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Toronto-based sales agent Syndicado Film Sales has acquired international rights to German director Caroline von der Tann’s Naples-set doc “The Gospel According to Ciretta” ahead of its world premiere at the Thessaloniki Intl. Documentary Film Festival.

In “The Gospel According to Ciretta,” the titular character, Ciretta, is a young petty crook and occasional male prostitute who is deeply religious and cocooned in a fantasy world of adoration for a beloved statue of the Madonna. “Blessed with an extraordinary voice and performing talent, Ciretta decides to organize a big procession for his beloved Madonna and starts raising money by singing and performing on the streets and selling lighters,” the doc’s provided synopsis reads. But devastating news arrives. His makeshift home in a temporarily closed down theater in the historic center of Naples has been sold, and its new owner wants to turn it into yet another bed and breakfast...

Two movies whose directors are likely to draw protests, Woody Allen’s French-language “Coup de Chance” and Roman Polanski’s “The Palace,” will make their world premieres at the 2023 Venice International Film Festival, Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera and La Biennale di Venezia president Roberto Cicutto announced at a Tuesday morning press conference.

Both films will screen out of competition, though they’ll likely draw an inordinate amount of attention at a festival that has assembled a robust lineup of major filmmakers even as it struggles with the effects of the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.

Films booked for the Venice main competition include Bradley Cooper’s Leonard Bernstein biopic “Maestro”; Yorgos Lanthimos’ sci-fi drama “Poor Things”; Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla Presley film “Priscilla”; Michael Mann’s auto-racing film “Ferrari”; Ava DuVernay’s “Origin,” with Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Niecy Nash-Betts and Vera Farmiga; and David Fincher’s “The Killer,” with Michael Fassbender.

On the heels of yesterday’s TIFF announcement, the first major fall festival of the season––Venice International Film Festival––is unveiling its lineup. Taking place August 30-September 9, the competition jury this year is chaired by Damien Chazelle.

Highlights include new films from David Fincher, Michael Mann, Wes Anderson, Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Sofia Coppola, Bradley Cooper, Bertrand Bonello, Frederick Wiseman, Roman Polanski, William Friedkin, Ava DuVernay, Harmony Korine, Richard Linklater, Woody Allen, and more.

Competition

Adagio; dir. Stefano Sollima

The Beast; dir. Bertrand Bonello

Io Capitano; dir. Matteo Garrone

Comandante; dir. Edoardo de Angelis

El Conde; dir. Pablo Larraín

Die Theorie von Allem; dir. Timm Kröger

Dogman; dir. Luc Besson

Enea; dir. Pietro Castellitto

Evil Does Not Exist; dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Ferrari; dir. Michael Mann

Finalmente L’Alba; dir. Saverio Costanzo

Green Border; dir. Agnieszka Holland

Holly; dir. Fien Troch

Hors-Saison; dir. Stéphane Brizé

The Killer; dir. David Fincher

Lubo; dir. Giorgio Diritti

The Promised Land; dir.

Includes films from David Fincher, Sofia Coppola, Ava DuVernay, Yorgos Lanthimos, Bradley Cooper and Ryusuke Hamaguchi.

Venice Film Festival announced the programme for its 80th edition, including a 23-strong Competition with new films from David Fincher, Sofia Coppola, Ava DuVernay, Yorgos Lanthimos, Bradley Cooper and Ryusuke Hamaguchi.

Scroll down for full line-up

The selection was announced by festival president Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera. The SAG-AFTRA strike in the US has had a “quite modest” impact on the selection according to Barbera, who was forced to pull Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers as the opening film over the weekend due to the strike.

This year’s selection will be announced at 11:00 Cest (10:00 BST) by Roberto Cicutto and Alberto Barbera.

The line-up for the 80th Venice International Film Festival (August 30-September 9) will be revealed this morning at 11:00 Cest (10:00 BST) by festival president Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera

The press conference will be live-streamed below, and this page will be updated with the films as they are announced.

Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers was originally set to open the festival but was pulled by MGM amid the actors’ strike. It was replaced by Edoardo De Angelis’ Comandante.

The closing film...

Do Not Expect Too Much Of The End Of The World (Radu Jude).The lineup for the 76th edition of the festival has been announced, including new films by Eduardo Williams, Leonor Teles, Lav Diaz, Radu Jude, and others.Concorso INTERNAZIONALEAnimal (Sofia Exarchou)Critical Zone (Ali Ahmadzadeh)Essential Truths of the Lake (Lav Diaz)Home (Leonor Teles)The Human Surge 3 (Eduardo Williams)The Invisible Fight (Rainer Sarnet)Do Not Expect Too Much Of The End Of The World (Radu Jude)Lousy Carter (Bob Byington)Manga D’Terra (Basil Da Cunha)Nuit Obscure – Au Revoir Ici, N’Importe Où (Sylvain George)Patagonia (Simone Bozzelli)The Permanent Picture (Laura Ferrés)Rossosperanza (Annarita Zambrano)Stepne (Maryna Vroda)Sweet Dreams (Ena Sendijarević)The Vanishing Soldier (Dani Rosenberg)Yannick (Quentin Dupieux)Excursion (Una Gunjak).Concorso Cineasti Del PRESENTECamping du Lac (Eléonore Saintagnan)Ein Schöner Ort (Katharina Huber)Excursion (Una Gunjak)Family Portrait (Lucy Kerr)Dreaming...

