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The cinematic elite once again converge upon the City of Doges for the 80th iteration of the Venice Film Festival. With 23 seminal works vying for the coveted Golden Lion, the competition is poised to be fierce.
European representation is undeniably robust. Bastarden by Danish director Nikolaj Arcel prominently features renowned actor Mads Mikkelsen, celebrated for his melding of intensity and nuance. France presents a cinematic smorgasbord with Luc Besson’s Dogman, Bertrand Bonello’s La Bête and Stéphane Brizé’s Hors-Saison, exemplifying the wealth of French cinematic output.
Not to be overshadowed, the host nation, Italy, boasts its own cinematic heritage with films such as Enea by Pietro Castellitto, Finalmente l’Alba by Saverio Costanzo and Comandante by Edoardo De Angelis, to name a few.
From the United States, Bradley Cooper’s Maestro, starring Cooper himself alongside Carey Mulligan, promises an emotionally charged narrative. The palpable anticipation surrounding David Fincher’s The Killer is fueled by the inclusion of Michael Fassbender and Tilda Swinton.
Asian cinema distinguishes itself with Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Aku wa sonzai shinai (Evil Does Not Exist). Representing Japanese film, this work is eagerly awaited by critics for its distinctive viewpoint.
Poland’s entries, Kobieta Z… by Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert and Zielona Granica (The Green Border) by Agnieszka Holland, hold potential to astonish with their depth and, in the case of the latter, its international collaboration.
Films such as Poor Things by Yorgos Lanthimos and Ferrari by Michael Mann, coupled with contributions from Pablo Larraín, Fien Troch, and others, further amplify the selection’s richness and diversity.
This year’s festival illuminates not only cultural diversity but also the breadth of cinematic genres, offering a platform for films ranging from drama and thriller to romance and biography.
The coming days herald abundant discoveries, emotional moments, and fervent debates. The 80th Venice Film Festival is shaping up to be a standout chapter in film history. The key question remains: which film will clinch the prestigious Golden Lion?
Here is the list of the 23 films competing for the Golden Lion at the 80th edition of the Venice Film Festival:
• Bastarden (The Bastard) by Nikolaj Arcel featuring Mads Mikkelsen, Amanda Collin, Simon Bennebjerg, Kristine Kujath Thorp, Gustav Lindh (Denmark, 127′)
• Dogman by Luc Besson with Caleb Landry Jones, Jojo T. Gibbs, Christopher Denham, Clemens Schick, Grace Palma (France, 114’)
• La bête (The Beast) by Bertrand Bonello with Léa Seydoux, George MacKay (France/Canada, 146′)
• Hors-Saison (Off-Season) by Stéphane Brizé with Guillaume Canet, Alba Rohrwacher, Sharif Andoura, Lucette Beudin (France, 115′)
• Enea by Pietro Castellitto with Pietro Castellitto, Giorgio Quarzo Guarascio, Benedetta Porcaroli, Chiara Noschese, Giorgio Montanini, Adamo Dionisi, Matteo Branciamore, Cesare Castellitto, Sergio Castellitto (Italy, 117′)
• Maestro by Bradley Cooper with Carey Mulligan, Bradley Cooper, Matt Bomer, Maya Hawke, Sarah Silverman, Josh Hamilton, Scott Ellis, Gideon Glick, Sam Nivola, Alexa Swinton, Miriam Shor (USA, 129′)
• Priscilla by Sofia Coppola with Cailee Spaeny, Jacob Elordi, Dagmara Dominczyk (USA/Italy, 110′)
• Finalmente l’Alba (Finally the Dawn) by Saverio Costanzo with Lily James, Rebecca Antonaci, Joe Keery, Rachel Sennott, Alba Rohrwacher, Willem Dafoe (Italy, 140′)
• Comandante (Commander) by Edoardo De Angelis with Pierfrancesco Favino, Massimiliano Rossi, Johan Heldenbergh, Silvia D’Amico, Arturo Muselli, Giuseppe Brunetti, Gianluca Di Gennaro, Johannes Wirix, Pietro Angelini, Mario Russo, Cecilia Bertozzi, Paolo Bonacelli (Italy, 120′)
• Lubo by Giorgio Diritti with Franz Rogowski, Christophe Sermet, Valentina Bellè, Noemi Besedes, Cecilia Steiner, Joël Basman (Italy/Switzerland, 181′)
• Origin by Ava Duvernay with Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash-Betts, Vera Farmiga, Audra McDonald, Nick Offerman, Blair Underwood, Connie Nielsen, Emily Yancy, Jasmine Cephas-Jones, Finn Wittrock, Victoria Pedretti, Isha Blaaker, Myles Frost (USA, 130′)
• The Killer by David Fincher with Michael Fassbender, Tilda Swinton, Charles Parnell, Arliss Howard, Kerry O’Malley, Sophie Charlotte, Sala Baker, Emiliano Pernía, Gabriel Polanco (USA, 118′)
• Memory by Michel Franco with Jessica Chastain, Peter Sarsgaard, Brooke Timber, Merritt Wever, Elsie Fisher, Jessica Harper, Josh Charles (Mexico/USA, 100′)
• Io Capitano (I, Captain) by Matteo Garrone with Seydou Sarr, Moustapha Fall, Issaka Sawagodo, Hichem Yacoubi, Doodou Sagna, Khady Sy, Bamar Kane, Cheick Oumar Diaw (Italy/Belgium, 121′)
• Aku wa sonzai shinai (Evil Does Not Exist) by Ryusuke Hamaguchi with Hitoshi Omika, Ryo Nishikawa, Ryuji Kosaka, Ayaka Shibutani, Hazuki Kikuchi, Hiroyuki Miura (Japan, 106′)
• Zielona Granica (The Green Border) by Agnieszka Holland with Jalal Altawil, Maja Ostaszewska, Tomasz Włosok, Behi Djanati Atai, Mohamad Al Rashi, Dalia Naous (Poland/France/Czech Republic/Belgium, 147′)
• Die Theorie Von Allem (The Theory of Everything) by Timm Kröger with Jan Bülow, Olivia Ross, Hanns Zischler, Gottfried Breitfuss, David Bennent, Philippe Graber (Germany/Austria/Switzerland, 118′)
• Poor Things by Yorgos Lanthimos with Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott, Suzy Bemba, Jerrod Carmichael, Kathryn Hunter, Vicki Pepperdine, Margaret Qualley, Hanna Schygulla (UK, 141′)
• El Conde (The Count) by Pablo Larraín with Jaime Vadell, Gloria Münchmeyer, Alfredo Castro, Paula Luchsinger (Chile, 110′)
• Ferrari by Michael Mann with Adam Driver, Penélope Cruz, Shailene Woodley, Sarah Gadon, Gabriel Leone, Jack O’Connell, Patrick Dempsey (USA, 130′)
• Adagio by Stefano Sollima with Pierfrancesco Favino, Toni Servillo, Valerio Mastandrea, Adriano Giannini, Gianmarco Franchini, Francesco Di Leva, Lorenzo Adorni, Silvia Salvatori (Italy, 127′)
• Kobieta Z… (Woman From…) by Małgorzata Szumowska and Michał Englert with Małgorzata Hajewska-Krzysztofik, Joanna Kulig, Bogumila Bajor, Mateusz Wieclawek (Poland/Sweden, 132′)
• Holly by Fien Troch with Cathalina Geeraerts, Felix Heremans, Greet Verstraete, Serdi Faki Alici, Els Deceukelier, Maya Louise Sterkendries, Robby Cleiren, Sara De Bosschere (Belgium/Netherlands/Luxembourg/France, 103′)
With AFP
