#Venezia81 is set to break records with superstars, films, and parties in stunning locations
The 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival has officially begun, bringing all the glamour that only the Lido can offer. This edition is already poised to be record-breaking, with a red carpet that has seen and will continue to host the greatest icons of international cinema. Between the Lifetime Achievement Lions awarded to legends such as Sigourney Weaver and Peter Weir, and masterclasses featuring talents like Richard Gere and Ethan Hawke, this Festival promises to be one of the most memorable ever.
“After reading and hearing so many people say that this year’s Competition is the best ever, I’ll end up believing it myself!” says Alberto Barbera, Director of the Cinema Department of La Biennale di Venezia.
Fashion will take center stage, not only in the films but also at the many parties and after-parties that will light up the Venetian nights. Let us take a look at some of the events announced for the ten days of #Venezia81.
The party starts immediately at the Venice Film Festival!
Since its founding in 1932, the Venice Film Festival has been one of the most important events on the global glamour scene. The 2024 program extends beyond screenings, featuring side events and parties held at the Hotel Excelsior, the new Biennale spaces adjacent to the tennis court, the terrace, the spectacular Arsenale, the Centurion Palace overlooking the Grand Canal, and the Nicelli Airport on the Lido.
The event that traditionally kicks off the Festival is the Variety party on the Terrace of the Hotel Danieli.
Fantaisie saw the lively presence of Willem Dafoe, recently appointed Artistic Director of the Theater Department of La Biennale di Venezia for the 2025-2026 term, accompanied by his wife Giada Colagrande.
The opening ceremony marks the debut of the Festival’s Godmother, this year Sveva Alviti, who presented, alongside the juries chaired by Isabelle Huppert, the highly anticipated screening of Tim Burton‘s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (in theaters from September 5), featuring a star-studded cast including Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Jenna Ortega and Monica Bellucci.
Highlights of the Film Festival
On Thursday, August 29, the Palazzo del Cinema will host the premiere of Alfonso Cuarón‘s TV series, Disclaimer, starring the wonderful Cate Blanchett, who wore a long Giorgio Armani Privé sheath dress for the previous evening’s red carpet.
There is great anticipation for the red carpet of the screening of Maria, the new film by Pablo Larraín, in which Angelina Jolie portrays the legendary Maria Callas, accompanied by an Italian cast including Alba Rohrwacher and Pierfrancesco Favino.
Oprah Winfrey and Paola Cortellesi are expected at the gala evening at the Tese dell’Arsenale for the Diane Von Furstenberg philanthropic awards, the DVFs, now in their 15th year.
August 30 will be the day of Babygirl, an erotic thriller starring Nicole Kidman and Antonio Banderas. The film, directed by Halina Reijn, explores the dynamics of power and sexuality within a marriage.
Kidman plays a powerful manager who embarks on an extramarital affair with a young intern, putting her career and personal life at risk.
Sold Out events and one last August party
On Friday, August 30, the exhibition Marcello, come here… A hundred years and over a hundred times Mastroianni will open on the island of San Servolo to mark the 100th anniversary of Marcello Mastroianni’s birth; Cartier will host its guests at Harry’s Bar, and Campari will be at the Nicelli Airport with the Destination Red event.
The highly anticipated Armani Beauty Party will take place at the Arsenale on Saturday, August 31, while Diane Von Furstenberg will host a second event at the Sina Centurion Palace for the Breaking Through The Lens project, which supports women in cinema.
Parties and stars in September
September: while the city hosts the competitive rowing of the Historical Regatta, and the Machina—the traditional floating structure from which authorities watch the race—becomes a hub for networking, the film Wolfs remains one of the most anticipated premieres at the Lido.
The film is directed by Jon Watts and stars George Clooney and Brad Pitt. The thriller, which marks the pair’s return after 16 years, tells the story of two professional fixers who find themselves in a complicated survival situation.
At Hangar Nicelli, the annual amfAR gala to raise funds for AIDS research will see Kate Beckinsale hosting the evening and presenting actor Richard Gere with the Award of Inspiration.
On Monday, September 2, the exhibition Dive e Madrine (Divas and Godmothers) will open at the Hotel Excelsior, paying tribute to the history of cinema through the female icons who have defined the Venice Film Festival. In the evening, the Arsenale will host a celebration dedicated to the legendary Aston Martin Vanquish, while the young talents of Biennale College Cinema, now in its twelfth edition, will gather on the island of San Servolo for an event in their honor.
The Diva e Donna party will return on Tuesday, September 3, to the Sina Centurion Palace, celebrating its twentieth anniversary with special guests, including model Georgina Rodriguez and Olympic gold medalists Alessia Orro and Martina Fidanza.
The spotlight on September 4 will be on the premiere of Joker: Folie à Deux starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, a star pairing that has fueled anticipation for months surrounding this Todd Phillips sequel. Completing the day is Jouer avec le feu, a French drama directed by Muriel Coulin, bringing a touch of European auteur cinema to the Lido.
The grand finale
Toni Servillo graces the final days of the Festival on Thursday, September 5, as the lead in the film Iddu, an Italian work that explores profound themes through the story of a man grappling with the ghosts of his past.
At Palazzina Grassi, the night will continue late into the morning with a DJ set by Graziano Della Nebbia for the Vanity Fair party, while the Hotel Gritti will host the party for the historic film magazine Ciak.
On Friday, September 6, director Pupi Avati will present his new film, L’orto americano, a gothic horror that brings the thrill of a mysterious story set in a timeless Venice.
At 4 PM in the Italian Pavilion at the Hotel Excelsior, Teresa Saponangelo will be the godmother of the Nuovo IMAIE Talent Award 2024, a collateral award of the Venice International Film Festival, now in its tenth edition.
As always, the grand finale on Saturday the 7th with institutions and the winners of #Venezia81 will take place between the Hotel Excelsior and the Palazzo del Cinema, while on the beaches, the Des Bains and Sabia clubs will host the most glamorous parties.
Article by Lucia Pecoraro.
Photos © Rossana Viola and Igor Serdyukov.