Winners repeatedly called for the release of Jafar Panahi and his colleagues.

Emotions ran high at the closing night of the Venice Film Festival, where the Golden Lion was awarded to Laura Poitras’ All The Beauty And The Bloodshed, only the second documentary to win in the festival’s 90-year history, but the third consecutive film directed by a woman to win the top prize, following Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland in 2020 and Audrey Diwan’s Happening in 2021.

There was also an outpouring of solidarity for Iranian director Jafar Panahi whose No Bears was awarded the special jury prize while he is custody in Iran,...

by Nathaniel R

Cate Blanchett, Director Laura Poitras, and Colin Farrell all took home prizes

While The Whale and Don't Worry Darling hogged a lot of the press here in America, they weren't favourites of this year's Venice jury, both going home empty-handed. Julianne Moore presided over this year's jury which included Mariano Cohn, Leonardo Di Costanzo, Audrey Diwan (the Golden Lion winner last year -- our interview!), Leila Hatami, Kazuo Ishiguro and Rodrigo Sorogoyen. They gave the top prize to a buzzy documentary about Nan Goldin, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed. Though they didn't win the top prize both Martin McDonagh's The Banshees of Inisherin and Luca Guadagnino's Bones and All took home two prizes each...

All The Beauty And The Bloodshed In Competition(Jury: Julianne Moore, Mariano Cohn, Leonardo di Costanzo, Audrey Diwan, Leila Hatami, Kazuo Ishiguro, Rodrigo Sorogoyen)Golden Lion – All The Beauty And The Bloodshed (Laura Poitras)Silver Lion (Grand Jury Prize) – Saint Omer (Alice Diop)Silver Lion (Best Director) – Luca Guadagnino (Bones & All)Coppa Volpi for Best Actress – Cate Blanchett (Tár)Coppa Volpi for Best Actor – Colin Farrell (The Banshees Of Inisherin)Best Screenplay – Martin McDonagh (The Banshees Of Inisherin)Special Jury Prize – No Bears (Jafar Panahi)Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor or Actress – Taylor Russell (Bones & All)Orizzonti(Jury: Isabel Coixet, Laura Bispuri, Antonio Campos, Sofia Djama, Edourad Waintrop)Orizzonti Award for Best Film – World War III (Houman Seyedi)Orizzonti Award for Best Director – Vera (Tizza Covi, Rainer Frimmel)Special Orizzonti Jury Prize – Bread And Salt (Damian Kocur)Orizzonti Award for Best Actress – Vera Gemma (Vera)Orizzonti Award for...

The 2022 Venice Film Festival has awarded Laura Poitras’ “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” the Golden Lion for Best Film, with Colin Farrell and Cate Blanchett landing the Coppa Volpi for Best Actor and Best Actress.

The Silver Lion for Best Director went to Luca Guadagnino for “Bones and All.” The cannibal love story also saw co-star Taylor Russell win the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress.

In addition to Farrell, “The Banshees of Inisherin” won the award for Best Screenplay for writer-director Martin McDonagh. The film, which follows an abrupt fallout between two best friends (“In Bruges” co-stars Farrell and Brendan Gleeson), received a 13-minute standing ovation at its Tuesday premiere. Meanwhile, Blanchett won her second Volpi Cup (following her performance as Bob Dylan in 2007’s “I’m Not There”) for playing the world-renowned composer at the center of Todd Field’s “Tár.”

Also Read:

Brendan Fraser...

After nearly two weeks of lush red carpets, timed standing ovations, and viral “Don’t Worry Darling” drama, the 79th Venice Film Festival comes to a close on Saturday in the Sala Grande at the Palazzo del Cinema (Lido di Venezia). Julianne Moore chairs the festival’s jury alongside her fellow judges and elite film peers Mariano Cohn, Leonardo di Costanzo, Audrey Diwan, Leila Hatami, Kazuo Ishiguro, and Rodrigo Sorogoyen.

“I feel like so often the discussion around the future of cinema ends up being a discussion that’s more commercial, more business oriented,” Moore said in her opening remarks on August 31. “When we talk about the future of cinema it often degrades into what the future of the business is. That’s not the future of art.”

Established in 1932, Venice is the oldest ongoing cinematic awards celebration and is regarded among the world’s most esteemed international film festivals. 22 titles...

Julianne Moore and Alberto Barbero were among the approximately 100 people who took part.

Artistic director Alberto Barbera, jury members Julianne Moore and Argentinian director Mariano Cohn, and Italian producer and director Leonardo Di Costanzo, were among a flash mob of over 100 people who protested the arrest of Iranian director Jafar Panahi on the red carpet of his film No Bears at the Venice Film Festival Friday today (Friday September 9.)

The group held light blue placards bearing photos of the director, with “Release Jafar Panahi” written on them.

“The message is that we all are on the side of the filmmakers,...

