The 78th edition of the Venice Film Festival will return with a star-studded run from September 1 to 11. After a low-key event last year, the world’s oldest film festival will premiere some of the year’s most talked-about releases.
The Venice Film Festival will take place at the city’s Venice Lido, and Oscar-winning South Korean director Bong Joon Ho will preside over the festival’s seven-jury panel, which also includes actresses Cynthia Erivo, Sarah Gadon and Virginie Efira, and directors Saverio Costanzo and Alexander Nanau.
Some of the anticipated films that will be showing at The Venice Film Festival are Pablo Larrain’s “Spencer,” starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana; Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune,” starring Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya; Ridley Scott’s “The Last Duel,” starring Adam Driver, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Jodie Comer.
Films debuting at the 78th Venice Film Festival
Spencer
Directed by Pablo Larrain, “Spencer” stars Kirsten Stewart as Princess Diana. The movie recounts that Christmas holiday over at Sandringham estate in which the people’s princess decided to end her marriage with Prince Charles and leave the royal family for good. The film will focus on Princess Diana’s own self-discovery and the strength she found in difficult times.
Dune
Based on the 1965 novel of the same name written by American novelist Frank Herbert, the sci-fi movie stars Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet (“Call Me By Your Name”) and Emmy award-winner Zendaya (“Euphoria”). The movie is set far in the future, in an intergalactic feudal society where powerful noble houses fight for control over resources, armies, and planetary power.
The Last Duel
Set in 14th-century France, the movie tells the story of a woman (Jodie Comer) who claims she has been raped by her husband’s best friend (Adam Driver). Her husband (Matt Damon), avenges his wife’s sexual assault through a battle. The duel between the two men becomes the last legally sanctioned confrontation in France.
Parallel Mothers
Starring Penélope Cruz, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, and Milena Smit, “Parallel Mothers” is about the exploration of motherhood and family dynamics. Two single mothers meet in a hospital room where they are both about to give birth. However, one is middle-aged while the other is an adolescent. The two mothers-to-be eventually form a strong bond with one another as they confront this special journey of motherhood.
The Power of the Dog
Directed by Oscar nominee Jane Campion (“Top of the Lake”), this film features real-life couple Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst in a domestic drama set in 1920s Montana. It centres around two brothers whose relationship is upended by new arrivals on their ranch.
The Hand of God
Director Paolo Sorrentino is known for his perfect portrayal of modern Italy through his films such as “Il Divo” to the Oscar-winning “The Great Beauty”. This coming-of-age film sees Filippo Scotti, who is acting as a budding director, undergo life’s experiences such as joy, heartbreak, and eventually liberation in 1980s Naples.
The Lost Daughter
Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, “The Lost Daughter” is based on the novel of the same name by Elena Ferrante. Starring Olivia Coleman and Dakota Johnson, the film follows Leda, a literature professor and mother of two grown daughters, on an extended summer vacation. On this life-altering trip, she gets reminded of her own fraught parenthood experiences.
Last Night in Soho
In Edgar Wright’s neon-drenched chiller, an aspiring fashion designer (Thomasin McKenzie) is mysteriously transported to the 1960s, where she meets an eerily beautiful singer (Anya Taylor-Joy). This psychological horror explores the darker pleasures of life, but it is also very much about a story of a young woman discovering who she wants to be in the world.
The Card Counter
The film centres on an ex-military-interrogator-turned-gambler named William Tell (Oscar Isaac), who is haunted by the decisions of his past. After a young man (Tye Sheridan) reaches out to seek retribution on a common enemy (Willem Dafoe), Tell attempts to give guidance in the hopes that it will provide an opportunity at restitution.
Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon
The film is about a girl with superpowers escaping from a mental asylum and making her way to New Orleans. It stars Kate Hudson, Jeon Jong-seo and Ed Skrein.
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