If you enjoy watching films, you might want to add the 80th edition of Venice International Film Festival to your calendar which is going to take place from 30th August to 9th September 2023. It is without a doubt one of the oldest and most well-known film festivals in the world, and it also features some of the most esteemed and distinguished films from all over the world.
The festival is directed by Alberto Barbera and arranged by La Biennale di Venezia, and it officially recognized by the International Federation of Film Producers Association (FIAPF).
A lovely site of Venice Lido, is hosting this event, where you can enjoy the amazing views of both sea and the city. There are several venues where the festival will be taking place including the Palazzo del Cinema, where the main ceremonies and screenings take place, the Sala Darsena, where retrospectives and tributes are shown, and the Sala Web, where you can see some of the films online. The Venice film festival 2023 will also be holding a number of events like masterclasses and parties where you can meet and interact with actors, film makers, critics, and other film enthusiasts.
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What is the schedule of the Venice Film Festival?
The lineup of the Venice International Film Festival has always been impressive and diverse. It features films from different genres, and different countries in different styles. Some of the highlights of this year’s edition are mentioned below:
- On August 30, the festival will start with Edoardo De Angelis’ Comandante. It is a biography of Fidel Castro who was the revolutionary leader of Cuba who successfully resisted US influence for many years.
- Film Maestro of Bradley Cooper will compete for the Golden Lion, the highest honor of the festival. It is a musical drama about Leonard Bernstein who is one of the most influential composers and conductors of 20th century.
- Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla is another film competing for Golden Lion. It is a comedy about a young woman who received a huge inheritance from her strange aunt and eventually decides to travel around Europe with her friends.
- The Killer, directed by David Fincher, which will screen out of competition. It is a thriller based on a graphic novel by Matz and Luc Jacamon, about a cold-blooded assassin who starts to question his morality.
- Film Poor Things, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, will also be out of competition. It is an adaptation of a novel written by Alasdair Gray about a young woman who drowned in the Thames and was brought back to life by a crazy doctor.
- Film Origin, directed by Ava DuVernay, will be part of the Orizzonti section. It is dedicated to new trends in cinema. It is a movie based on science fiction about a group of astronauts who set out on a mission to explore a mysterious planet.
- Film Dogman which is directed by Luc Besson will be part of Sconfini section. It is dedicated to innovative and experimental films. This film is inspired by real-life incident of a dog groomer who got involved a violent fight with a local mobster.
- Film memory which was directed by Michel Franco will be part of Venezia 80 section. This film is dedicated to the films made by directors who previously won or were nominated for Golden Lion. It is a drama about a man who struggles to recall his past while suffering from memory loss as a result of accident.
- Film El Conde which was directed by Pablo Larrain will be part of Venezia Classici section. This film is dedicated to documentaries on cinema and restored classics. Pablo Neruda, the Chilean poet and Nobel Prize winner who was also a political activist and diplomat, is the subject of the biopic.
These are just some of the films that you can expect to see at the Film Festival in Italy 2023.
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Who makes up the jury for this year?
The jury of the Venice International Film Festival is composed of nine members who are selected from among prominent figures in film industry. The jury is responsible for deciding which film will get the awards and prizes including the Silver Lion for best director, the Golden Lion for best movie, and other prizes for acting, writing, and cinematography, etc.
Damien Chazelle who is an American director and won an Oscar for La La Land in 2017 is the president of the jury this year. He has also presented two films at Venice: La La Land and First Man. The other members of the jury are:
- Jane Campion: She is an acclaimed director from New Zealand who also won an Oscar for Piano in 1994. She has also won several awards at Venice, including the Golden Lion for Piano and the Silver Lion for An Angel at My Table.
- Mia Hansen-Løve: She is a French director who won the Silver Bear for best director at Berlin for her movie Things to come in 2016. She has also directed films such as Father of My Children, Goodbye First Love, and Bergman Island.
- Laura Poitras: She is an American documentary filmmaker who also won an Oscar for Citizenfour in 2015. She is also the winner of Golden Lion at Venice for All the Beauty and the Bloodshed in 2022.
- Martin McDonag: He is an Irish-British director who won an Oscar for his short film Six Shooter in 2006. He also directed films like In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths, and Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri.
- Saleh Bakri: A Palestinian actor who also starred in films such as The Band’s Visit, Wajib, and the Reports on Sarah and Saleem.
- Gabriele Mainetti: He is an Italian director who has won several awards at Venice including his debut film They Call Me Jeeg in 2015. He also directed the sequel Freaks Out, which will be screened out of competition at Venice film festival this year.