The 2022 Venice Film Festival kicked off August 31 with an already star-studded red carpet. The fall festival launcher runs through September 10. Noah Baumbach’s “White Noise” made its world premiere as the Opening Night selection for the festival, marking the first Netflix film to ever open the annual festival in its 79 years…and meaning that Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, and Jodie Turner-Smith all stunned at the red carpet premiere.

Fellow Netflix feature “Blonde,” helmed by Andrew Dominik and adapted from Joyce Carol Oates’ portrait of late film icon Marilyn Monroe, is among the highly anticipated titles. Ana de Armas will surely remind us that “Some Like It Hot” when it comes to red carpet fashion, alongside co-stars Adrien Brody and Bobby Cannavale. Alejandro González Iñárritu’s first Netflix film and long-awaited return to Mexico, “Bardo,” additionally premieres.

And don’t worry, the “Don’t Worry Darling” cast came out in full swing with Florence Pugh,...

Click here to read the full article.

The 79th Venice Film Festival kicked off Wednesday night with the world premiere of White Noise, Noah Baumbach’s adaptation of Don Delillo’s “unfilmable” 1985 novel and a video cameo by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Starring Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig, and with a cast that includes Don Cheadle, Jodie Turner-Smith, May Nivola, Raffey Cassidy and Sam Nivola — all of whom attended Venice’s red carpet premiere, White Noise is the first Netflix film to open the world’s oldest film festival.

Baumbach’s last feature, Marriage Story, also starring Driver, alongside Scarlett Johansson, premiered in Venice in 2019, launching a successful awards season run for the divorce drama, which ended with six Oscar nominations and one win, a best supporting actress nod for Laura Dern. Netflix will be hoping for a similar reception for White Noise on the Lido this year.

The film...

Venice Competition jury president Julianne Moore was speaking at today’s press conference.

Curation is an essential function of film festivals, according to Venice Competition jury president Julianne Moore.

“Curation matters so much,” said Moore, speaking at the opening press conference for the 2022 festival. “Venice is people gathering this extraordinary work for us all to discover.”

The US actress described her first experience of curation, through her local cinema as a 10-year-old in Juneau, Alaska, where she saw John Cassavetes’ 1971 film Minnie And Moskowitz.

Moore said her reaction was, “What is this? What is this world out there? How do I fit in?...

Venice Film Festival jury president Julianne Moore this afternoon extolled the importance of keeping art top of mind when talking about the future of cinema.

During the event’s opening press conference, the actress, who won the 2002 Volpi Cup here for Far From Heaven, was asked about the age of streaming, and said, “I feel like so often the discussion around the future of cinema ends up being a discussion that’s more commercial, more business oriented. For me, most importantly, it’s what’s being created, what do we continue to make, how are we able to ingest it, observe it, live with it? There will always be different delivery systems.” The world is constantly changing, she added, “but art doesn’t change… People are always finding new ways to tell stories.”

She later reiterated, “It’s so exciting when you see a brand new filmmaker, actor, writer… When...

Julianne Moore, who is presiding over the Venice Film Festival jury, spoke at a press conference on Tuesday morning that kicked off the 79th edition of the movie gathering.

She reminisced about how she first came to Venice as an actress on the American soap opera “As the World Turns” in 1986. “I never, ever in my life though I would be the head of this jury,” Moore said. “And If you had told me that one day I was going to head the jury of the Venice Film Festival I would have fallen into the canal, honestly.”

Asked about the importance of film festivals during a time of change in the movie industry, as streaming threatens theatrical distribution, Moore pointed out that “curation matters so much.”

“It’s people gathering extraordinary works for us all to discover,” Moore said, before revealing a formative film experience she had as a child.

Click here to read the full article.

The art, not the business of film, will be on Julianne Moore’s mind over the next 10 days, as the Oscar-winning actress takes on her latest role as the president of the competition jury for the 79th Venice International Film Festival.

Speaking to the press on Wednesday, the first day of Venice 2022, Moore mused that while most discussions “about the future of cinema” tend to focus on the movie business, “what is more important is what is being created” and the stories being told. “To me, that is what Venice is all about [it’s an] opportunity to see all this incredible work.”

Netflix has a dominant presence in Venice this year, with four films in competition this year, including Wednesday night’s opening film, White Noise from Noah Baumbach. But Moore was not drawn into a debate about whether there was a difference between streaming films and cinema-first movies.

The star studded Variety and Hotel Danieli pre-festival cocktail party on Aug. 30 was a taster of the riches in store at the Venice Film Festival that kicks off the following day.

Head of the jury Julianne Moore and fellow jurors, “A Separation” actor Leila Hatami and filmmakers Audrey Diwan, Mariano Cohn, Leonardo Di Costanzo and Rodrigo Sorogoyen, were present as was “Thor: Love and Thunder” actor Tessa Thompson, who is serving on the festival’s Horizons strand jury.

The evening, titled “Cinema Danieli – An Unforgettable Story,” on the terrace of the plush Hotel Danieli, which turns 200 this year, has become a festival tradition dating back 13 years. It was introduced by Claudio Staderini, director of the Danieli, who described the hotel as a shooting and residential choice of many of the biggest movie stars in the world.

Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera said that the Variety and Danieli pre-festival cocktail as...

Updated, July 27 at 9:53 a.m. Et: The official Xr competition category of the 2022 Venice International Film Festival marks the return of the exhibition for the first time since 2019 to the island Lazzaretto Vecchio. Close to the Lido, Festival goers, industry members, and press will have the opportunity to screen 43 projects from 19 countries within the Xr exhibit.

The Venice Immersive, the new title of the Venice VR Expanded section, intends to acknowledge the growth of immersive media beyond the technologies of Virtual Reality and to include all means of creative expression in Xr – Extended Reality: 360° videos and Xr works of any length, including installations, live performances and virtual worlds. The Venice Immersive section of the 79th Venice International Film Festival will be held in person again this year, with the technical support of Meta and Htc Vive.

Returning Grand Prize winners like Celine Tricart (“Fight Back”) and special projects from...

The 79th annual Venice Film Festival is once again setting the stage for a major awards season launch for some of the year’s most anticipated features.

It was announced Monday that Noah Baumbach’s “White Noise” with Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig will open the fest Aug. 31. Now, the full lineup announced this morning includes new outings from Olivia Wilde (“Don’t Worry Darling”), Alejandro González Iñárritu, Darren Aronofsky (“The Whale”), Luca Guadagnino (“Bones and All”), Martin McDonagh (“The Banshees Of Inisherin”), Todd Field (“TÁR”) and many more.

Also Read:

Noah Baumbach’s Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig Starrer, ‘White Noise,’ to Open Venice Film Festival

The 79th annual La Biennale di Venezia runs from Aug. 31 through Sept. 10. Twenty-one features will play in competition at the festival, including “The Whale,” “White Noise,” and “Bones and All.” Other notable features on the competition slate include the next film from “The Souvenir” director Joanna Hogg,...

Includes films by Alejandro G. Inarritu, Joanna Hogg, Olivia Wilde, Darren Aronofsky, Andrew Dominik, Luca Guadagnino and Florian Zeller.

The line-up of the 79th Venice Film Festival (August 31-September 10) has been announced by festival president Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera.

Scroll down for full line-up

The heavyweight competition line-up includes films by Alejandro G. Inarritu, Joanna Hogg, Susanna Nicchiarelli, Darren Aronofsky, Andrew Dominik, Luca Guadagnino, Martin McDonagh and Florian Zeller. As with last year, five female directors were selected in the main competition. Olivia Wilde’s Don’t Worry Darling is playing out of competition.

As previously announced, Noah Baumbach...

The line-up will be unveiled this morning at around 11:00 Cest (10:00 BST).

The line-up for the 79th Venice International Film Festival (August 31-September 10) will be unveiled this morning at around 11:00 Cest (10:00 BST) by festival president Roberto Cicutto and artistic director Alberto Barbera.

Scroll down for line-up

The press conference will be live-streamed below, and this page will be updated with the films as they are announced.

As previously announced, Noah Baumbach’s White Noise will open the festival in competition.

Julianne Moore will preside over the competition jury that also includes Audrey Diwan, Leonardo Di Costanzo, Mariano Cohn,...

Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSJafar Panahi.Having been detained last week for protesting the arrest of fellow Iranian filmmakers Mohammad Rasoulof and Mostafa Aleahmad, Jafar Panahi has now been ordered to serve six years in prison. Ahead of this development Eric Kohn reported on the broader situation in Indiewire. “Maybe they will come for all of us one by one,” says one anonymous filmmaker who is quoted in the article.Martine Marignac, a producer of vital films by Jacques Rivette, Chantal Akerman, Leos Carax, Jeanne Balibar, Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet, and others, has died aged 75.The juries have been announced for the 79th edition of the Venice Film Festival. Julianne Moore will head up the main jury, supported by filmmakers Audrey Diwan, Leonardo di Costanzo, Rodrigo Sorogoyen, and Mariano Cohn, plus actor Leila Hatami and author Kazuo Ishiguro.

Julianne Moore will head up the International Jury of Competition this year at the 79th Venice International Film Festival.

Moore was put up for consideration by the festival’s director, Alberto Barbera, and will be joined by six other names in film. Also on the jury will be Argentinian director, screenwriter and producer Mariano Cohn; Leonardo Di Costanzo, a director and screenwriter from Italy; Audrey Diwan, a French director and last year’s Golden Lion winner; Iranian actress Leila Hatami; Kazuo Ishiguro (Japan-Great Britain) author and screenwriter and Spain’s Rodrigo Sorogoyen, a director, screenwriter and producer.

Also Read:

Julia Roberts to Receive the Academy Museum Gala Icon Award

Led by Moore, the jury will award the Golden Lion for Best Film, as well as the festival’s other awards, including the Silver Lion, the Silver Lion for Best Director, Coppa Volpi for Best Actress, Coppa Volpi for Best Actor,...

Click here to read the full article.

Julianne Moore is set to head up the 2022 Venice International Film Festival jury.

