Stars arrive in force at Venice Film Festival

The Venice Film Festival wrapped on Saturday (September 7) night with key prizes for Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door, Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, Dea Kulumbegashvili’s April and Maura Delpero’sVermiglio, while Nicole Kidman won best actress for Babygirl and Vincent Lindon best actor for The Quiet Son.

Key talking points from the festival follow.

Stars arrive in force…

Last year, the strikes kept the stars away. This year, Venice was brimming with big names, among them George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman, Angelina Jolie, Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Daniel Craig, Tilda Swinton, Julianne Moore and Jude Law. It must have been a scheduling nightmare for the organisers (apparently Edward Berger’s Conclave starring Ralph Fiennes was invited but it was difficult to find the right spot for it). As usual, the first weekend was the busiest with large crowds on the first Sunday for the Wolfs red carpet with Clooney and Pitt.

…but avoid the press

That said, most of the stars were only in town for a short time. They walked the red carpet, did a press conference and then shipped out without taking part in press junkets or giving interviews. It prompted a group of 50 freelance journalists to sign a statement criticising the lack of press access to major talent, stating that “cinema journalism is at risk of extinction”.

More of a market?

Venice’s market, the Venice Production Bridge (VPB), doesn’t have the scale of the Cannes Marché or the European Film Market; the city is too expensive for companies to send big delegations. But it still manages to attract some highly influential industry executives. Most sales companies were represented, as were key buyers, streamers, festivals and institutions. VPB said 3,135 industry delegates were registered this year, up 8% compared to 2023. The festival has become a regular meeting point for European institutions and trade organisations, acting as a kick-off for the autumn after the summer break.

Ital