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Willem Dafoe and Kleber Mendonça Filho Shine at Venice Festival Rooftop Party
Willem Dafoe, the star of Tim Burton’s fest opener “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” along with jury members Kleber Mendonça Filho (“Bacurau”) and Giuseppe Tornatore (“Cinema Paradiso”), attended the annual Venice Film Festival’s pre-opening party on the rooftop of the Danieli Hotel on Tuesday night.
Co-hosted by the Leone Film Group, Variety, and the Danieli Hotel, the glamorous bash brought together a mix of stars and global industry movers and shakers. Notable attendees included hitmaking Italian director Paolo Genovese, Los Angeles-based producer Niels Juul (“Ferrari”), and Bárbara Paz, a Brazilian actor and filmmaker.
“Here we go again!” exclaimed Venice Film Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera from the rooftop, which offered a 180-degree view of the Venice Lagoon. “We are here once again to celebrate the pre-opening of the Venice Film Festival,” he continued, highlighting that this year’s star-studded lineup is being praised as the strongest in years. Barbera, however, cautiously added, “I’m not sure about that, though surely there are a lot of good things to see and a huge amount of talent. You will let me know at the end of the festival if you are satisfied or not.”
Variety’s co-editor-in-chief, Ramin Setoodeh, noted Barbera’s modesty by pointing out recent Golden Lion winners such as “Poor Things,” “Nomadland,” “Joker,” “Roma,” and “The Shape of Water.” “These are some of the biggest movies that have come out in recent years; under your vision, under your direction,” Setoodeh said.
For prominent producer and distributor Raffaella Leone, the party also marked the 35th anniversary of the Leone Film Group and celebrated the legacy of her father, the late moviemaking maestro Sergio Leone. She shared her excitement in welcoming the company’s new partner, Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio, an Italian entrepreneur and president of Ray-Ban. “Looking at the future with the same enthusiasm and passion, we have found someone who has the same vision,” she said.
After the speeches, Joe T Vannelli took to the decks, spinning thumping house beats while guests enjoyed cocktails inspired by Chopin’s sonatas and a variety of esoteric foods. The menu featured items such as shrimp gazpacho in coconut tempura and tandoori, crème fraîche and caviar tartelettes, and an exotic soup with mango sorbet.
The Venice Film Festival officially kicks off today with the world premiere of Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.”
Source: Variety