The Oscar-winning actress was revealed as jury president of the 79th edition of the festival Friday, alongside an international assortment of fellow jurors that includes Argentinean director, writer and producer Mariano Cohn, whose last film Official Competition, starring Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas, premiered in Venice last year; Italian filmmaker and 2013 David di Donatello debut director winner Leonardo Di Costanzo; French director Audrey Diwan, whose 2021 film Happening won the Golden Lion in Venice in 2021; Iranian actress and A Separation star Leila Hatami; Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go novelist Kazuo Ishiguro; and Spanish filmmaker Rodrigo Sorogoyen, whose feature The Candidate won seven Goya awards in 2019.

Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera made the announcement.

Moore, who became the first U.S. woman to earn top acting prizes in...

Moore will be joined by director Audrey Diwan, author Kazuo Ishiguro among others.

US actress Julianne Moore will be president of the international jury at the 2022 Venice International Film Festival, which runs from August 31 to September 10 this year.

Moore is heading up a seven-person jury, alongside French filmmaker Audrey Diwan, who won the Golden Lion last year for Happening; Italian filmmaker Leonardo Di Costanzo; and Argentinian filmmaker Mariano Cohn.

Also on the jury are Spanish filmmaker Rodrigo Sorogoyen; Iranian actress Leila Hatami; and Japanese-uk author and screenwriter Kazuo Ishiguro.

The jury is selected by the board of La Biennale di Venezia,...

American actress Julianne Moore has been announced as the international jury president for the main competition of the 79th Venice International Film Festival, running from August 31 to September 10.

She will be joined by Argentine director Mariano Cohn, Italian director Leonardo Di Costanzo, French director and 2021 Golden Lion winner Audrey Diwan, Iranian actress Leila Hatami, Japanese-uk writer Kazuo Ishiguro and Spanish director Rodrigo Sorogoyen.

The jury awards the Golden Lion for Best Film, Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize, Silver Lion for Best Director, Volpi Cups for Best Actress and Best Actor, Special Jury Prize, Award for Best Screenplay and“Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress.

Moore has long ties with Venice having won its Volpi Cup Best Actress Award for her performance in Far From Heaven in 2002 and the Franca Sozzani Award for Suburbicon in 2017.

Cohn was at Venice last year with Official Competition, starring Penélope Cruz,...

Julianne Moore will preside over the main jury of the Venice Film Festival’s upcoming 79th edition.

The Oscar-winning U.S. actor, who most recently starred in A24’s “When You Finish Saving the World,” directed by Jesse Eisenberg, and will next appear in Benjamin Caron-directed “Sharper,” alongside Sebastian Stan and John Lithgow, also from A24, is a longtime Venice regular.

Moore was last on the Lido with George Clooney-directed “Suburbicon” in 2017. She won the Venice Coppa Volpi acting award in 2002 for “Far From Heaven,” directed by Todd Haynes.

Moore, who won an Oscar for “Still Alice,” is the first American woman to be awarded top acting prizes in all of Europe’s top fests. In addition to Venice, the actor was awarded in Berlin for Stephen Daldry’s “The Hours” in 2003, and in Cannes for David Cronenberg’s “Map to the Stars.”

Moore will head a seven-member...

The Hand Of God won four prizes including best film, best director and best supporting actress.

Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand Of God won four prizes at the 67th David di Donatello awards, including best film (the first Netflix title to do so), best director and best supporting actress for Teresa Saponangelo.

The Oscar-nominated coming-of-age drama also shared the cinematography prize with Gabriele Mainetti’s Venice competition title Freaks Out, which won six awards in total, including prizes for the producers, production design, hairdressing, make-up and VFX.

The two films both had the highest number of nominations with 16.

The in-person...

Paolo Sorrentino’s Oscar-nominated autobiographical drama “The Hand of God” took top honors at Italy’s 67th David di Donatello Awards, winning best picture, director, supporting actress and tying for the best cinematography statuette.

Sorrentino’s Naples-set film about the personal tragedy and other vicissitudes that drove him to become a top notch film director had been the frontrunner along with young helmer Gabriele Mainetti’s second feature, the elegant effects-laden historical fantasy “Freaks Out.”

“Freaks Out” won six prizes, including for its producer, Andrea Occhipinti, as well as cinematographer, set design, and effects.

The cinematography prize, which was a tie, was split between “Hand of God” Dp Daria D’Antonio, marking the first time this David goes to a woman, and Michele Attanasio for “Freaks Out.”

The Davids were held as a fully in-person ceremony at Rome’s Cinecittà studios just as the famed facilities undergo a radical renewal being...

As they celebrate being held as a physical event, Italy’s upcoming 67th David di Donatello Awards epitomize the ongoing shift in generations and genres that is underway in Cinema Italiano.

Leading the pack this year are seasoned auteur Paolo Sorrentino’s most personal film “The Hand of God” and young helmer Gabriele Mainetti’s second feature, the elegant effects-laden historical fantasy “Freaks Out,” which is set in 1943 Rome and involves four “freaks” working in a circus when the Eternal City is bombed by Allied Forces. Both pics scored 16 nominations each.

Close behind are Mario Martone’s classic biopic “The King of Laughter,” about popular early 20th-century Neapolitan actor and playwright Eduardo Scarpetta, with 14 noms. Then come Leonardo Di Costanzo’s subtle prison drama “Ariaferma” and “Diabolik,” an adaptation of a comic book about a charming master thief, directed by Marco and Antonio Manetti, both with 11 noms a piece.