- Santiago Mitre: He is an Argentine director who is the winner of Critics’ Week Grand Prize at Cannes for Paulina in 2015. He also directed films like The Student, The Summit, and The Accused.
- Shu Qi: She is a Taiwanese actress who has starred in films like Millennium Mambo, The Assassin, and The Adventurers.
Who will be honored at the Venice Film Festival this year?
The Venice Film Festival will also honor some of the most talented and influential individuals in film history by presenting them with honorary prizes or by screening their work.
- Liliana Cavani: Liliana is an Italian director who will receive a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. She has directed films like The Night Porter, Francesco, and Ripley’s Game. She will also present her latest documentary L’ordine del tempo at Venice.
- Tony Leung Chiu-wai: He is an actor from Hong Kong who will also receive a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. He acted in films like In the Mood for Love, Infernal Affairs, and The Grandmaster. He has also acted in three films that won the Golden Lion at Venice, these were Cyclo, Lust, Caution, and A City of Sadness.
- Gina Lollobrigida: Gina was an Italian actress who passed away on January 16, 2023. She will be honored with a pre-opening night dedicated to her on August 29. The program will feature two restored films starring her: Portrait of Gina by Orson Welles and La provinciale by Mario Soldati.
- William Friedkin: An American director, William Friedkin passed away on August 7, 2023. He will be remembered with a screening of his films The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial and The Exorcist, both in restored versions. He was also a winner of Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in 2013.
- Wes Anderson: The Cartier glory to film maker award will be given to Wes Anderson who is an American director. This honor is generally given to someone who has made original contribution to the modern film industry
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Where to Buy Tickets Venice Film festival?
Tickets may be bought exclusively online starting from mid-August 2023. In compliance with current regulations, tickets are personal and cannot be transferred.
Starting from mid-August, tickets can be purchased online. Remember tickets are not transferable and are personal according to the current laws.
You can also search for the title of a certain movie or browse event day-wise. For each screening of short films and Venice classics like Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), single tickets are available.
Attendees may, however, also choose to buy “subscriptions”. These tickets entitles you to attend several screenings. This is less expensive than buying a ticket for each movie separately.
Similarly some subscriptions allows you to attend all screenings taking place in particular room during the festival.
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Will I Need a Visa from UK to Attend 2023 Film Festival?
If you are a non-EU national living in the UK with a residency permit then yes you will need to apply for Italy visa to attend the Venice film festival 2023. Here is how can apply for the visa.
- Firstly, choose the visa category that you need. Depending on why you are travelling to Italy from UK, there are different categories of Italy visa available.
- Decide where you want to apply for your Italy visa in the UK
- Assemble all the required visa documents for Italy.
- Schedule an Italian visa appointment with the UK-based Italian visa application Centre like us.
- To make it easier for you, Italy Visa UK also offers an online visa appointment form as it manages the same in the UK. Hence, an appointment can be obtained with their help smoothly within a couple of days.
- We can book your VFS Italy visa appointment on behalf of you.
- On the day of your Italian Visa appointment you have to show up in person to submit your documents and provide your biometric data.
- Pay the fees and wait for your visa processing.
Note: On the scheduled day of appointment for Schengen visa UK, we always ask you to arrive early. For review, the visa officer will need both original and copy of your documents. You will also be asked about the reason of your travel and the itinerary details. However, the process does not take very long, therefore you should finish as quickly as possible.
FAQ’s
Here is a list of documents you will need to provide to get Italy visa.
• A valid passport with at least two blank pages.
• Minimum two passport-size photos against white background.
• A minimum of 30,000 euros in health insurance coverage.
• A cover letter outlining your purpose of trip.
• Travel details, including dates and arrival and departure times.
• Accommodation proof including the name and address of your hotel and your itinerary.
• A bank statement from the last three months demonstrating you have the funds to pay for your costs during your visit.
With a singly entry visa you can enter Italy only once, while a multiple entry visa allows you to enter into Italy a multiple times until the validity of your visa.
With Italy visa you can stay in the country for a maximum of three months. Remember the validity of the visa can be 1 year or 2 years depending on the type of tourist visa you get. But upon entering once you can stay for only 90 days, they you have to exit from the country for a while and then you can re-enter.
Yes, with your Italy visa uk you may travel to other Schengen countries as well according to the Schengen rules.
You must apply for Italy tourist visa to be able to attend the film festival in Italy 2023.
