
Invelle, di Simone Massi
Hesitation Wound, di Selman Nacar
Heartless, di Nara Normande, Tiao
Una Sterminata Domenica, di Alain Parroni
City Of Wind, di Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir
Explanation For Everything, di Gabor Reisz
Gasoline Rainbow, di Bill Ross, Turner Ross
En Attendant La Nuit, di Celine Rouzet
Housekeeping For Beginners, di Goran Stolevski
Shadow Of Fire, di Shinya Tsukamoto
Dormitory, di Nehir Tuna
‘Orizzonti Extra’
Bota Jone, di Luana Bajrami
Forever Forever, di Anna Buryachkova
The Rescue, di Daniela Goggi
In The Land Of Saints And Sinners, di Robert Lorenz
Day Of The Fight, di Jack Huston
Felicità, di Micaela Ramazzotti
Pet Shop Boys, di Olmo Schnabel
Stolen, di Karan Tejpal
L’Homme D’Argile, di Anais Tellenne.
Images by Getty Images