“We...

Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Hand of God” and Gabriele Mainetti’s “Freaks Out” lead the pack at the David di Donatello Awards this year with 16 nominations each.

Here’s the complete list of nominees:

Picture

“Ariaferma” (The Inner Cage), Leonardo Di Costanzo

“The Hand of God,” Paolo Sorrentino

“Ennio,” Giuseppe Tornatore

“Freaks Out,” Gabriele Mainetti

“Qui Rido Io” (The King of Laughter), Mario Martone

Director

“Ariaferma” (The Inner Cage), Leonardo Di Costanzo

“The Hand of God,” Paolo Sorrentino

“Ennio,” Giuseppe Tornatore

“Freaks Out,” Gabriele Mainetti

“Qui Rido Io” (The King of Laughter), Mario Martone

Debut Director

“The Bad Poet,” Gianluca Jodice

“Maternal,” Maura Delpero

“Small Body,” Laura Samani

“Re Granchio” (The Legend of King Crab), Alessio Rigo De Righi, Matteo Zoppis

“Una Femmina” (The Code of Silence), Francesco Constabile

Producer

“A Chiara,” Jon Coplon, Paolo Carpignano, Ryan Zacarias, Jonas Carpignano (Stayblack Productions) — Rai Cinema

“Ariaferma” (The Inner Cage), Carlo Cresto...

For its upcoming 26th edition the Capri Hollywood Intl. Film Festival, dedicated to launching Oscar hopefuls and establishing a creative and business bridgehead between Hollywood and Italy’s film and showbiz communities, is countering the Omicron variant by expanding its venues beyond the “blue island” off the coast of Naples.

For sanitary safety reasons, the small picturesque town of Sorrento, overlooking the bay of Naples, will become the main hub where guests, most of whom this year will be flying from Europe for the Dec. 26-Jan. 2 shindig, will congregate.

Expected international attendees include directors Michael Radford and Terry Gilliam, who are fest regulars, coming from the U.K. Also from the Blighty, actor Sadie Frost making the trek to promote British director Kirsty Bell’s Covid-19 debut feature lockdown drama “A Bird Flew In,” having its international premiere. Bell will be receiving the fest’s European Breakout Director of the Year award.

Festival

The Italian Cultural Institute in London, La Biennale di Venezia and Curzon have teamed for ‘From Venice to London,’ a season where seven films from Venezia 78 will be shown at Curzon cinemas across London from Nov. 18-22.

“The Lost Daughter,” directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal will open the season and “The Hand of God,” directed by Paolo Sorrentino, will close it. The other selections include “Qui rido io,” directed by Mario Martone; “La santa piccola, directed by Silvia Brunelli, “La ragazza ha volato, directed by Wilma Labate,” “Il buco,” directed by Michelangelo Frammartino; and “Ariaferma,” directed by Leonardo Di Costanzo.

President of the Venice Biennale Roberto Cicutto said: “This year the selection has been praised for its exceptional artistic quality. We are sure the London audience will appreciate its high calibre.”

Katia Pizzi, director of the Italian Cultural Institute in London, added: “It’s my special pleasure to welcome to...

The Venice Film Festival, the Italian Cultural Institute in London, and exhibitor Curzon are tying up on London screening series From Venice To London (18 – 22 November).

Seven films from Venezia 78 have been chosen to be shown in London with appearances by filmmakers and cast.

The Lost Daughter, directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, will be the opening night film on the 18 November and The Hand of God, directed by Paolo Sorrentino, will be closing the series on 22 November.

The seven films that have been handpicked are the following:

The Lost Daughter – Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal

The Hand of God – Directed by Paolo Sorrentino

Qui Rido Io – Directed by Mario Martone

La Santa Piccola – Directed by Silvia Brunelli

La Ragazza Ha Volato – Directed by Wilma Labate

Il Buco – Directed by Michelangelo Frammartino

Ariaferma – Directed by Leonardo Di Costanzo

President of The Venice Biennale Roberto Cicutto said: “We are delighted to partner with the Italian...

Films set for release on the first weekend at full capacity include Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel and Andy Serkis’ Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

Italian cinemas will be permitted to open at full capacity from Monday, October 11 following a new government ruling.

The new rules, which also apply to theatres, museums and concert halls, will require proof of vaccination and mask-wearing from attendees and apply to all regions labelled as white – which signifies that Covid is under control. Currently all regions in Italy are white, with none labelled yellow (at risk) or red (full lockdown required), although this will be reviewed on Monday.

Swiss productions and co-productions are on the rise, driven in part by federal and regional funders that offer attractive opportunities for domestic and international filmmakers.

Quickly recovering from the impact of the pandemic, the local film industry has gotten off to another strong year with local films and international co-productions.

