Ethan Hawke, Richard Gere, Sigourney Weaver Lead Venice Talks Lineup

The Venice Film Festival is just over two weeks away, welcoming star-studded talent back to the Lido in water taxis after many took a year off due to the strikes in 2023. The Biennale has introduced its Conversations and Masterclasses lineup, featuring an enriched program in a newly designed, larger venue at the Match Point Arena, located at the Tennis Club Venezia on the Lido.

Four Masterclasses will be conducted by distinguished directors and performers. Actress Sigourney Weaver, the recipient of the Golden Lion for Career, will hold hers on Thursday, August 29. Filmmaker Peter Weir, also a Golden Lion for Career honoree, will follow on Sunday, September 1. Weir’s 2003 film “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World” will also be screened during the festival. Actor and filmmaker Ethan Hawke will take the stage on Monday, September 2, and the director of the festival’s closing night film “L’orto Americano,” Pupi Avati, will conclude the Masterclasses on Friday, September 6. These sessions can be viewed via live stream at labiennale.org.

In collaboration with Cartier, three Conversations will delve into The Art and Craft of Cinema, featuring a variety of prominent figures. Composer Nicola Piovani, an Oscar winner for “Life Is Beautiful,” will be joined by filmmaker Cristina Comencini on Saturday, August 31. Director Claude Lelouch, who will receive Venice’s Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker award, will converse with singer, composer, and actress Barbara Pravi on the same day. Pravi is the star of Lelouch’s out-of-competition film “Finalement.” Additionally, actor Richard Gere and his Italian voice actor, Mario Cordova, will hold a discussion on Sunday, September 1. Gere’s film “Oh Canada,” directed by Paul Schrader, is set to premiere in theaters later this year.

The 81st Venice Film Festival will commence on Wednesday, August 28, and conclude on Saturday, September 7, with an awards ceremony to honor the official selection. The festival will open with Tim Burton’s highly anticipated “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.” Among the competition premieres are Luca Guadagnino’s “Queer,” Todd Phillips’ “Joker: Folie à Deux,” Pablo Larraín’s “Maria,” and Pedro Almodóvar’s “The Room Next Door.”

This year’s competition jury is rich with filmmaking talent and is chaired by actress Isabelle Huppert. The jury also includes directors James Gray, Andrew Haigh, Agnieszka Holland, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Abderrahmane Sissako, Giuseppe Tornatore, Julia von Heinz, as well as Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi.

Source: Venice Film Festival, Cartier