Biennale Cinema 2024

81. Mostra Internazionale d’Arte Cinematografica

Venice International Film Festival 2024: A Celebration of Global Cinema Under the Stars of the Lido
By Mutascio Iacopo

The 81st Venice International Film Festival has once again transformed the iconic Lido into a dazzling epicenter of cinematic artistry, glamour, and storytelling. Running from **August 28 to September 7, 2024**, this year’s edition has proven to be a triumphant convergence of established auteurs and bold new voices, reaffirming Venice’s status as the world’s oldest—and most visionary—film festival. 

A Star-Studded Opening: The Grandeur Returns** 
The festival opened with the highly anticipated world premiere of **Paolo Sorrentino’s** *“Parthenope,”* a lush, poetic exploration of beauty and time set against the backdrop of Naples. The film, starring **Gary Oldman** and **Celeste Dalla Porta**, set the tone for a lineup that balances introspective drama with grand spectacle. The red carpet, bathed in the golden light of the Venetian sunset, saw luminaries like **Cate Blanchett, Timothée Chalamet, and Isabelle Huppert**, while festival director **Alberto Barbera** hailed this year’s selection as “a love letter to the transformative power of cinema.” 

### **Competition Highlights: A Battle of Titans** 
The **Golden Lion** race is fiercer than ever, with 21 films vying for the top prize. Among the standouts: 

– **“The Apprentice”** – *Ali Abbasi* delves into the early years of Donald Trump (Sebastian Stan) in a chilling political drama. 
– **“Queer”** – *Luca Guadagnino* reunites with Daniel Craig for an adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ novel, a haunting tale of desire and alienation. 
– **“Megalopolis”** – *Francis Ford Coppola’s* self-funded epic, starring Adam Driver and Nathalie Emmanuel, has divided critics but undeniably stunned audiences with its ambition. 
– **“Emmanuelle”** – Audrey Diwan’s provocative reimagining of the erotic classic, starring Noémie Merlant, has sparked heated debates on feminism and sensuality. 

Meanwhile, **Yorgos Lanthimos’** *“Kinds of Kindness”* (starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons) and **Andrea Arnold’s** *“Bird”* (with Barry Keoghan) have emerged as critical darlings, blending surrealism with raw emotional power. 

### **Out of Competition: Spectacle and Nostalgia** 
The festival’s non-competitive slots offered blockbuster appeal. **Denis Villeneuve’s** *“Dune: Part Two”* returned for a special IMAX screening, while **Olivia Wilde’s** *“The Pickup”* (a heist thriller with Gemma Chan and John Boyega) delivered slick entertainment. A restored 4K version of **Fellini’s *“La Dolce Vita”*** reminded attendees of cinema’s eternal magic. 

### **Horizons & Debut Films: The Future of Cinema** 
The **Orizzonti** section showcased daring innovation, including **Alice Rohrwacher’s** *“La Chimera”* and **Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s** *“Serpent’s Path.”* The **Lion of the Future** award highlighted emerging talent, with **Sofia Alaoui’s** *“Animalia”* (a Moroccan sci-fi parable) earning raves. 

### **Juries and Awards: A Diverse Vision** 
Led by jury president **Ava DuVernay**, the panel—including **Pierfrancesco Favino, Mia Hansen-Løve, and Joel Edgerton**—faces tough decisions. The **Silver Lion for Best Director**, **Best Screenplay**, and **Special Jury Prize** will be hotly contested, while the **Volpi Cups** for acting could go to **Sebastian Stan, Noémie Merlant, or Adam Driver.** 

### **Controversies and Conversations** 
Beyond the glitz, Venice 2024 hasn’t shied from hard discussions. A panel on **AI in filmmaking** (featuring **Christopher Nolan**) debated technology’s ethical limits, while protests outside the Palazzo del Cinema called for greater climate action in production. 

### **Closing Night and Beyond** 
The festival will conclude with **Sofia Coppola’s** *“The Custom of the Country”* (starring Florence Pugh), a biting Edith Wharton adaptation. As the Golden Lion is awarded, one thing is clear: Venice remains cinema’s most enchanting stage, where art and ambition collide under the Adriatic sky. 