Elie Grappe’s Swiss-Ukrainian-French title “Olga” premiered at this year’s Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes, while unspooling in Locarno were Lorenz Merz’s “Soul of a Beast” and Swiss-international co-productions like Stefan Jäger’s “Monte Verita” and Laurent Geslin’s nature documentary “Lynx.” Venice saw such Swiss co-productions as “Ariaferma,” by Italian helmer Leonardo Di Costanzo, and Bolivian director Kiro Russo’s “El Gran Movimiento.” And opening this year’s Zurich Film Festival (Zff) was Michael Steiner’s Swiss-German Taliban thriller “And Tomorrow We Will Be Dead.”

The upswing in Swiss cinema is due in no small part to Zurich as a film location,...

Prominent Italian thesps Toni Servillo (“The Great Beauty”) and Silvio Orlando, who plays Cardinal Voiello in “The Young Pope,” had never had a chance to share the screen before director Leonardo Di Costanzo cast them – respectively as a prison guard captain and an incarcerated Mafia boss – in his prison drama “The Inner Cage.”

This naturalistic film is shot in an ancient rural prison on the island of Sardinia with real ex convicts and former correctional officers also in the cast. The plot turns on growing tensions between the guards and inmates and the dynamics of finding a way to coexist when the facility is due to be shut down and thus partly evacuated, then left in an administrative limbo. This forces a skeleton staff to remain and guard a dozen prisoners who can’t be moved elsewhere yet. In this predicament they find a way to make their mutual captivity more bearable.

A tender, if rather sober, prison drama backed by a strong ensemble cast, The Inner Cage (Ariaferma) represents a modest step up for Italian filmmaker Leonardo Di Costanzo after his last feature, The Intruder, which played in the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes.

Starring Toni Servillo (The Great Beauty) as a kindhearted, no-nonsense guard presiding over a dozen inmates left behind in a remote correctional facility on the verge of shutting down, the movie has all the ingredients for a cutthroat escape thriller, with plenty of occasions for the prisoners to make their big break. Instead, Di Costanzo’s third feature veers in a ...

A tender, if rather sober, prison drama backed by a strong ensemble cast, The Inner Cage (Ariaferma) represents a modest step up for Italian filmmaker Leonardo Di Costanzo after his last feature, The Intruder, which played in the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes.

Starring Toni Servillo (The Great Beauty) as a kindhearted, no-nonsense guard presiding over a dozen inmates left behind in a remote correctional facility on the verge of shutting down, the movie has all the ingredients for a cutthroat escape thriller, with plenty of occasions for the prisoners to make their big break. Instead, Di Costanzo’s third feature veers in a ...

Guards and Monsters: Costanzo Finds Humanity in Balanced Ratios

Utilizing the novel opportunity of how power wanes in the crumbling of an institution’s viability, Italian director and documentarian Leonardo di Costanzo presents a quiet microcosm in his third narrative feature, Ariaferma (The Inner Cage). Headlined by the sterling Toni Servillo as a gruffly benevolent captain of the guard, it’s a familiar if sometimes interesting presentation of the waning necessity of rigid sanctions hobbled by sloppy bureaucracy.

Although it also highlights how the proper care of inmates demands a well-balanced ratio of prisoners vs. guards, Costanzo leans heavily into forced connections to conjure emotional depths the narrative never authentically earns.…...

The country’s box office is still sputtering but Italian cinema is instead “in a state of grace,” as Venice chief Alberto Barbera put it recently as he announced the five features from Italy that are competing for the fest’s Golden Lion. It’s the most he’s ever selected from Italy.

And Barbera is adamant that he didn’t allocate almost one-fourth of Venice’s 21 competition slots to Cinema Italiano “to support our colors at a difficult time.”

“Some years he selects very little from Italy,” notes Barbara Salabè, who is the top Warner Bros. exec in Italy. “But this year Alberto told me: ‘the [Italian] films are good.’”

The Italian contingent on the Lido spans a wide range of cinematic styles, from “Il Buco,” an eclectic film with no dialogue or music about a group of speleologists who, in 1961, discover the world’s second-deepest cave — directed by underground helmer Michelangelo Frammartino,...

The Venice Film Festival and Italy’s Mymovies streaming platform have devised what the streamer’s chief Gianluca Guzzo calls “a unique model.”

It’s an SVOD service called Biennale Cinema Channel that offers Italians Lido titles from past editions that never made it into local theaters and in September will also provide them with a selection of world premieres launching from Venice’s upcoming 78th edition.

It all started with Alberto Barbera’s second mandate at Venice 10 years ago, says Guzzo. Barbera wanted to give more visibility to films screening in the Horizons section dedicated to more cutting edge pics, and subsequently also to Biennale College titles, the micro budget works that Venice shepherds from development to distribution.

So Mymovies created a virtual screening room during the Venice fest with access limited to 2,500 spectators that recreated the collective cinema experience one gets in movie theaters.

Subsequently Guzzo and his...

