UK-Ireland directors, actors, producers, funders and filming locations are well-represented through the full breadth of the Venice line-up – with
UK-Ireland directors, actors, producers, funders and filming locations are well-represented through the full breadth of the Venice line-up – with the exception of the Competition, where there are no films by UK or Ireland directors.
London-based David Heyman’s Heyday Films produced Noah Baumbach’s Competition title Jay Kelly, which partly shot in the UK and features Jim Broadbent, Lenny Henry, Emily Mortimer, Thaddea Graham, Louis Partridge, Eve Hewson and Jamie Demetriou among the cast.
US filmmaker Jim Jarmusch’s anthology film Father Mother Sister Brother, also in Competition, shot across the US, France and Ireland. UK-based Mubi is a producer on the project to which it has US rights, with Ireland’s Hail Mary a co-producer, and further funding from Screen Ireland.
Greek auteur Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia sees him reteam with regular Dublin and London-based production partner Element Pictures and Irish cinematographer Robbie Ryan, with shooting taking place in the UK last summer.
The Zone Of Interest producer Jim Wilson has produced The Voice Of Hind Rajab, a Gaza-set drama from Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania. Film4 is among the backers.
Norwegian filmmaker Mona Fastvold’s The Testament Of Ann Lee is produced by Joshua Horsfield and Saskia Gigi Duff’s London-based Intake Films, while Mike Goodridge’s Good Chaos is the lead producer on Hungarian director László Nemes’ post-Second World War family drama Orphan. The latter film also has backing from the UK Global Screen Fund.
Elsewhere in the Competition, UK actors Jude Law and Tom Sturridge star in French filmmaker Olivier Assayas’ The Wizard Of The Kremlin, with Idris Elba and Jared Harris in US filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow’s A House Of Dynamite.
Furthermore, Mia Goth, David Bradley and Charles Dance are among the cast of Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro’s Netflix title Frankenstein, which partially shot in Scotland. Finally, UK actress Emily Blunt stars Benny Safdie’s Competition title The Smashing Machine.
Out of competition, the UK stamp can be seen in the non-fiction category with UK filmmakers Jane Pollard and Iain Forsyth’s Marianne Faithfull documentary Broken English.
In the ’fiction out of competition’ category, Luca Guadagnino’s After The Hunt shot in London and Cambridge, doubling for the US. The cast includes UK-US actor Andrew Garfield and Northern Irish actor and Screen Rising Star 2023 Graham, who also stars in Jay Kelly.
Mark Jenkin’s Cornwall-set Rose Of Nevada is making its world premiere in Horizons. It is produced by Denzil Monk with backing from the BFI and Film4, and stars Callum Turner and George MacKay; the UK’s Protagonist Pictures is repping sales.
It is a good year for UK filmmakers in Critics’ Week. Imran Perretta’s BFI and BBC Film-backed Ish has been selected, produced by the UK’s Primal Pictures’ Dhiraj Mahey and Bennett McGhee. Oscar Hudson’s South Africa-shot, BBC Film-backed Straight Circle is also in the lineup. Both are sold by Global Constellation, formerly Film Constellation.
Julia Jackman’s 100 Nights Of Hero is the closing-night film of Critics’ Week, playing out of competition. It is produced by Stephanie Aspin and Helen Simmons of Erebus Pictures and stars Emma Corrin, Charli xcx, Nicholas Galitzine, Amir El Masry, Richard E Grant and Felicity Jones.
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