The 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival is about to begin, with major Hollywood films and stars expected in Italy. The festival kicks off on Wednesday with the world premiere of "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice," before it opens in theaters worldwide next week.
Here’s everything you need to know.
What is the Venice International Film Festival? One of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, second only to Cannes, Venice's festival is also technically the oldest. It is now a reliably starry affair, gathering some of the best films in international cinema. It was established in 1932, then a non-competitive event, by the La Biennale di Venezia, hosting films like "Grand Hotel" and "It Happened One Night." By 1935, they decided to make it an annual happening.
The Golden Lion award wouldn’t be introduced until 1949 ("Rashômon" won in 1951). Some other winners throughout history include "Belle de jour" (1967), "Au revoir les enfants" (1987), "Brokeback Mountain" (2005), "Somewhere" (2010) and, last year: "Poor Things." A film market was added in 2012, also a year that festival director Alberto Barbera attributes to its turnaround as an important destination for awards hopefuls.
When is the Venice Film Festival? The festival kicks off on Aug. 28 with the premiere of "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" and runs through Sept. 7, when the awards will be announced.
Who’s going to Venice this year? The private water taxis are going to be packed with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Angelina Jolie, Lady Gaga, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Daniel Craig, Tilda Swinton, Jude Law, Julianne Moore, Kevin Costner and Joaquin Phoenix are just a few of names expected to grace the festival this week.
It is a relief to many after last year’s festival took place amid the Hollywood actors strikes, leaving the red carpets more muted than usual. While this year doesn’t have much in the way of teenage idols (past years have had Harry Styles and Timothée Chalamet attracting a certain frenzied fandom), we can be assured of some great movie star moments.
What are the biggest and buzziest films? Among the biggest titles in competition: Todd Phillips’ "Joker: Folie à Deux"; Pablo Larraín’s Maria Callas film "Maria," starring Jolie; the thriller "Babygirl" starring Kidman and Harris Dickinson from filmmaker Halina Reijn; and Pedro Almodóvar’s first English-language film, "The Room Next Door," starring Moore and Swinton.
There’s also a few big Hollywood films playing out of competition: "Wolfs," with Pitt and Clooney, "Horizon: An American Saga—Chapter 2," and "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice."
Any potential drama? Behind the scenes there might be some competition for private water taxis to shuttle the A-listers between their various engagements, or for the best suites at the Belmond Cipriani, but so far no "Don’t Worry Darling" intrigue has bubbled up. Remember, though, "spit-gate" happened in the middle of the festival; Something is bound to catch the internet’s eye.
But aren’t Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in the midst of a contentious divorce? The pair are legally single but are still fighting legally over issues like custody, finances and a winery in France. And the festival has taken care to schedule their films (and arrival/departures) days apart to avoid any overlap. As Barbera told Vanity Fair: "Angelina will be on the first day, on Thursday the 29, and she will leave right after with ("Maria" filmmaker) Pablo Larraín to go to Telluride. So Brad will arrive only on Saturday, to Venice. There is no way that they can cross each other at the Lido."
How does Venice play into the Oscar race? Venice had a difficult time competing with Cannes and Toronto to get the biggest films for a long time. There were always stars and significant films, some of which got Oscar nominations and wins. But Barbera thinks things really changed in 2012 when they hosted the premiere of "Gravity," which went on to win a leading seven Oscars that March and established Venice as a place to launch a campaign.
It’s only intensified as the membership of the academy has gotten more international. Since 2014, they’ve hosted 4 best picture winners ("Birdman," "Spotlight," "The Shape of Water" and "Nomadland") and 19 nominees.
What is the Lido? When people think of Venice, they usually think of landmarks like the Rialto bridge and St. Marks Square. The festival actually takes place on a different island, a nearly 7-mile barrier island called the Lido — about a 20-minute ferry (vaporetto) away where motorized vehicles, including cars and busses, and bikes are allowed.
A military outpost in the 12th century, it transformed into a seaside resort by the end of the 19th, a favorite of European aristocrats. In 1932, the Venice Film Festival decided to make the island its headquarters.
Where do celebrities stay? On the Lido the 5-star hotel of choice is the Hotel Excelsior, which dates back to 1908, where Quentin Tarantino has stayed. But rooms go quickly, and there are so many luxury hotels on the different islands that offer a bit more privacy away from the frenzy of the festival and the photographers.
Perhaps the most famous of the bunch is the Belmond Hotel Cipriani, on Guidecca. There’s the Hotel Danieli, which has been featured in films like "Moonraker" and "Casino Royale," and regularly hosts kick off parties for the festival, with trade publication Variety, to welcome the jury. Another favorite is the Gritti Palace, where everyone from Pitt to Elizabeth Taylor, has stayed. There’s also a St. Regis and the Aman Venice, where George and Amal Clooney were married.
How do people get around Venice? The scattered hotels are also the reason why you see so many celebrities photographed on the Excelsior docks: They arrive to the festival, including press conferences and premieres, by private water taxi. Sometimes, they’re transported a very short distance from the Excelsior to the red carpet, in cars. Unlike the main island of Venice, vehicles are allowed on the Lido including busses and private cars. But many festivalgoers prefer to rent a bike to get around.
Who decides on the Venice awards? Isabelle Huppert is presiding over the main competition jury, which includes James Gray, Andrew Haigh, Agnieszka Holland, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Abderrahmane Sissako, Giuseppe Tornatore, Julia von Heinz and Zhang Ziyi. The competition this year includes 21 films.
How does everyone juggle overlapping festivals? Well, it can be difficult. This year a fair amount of press who had planned to leave Venice to go to the Toronto International Film Festival (which starts Sept. 5) on Sept. 4 but had to rethink plans when it was announced that "Joker 2" was scheduled to premiere that day. Others jet off earlier to Telluride, which begins on Aug. 30. And there’s always the New York Film Festival (Sept. 27-Oct. 14) which hosts top films from earlier festivals.