The programme for the 2021 Venice Film Festival has been unveiled, and includes new films from Pedro Almodóvar, Jane Campion, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michelangelo Frammartino, Pablo Larraín, Paul Schrader, Ridley Scott, and more.Parallel MothersCOMPETITIONParallel Mothers (Pedro Almodóvar)Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon (Ana Lily Amirpour)Un Autre Monde (Stephane Brize)The Power of the Dog (Jane Campion)America LatinaL’Evenement (Audrey Diwan)Official CompetitionThe Hole (Michelangelo Frammartino)Sundown (Michel Franco)Lost Illusions (Xavier Giannoli)The Lost Daughter (Maggie Gyllenhaal)Spencer (Pablo Larrain)Freaks Out (Gabriele Mainetti)Qui Rido Io (Mario Martone)On The Job: The Missing 8 (Erik Matti)Leave No Traces (Jan P. Matuszyński)Captain Volkonogov EscapedThe Card Counter (Paul Schrader)The Hand of God (Paolo Sorrentino)Reflection (Valentyn Vasyanovych)The Box (Lorenzo Vigas)Out Of COMPETITIONFeaturesDune (Denis Villeneuve)Il Bambino Nascosto (Roberto Andò)Les Choses Humaines (Yvan Attal)Ariaferma (Leonardo Di Costanzo)Halloween Kills (David Gordon Green...

“The 78th Venice International Film Festival is organized by La Biennale di Venezia and directed by Alberto Barbera. It will take place at Venice Lido from 1 – 11 September 2021. The Festival is officially recognised by the Fiapf (International Federation of Film Producers Association). The aim of the Festival is to raise awareness and promote international cinema in all its forms as art, entertainment and as an industry, in a spirit of freedom and dialogue. The Festival also organises retrospectives and tributes to major figures as a contribution towards a better understanding of the history of cinema.” Venezia 2021 – Competition Madres Paralelas, dir: Pedro Almodovar Mona Lisa And The Blood Moon, dir: Ana Lily Amirpour Un Autre Monde, dir: Stéphane Brizé The Power Of The Dog, dir: Jane Campion America Latina, dir: Damiano D’Innocenzo, Fabio D’Innocenzo L’Evénement, dir: Audrey Diwan Competencia Oficial, dirs: Gaston Duprat, Mariano Cohn Il Buco, dir: Michelangelo Frammartino Sundown,...

Taking place September 1 through 11, the Venice Film Festival has now unveiled its lineup, after a few teases of what it contains (the opening night selection of Madres Paralelas by Pedro Almodovar and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune). Among the selections are Jane Campion’s The Power of a Dog, Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter, Pablo Larrain’s Spencer, Ana Lily Amirpour’s Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon.

Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut The Lost Daughter, Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel, Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand of God, and Edgar Wright’s The Last Night in Soho will premiere there, along with new shorts by Radu Jude and Tsai Ming-liang.

Check out the line below for the festival that will feature 50% capacity at screenings.

Venezia 78 – Competition

Madres Paralelas, dir: Pedro Almodovar

Mona Lisa And The Blood Moon, dir: Ana Lily Amirpour

Un Autre Monde, dir: Stéphane Brizé

The Power Of The Dog,...

The 2021 Cannes Film Festival brought the international film circuit back to life in roaring fashion earlier this month (French filmmaker Julia Ducournau became the second woman director to win the Palme d’Or thanks to Neon release “Titane”), and next up are the trio of major fall film festivals in September: the Venice Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, and Toronto International Film Festival. Venice is first out of the gate by launching its 78th edition Wednesday, September 1. The lineup for Venice 2021 has now been revealed.

As previously announced, Pedro Almodóvar will kick off the 2021 Venice Film Festival with the world premiere of his new drama “Parallel Mothers.” The film will debut in competition and vie for the festival’s top prize, the Golden Lion. “Parallel Mothers” is written and directed by Almodóvar, and stars both regular and new collaborators, including Penélope Cruz, Milena Smit, Israel Elejalde, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, Julieta Serrano,...

Updated, with more detail: The Venice Film Festival unveiled the lineup for its 78th edition Monday morning with a notably strong studio presence after last year’s near dearth of Hollywood titles and muted star attendance. Universal (with Blumhouse’s previously announced Halloween Kills and Focus’ Last Night In Soho and The Card Counter), Warner Bros (with Legendary’s also previously confirmed Dune) and Disney (with 20th Century’s The Last Duel) will all be represented in town and each was thanked by Venice chief Alberto Barbera for supporting the event. “There is a strong comeback of the Americans,” he said. Scroll down for a full list of titles announced today.

Also showing up is Netflix, which has a cozy relationship with Venice. On the streamer’s roster are Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand of God and Jane Campion’s The Power Of The Dog, both in competition.

Venice has...

Italy is among the first countries in the world where film and TV production restarted after the peak of the pandemic and the country is now trying to become among the first in Europe to reopen movie theaters.

Culture Minister Dario Franceschini in late February announced tentative plans to reopen Italian cinemas on March 27 in areas with lower Covid-19 infection and death rates, using new stricter social distancing norms. Though it remains to be seen whether Franceschini’s plan will pan out, what’s clear is that “Italy’s trade organizations and the government are engaged in a fruitful dialogue,” says producer Carlo Cresto-Dina, whose Tempesta Film is best-known for regularly shepherding pics by Cannes regular Alice Rohrwacher such as “The Wonders” and “Happy as Lazzaro.”

Cresto Dina points out that “right now in Italy it’s tough to find available crew, since they are all taken,” thanks to the...