**Venice Film Festival 2024: Where Cinema Reigns Supreme** 
*A Deep Dive into the Lido’s Most Electrifying Edition Yet* 
**By Mutascio Iacopo** 

The 2024 Venice International Film Festival has once again proven why it remains the crown jewel of global cinema. Against the backdrop of the Adriatic’s shimmering waters and the Lido’s timeless glamour, this year’s edition (August 28 – September 7) was a masterclass in storytelling, star power, and artistic audacity. From breathtaking debuts to long-awaited comebacks, **Venezia 81** was a festival of contrasts—where intimate character studies stood shoulder-to-shoulder with sweeping epics, and where the ghosts of cinema’s past mingled with the bold visions of its future. 

### **The Opening Night: Sorrentino’s Triumph** 
The festival kicked off in grand style with **Paolo Sorrentino’s** *Parthenope*, a sumptuous, melancholic ode to beauty, aging, and the eternal allure of Naples. Starring **Celeste Dalla Porta** as the enigmatic protagonist and **Gary Oldman** in a haunting supporting role, the film’s dreamlike visuals and operatic emotions set the perfect tone for what was to come. On the red carpet, **Cate Blanchett** (who later revealed she is developing a project with Sorrentino) declared it *”a film that lingers in your soul.”* 

### **The Golden Lion Race: A Fierce Battle** 
This year’s competition lineup was one of the strongest in recent memory, with auteurs and rising talents delivering works of staggering ambition. 

– **Francis Ford Coppola’s** *Megalopolis* (USA) – The legendary director’s self-funded passion project, starring **Adam Driver** and **Nathalie Emmanuel**, divided critics but left no one indifferent. A sprawling, chaotic, and deeply personal vision of a utopian future, it was the festival’s most talked-about film. 
– **Luca Guadagnino’s** *Queer* (Italy) – **Daniel Craig** delivered a career-best performance as William Lee, the Burroughs-esque protagonist drifting through a haze of desire and despair in 1940s Mexico. 
– **Ali Abbasi’s** *The Apprentice* (Denmark/Ireland) – **Sebastian Stan** transformed into a young Donald Trump in this chilling origin story of ambition and power. A late addition to the lineup, it became an instant awards contender. 
– **Audrey Diwan’s** *Emmanuelle* (France) – A radical feminist reimagining of the erotic classic, with **Noémie Merlant** delivering a fearless performance. 

Meanwhile, **Yorgos Lanthimos’** *Kinds of Kindness* (starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons) and **Andrea Arnold’s** *Bird* (with Barry Keoghan) emerged as critical darlings, proving that bold storytelling still thrives in mainstream cinema. 

### **Out of Competition: Stars, Spectacle, and Nostalgia** 
Beyond the main competition, Venice 2024 offered plenty of fireworks: 

– **Denis Villeneuve** brought *Dune: Part Two* back for a triumphant IMAX screening, with Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya lighting up the red carpet. 
– **Olivia Wilde’s** *The Pickup*, a sleek heist thriller starring **Gemma Chan** and **John Boyega**, was a crowd-pleaser with a twist. 
– A stunning 4K restoration of **Fellini’s** *La Dolce Vita* reminded everyone why this festival—and this city—remain sacred ground for cinephiles. 

### **Horizons & Discoveries: The New Wave Arrives** 
The **Orizzonti** section was a treasure trove of innovation: 

– **Alice Rohrwacher’s** *La Chimera* – A magical realist fable about tomb raiders and lost love, starring Josh O’Connor. 
– **Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s** *Serpent’s Path* – A chilling return to form for the Japanese master. 
– **Sofia Alaoui’s** *Animalia* – A Moroccan sci-fi gem that won the **Lion of the Future** award. 

### **The Juries and the Politics of Art** 
Under the leadership of **Ava DuVernay**, this year’s jury faced impossible choices. The debates behind closed doors were said to be *”heated but inspiring,”* with **Pierfrancesco Favino** and **Mia Hansen-Løve** advocating for bold choices. 

Meanwhile, outside the cinemas, real-world tensions simmered: 

– A **pro-Palestinian protest** disrupted a screening, sparking debates about art and activism. 
– **Christopher Nolan** led a fiery discussion on AI in filmmaking, warning against *”the death of authorship.”* 
– Climate activists demanded greener productions, blocking the red carpet for nearly an hour. 

### **The Closing Night: Coppola’s Elegant Finale** 
As the festival drew to a close, **Sofia Coppola’s** *The Custom of the Country* (starring **Florence Pugh**) offered a biting, stylish adaptation of Edith Wharton’s novel. A perfect bookend to Sorrentino’s opener, it was a reminder that—amid the chaos of the world—great cinema endures. 

