Eye For Film >> News >> Venice opener announced

Venice opener announced

Guiseppe Tornatore's Baavia to headline.

by Jennie Kermode

This year's Venice Film Festival, set to run between the 2nd and 12th of September, will open with Guiseppe Tornatore's new film Baavia, the organisers have announced.

Set in the Sicilian village of Bagheria (known as Baavia to its occupants), this autobiographical film, epic in scope, stars Francesco Scianna and Margaret Madè, with support from Monica Bellucci. It was made on a budget of around £20M, making it the most expensive Italian film for years, and its producers have high hopes of winning this year's Golden Lion award.

Tornatore is best known in the UK as the writer-director of heartwarming fable Cinema Paradiso, which won an Oscar in 1990. He has previously served on the Venice Film Festival jury.

Share this with others on...

Movies out this week include:

Angel's Egg Boogie Nights Bridesmaids Disclosure Day Enzo The Fall Of Sir Douglas Weatherford Köln 75 Pink Narcissus Savage House Strictly Ballroom
News

A taste of power Andrew Neel on ordinary life under totalitarianism and How To Feed A Dictator

Rock star spirit Shane Belcourt on Louis Cameron and Ni-Naadamaadiz: Red Power Rising

Heir presumptive Rob Rice on the power of comedy, political disappointments and Ponderosa

Keeping the rhythm Hugo Ruíz on storytelling techniques, kinky cinema and Dante

From personal to universal Karla Murthy on The Gas Station Attendant and her relationship with her dad

Family reunion Tasha Hubbard on exploring the aftermath of the Sixties Scoop in Meadowlarks

More news and features

News
Festival Image

We're bringing you news, reviews and more from Sheffield DocFest, ImagineNative and Tribeca.



We're looking forward to Docs Ireland and the Fantasia International Film Festival.



We've recently brought you coverage of Cannes, Queer East, the San Francisco Independent Film Festival, Visions du Réel, Fantaspoa, Overlook, BFI Flare and SXSW, the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival and the NY Rendezvous with French Cinema.



Read our full for more.


Visit our festivals section.

Interact
Competition Picture

Don't forget that you can follow us on YouTube for trailers of festival films and more. You can also find us on Mastodon and Bluesky.


It's a busy time for festivals and here's the latest:


The Evia Project Event returns for a 5th year with focus on the forest


Tribeca Awards announced


Karlovy Vary 60th anniversary edition to feature Jesse Eisenberg and Maggie Gyllenhaal as guests


Fantasia Second wave of titles announced


Tribeca Artistic director Frédéric Boyer discusses the highlights of this year's edition