Highlights from the 80th Venice International Film Festival's Noteworthy 2023 Edition

 Highlights from the 80th Venice International Film Festival's Noteworthy 2023 Edition

Venice International Film Festival's Noteworthy 2023 Edition(Image-Getty)

The Venice International Film Festival, renowned as the world's oldest film festival, is set to inaugurate its 80th edition this week. An array of intriguing details about the festival and the films vying for recognition in 2023 are presented below.

Festival Timeline:

The festival's curtain rises on August 30 with the premiere of "Comandante," an Italian World War Two film helmed by director Edoardo De Angelis. The event will continue its cinematic celebration until September 9, culminating with the closing screening of "Society of the Snow," a Spanish-language drama presented by Netflix.

Venue:

The Venice Festival unfolds on the Venice Lido, commonly referred to as the "beach of Venice." Situated on a narrow barrier island within the Venetian Lagoon, the Lido is a brief boat ride away from the main city of Venice. Unlike Venice's historic core, the Lido permits vehicular access.

Significance:

This festival serves as a significant marker for the commencement of the awards season and consistently unveils prominent frontrunners for the prestigious Oscars. Remarkably, eight of the last eleven Oscars for best director were bestowed upon films that premiered at Venice. The festival's allure extends to the participation of celebrated movie stars and directors who relish the opportunity to launch their creations in the picturesque lagoon city. However, the sparkle of this year's event will be somewhat diminished by a Hollywood actors' strike, restricting many luminaries from promoting their works at the festival.

Film Selection:

The festival encompasses various categories, including the prestigious competition for the coveted Golden Lion award. Among this year's contenders, 23 films stand out, listed here in the sequence of their screening:

1. "Comandante" (Italy) - Director: Edoardo De Angelis

2. "El Conde" (Chile) - Dir: Pablo Larrain

3. "Dogman" (France) - Dir: Luc Besson

4. "Ferrari" (United States) - Dir: Michael Mann

5. "The Promised Land" (Denmark) - Dir: Nikolaj Arcel

6. "Poor Things" (United Kingdom) - Dir: Yorgos Lanthimos

7. "Finally Dawn" (Italy) - Dir: Saverio Costanzo

8. "Maestro" (United States) - Dir: Bradley Cooper

9. "Adagio" (Italy) - Dir: Stefano Sollima

10. "Die Theorie Von Allem" (Germany-Austria-Switzerland) - Dir: Timm Kroger

11. "The Killer" (United States) - Dir: David Fincher

12. "The Beast" (France-Canada) - Dir: Bertrand Bonello

13. "Evil Does Not Exist" (Japan) - Dir: Ryusuke Hamaguchi

14. "Priscilla" (United States-Italy) - Dir: Sofia Coppola

15. "Green Border" (Czech Republic-Poland-Belgium-France) - Dir: Agnieszka Holland

16. "Enea" (Italy) - Dir: Pietro Castellitto

17. "Origin" (United States) - Dir: Ava DuVernay

18. "Me Captain" (Italy-Belgium) - Dir: Matteo Garrone

19. "Lubo" (Italy-Switzerland) - Dir: Giorgio Diritti

20. "Holly" (Belgium-Netherlands-Luxembourg-France) - Dir: Fien Troch

21. "Woman Of" (Poland-Sweden) - Dir: Malgorzata Szumowska, Michal Englert

22. "Memory" (Mexico-United States) - Dir: Michel Franco

23. "Hors-Saison" (France) - Dir: Stephane Brize

Out-of-Competition Highlights:

In line with other festivals, Venice allocates spots for exceptional films shown out of competition. This year's notable offerings include "The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial" by the late U.S. director William Friedkin, "Coup de Chance," Woody Allen's inaugural French-language film, "The Palace" by Roman Polanski, "The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar," a short feature from Wes Anderson, and "Aggro Dr1ft," directed by Harmony Korine and featuring rapper Travis Scott.