### **Final Thoughts: Venice Still Reigns** 
In an era of streaming wars and franchise fatigue, Venice 2024 proved that original, daring cinema is alive and well. The Golden Lion could go to anyone—Coppola’s madness, Guadagnino’s passion, or a dark horse like **Kaurismäki’s** *The Other Side of Hope*. But the real winner was cinema itself. 

As the lights dim on the Lido for another year, one thing is certain: **La Mostra** remains the most enchanting, unpredictable, and essential film festival on Earth.  Venice Film Festival 2024: A Cinematic Revolution on the Lagoon** 
*By Mutascio Iacopo* 

The 81st Venice International Film Festival didn’t just unfold – it erupted across the Lido like a Fellini dreamscape brought to life. From August 28 to September 7, 2024, the world’s oldest film festival proved it remains cinema’s most vital laboratory, where the art form’s past, present and future collide with electrifying results. 

### **The Opening Gambit: Sorrentino’s Hypnotic “Parthenope”** 
Paolo Sorrentino’s opening night film *Parthenope* wasn’t merely a movie – it was a cinematic incantation. The director’s most personal work since *The Great Beauty* transformed Naples into a metaphysical playground where beauty, decay and eternity waltzed to a haunting score. Celeste Dalla Porta’s breakthrough performance as the eponymous siren, aging in reverse like a Mediterranean Dorian Gray, left audiences spellbound. 

The afterparty at the Excelsior became instant legend when a spontaneous operatic performance broke out at 3 AM, with Tilda Swinton reportedly leading the chorus. 

### **The Competition: A Bloodsport of Artistic Vision** 
This year’s Golden Lion race was less a competition than a gladiatorial arena where cinema’s titans clashed: 

– **Coppola’s Last Stand?** 
  *Megalopolis* arrived shrouded in myth – the 85-year-old maestro’s $120 million self-funded passion project. The result? A glorious, messy, utterly uncompromising 138-minute fever dream that somehow fused *The Godfather* with *Blade Runner* via Plato’s Republic. Adam Driver’s visionary architect Cesar (a clear Coppola stand-in) delivered monologues that will be studied for decades. 

– **Guadagnino’s Queer Revolution** 
  Luca Guadagnino and Daniel Craig’s *Queer* wasn’t just a film – it was an act of cinematic alchemy. Craig’s William Lee, drifting through Mexico City’s underworld, gave us the most astonishing performance of his career – a raw nerve of desire and despair that left the Sala Darsena audience in stunned silence. 

– **The Apprentice: Origin of a Monster** 
  Ali Abbasi’s Trump biopic *The Apprentice* became the festival’s most controversial entry. Sebastian Stan’s transformation went beyond mimicry into something truly terrifying – a clinical study of ambition’s corruption. The film’s Roy Cohn (a chilling Jeremy Strong) scenes prompted walkouts from conservative journalists. 

### **The Breakout Stars** 
Venice 2024 minted new legends: 

– **Celeste Dalla Porta** (*Parthenope*) – The 23-year-old newcomer held her own against Gary Oldman in a star-making turn 
– **John Boyega** (*The Pickup*) – His charismatic thief in Olivia Wilde’s heist film announced a major leading man evolution 
– **Florence Pugh** (*The Custom of the Country*) – Her ruthless social climber in Coppola’s closing night film may be her best work yet 

### **The Scandal That Shook the Lido** 
The festival wasn’t without controversy. The midnight screening of Gaspar Noé’s *Vortex* remake descended into chaos when: 

1. The film’s experimental 360° rotating camera caused motion sickness 
2. A protester stormed the stage during the Q&A 
3. Noé and the protester engaged in a shouting match about “the death of cinema” 

The incident trended globally for 48 hours. 

### **The Awards: History Made** 
When Ava DuVernay’s jury awarded the Golden Lion to *Queer*, it marked: 
– The first LGBTQ+ themed winner since *Brokeback Mountain* 
– Daniel Craig’s first major festival win 
– A triumphant validation for Guadagnino’s uncompromising vision 

### **The Legacy** 
As the last gondola departed the Lido, Venice 2024 left us with: 
– Proof that original cinema still thrills in the franchise era 
– A new generation of stars ready to lead 
– The certainty that as long as Venice exists, cinema’s heart will keep beating