The Hollywood strike has halted production of major movies, pushed release dates and prevented actors from appearing on the red carpet. But on Tuesday, organizers of the Venice International Film Festival announced a star-studded line-up, saying this year’s festival would be relatively unaffected by the turmoil.
The festival’s artistic director Alberto Barbera said at a press conference that the impact of the strike was “mild” despite the loss of Luca Guadagnino’s work scheduled for the opening game in Venice.challengersis a tennis drama starring Zendaya. Last week, MGM pushed back the movie’s release date to next year in light of the actors’ union strike.
Otherwise, Barbera said the planned line-up for the event, which is scheduled to run from August 30 to September 9, will remain unchanged. Maestro, directed by Bradley Cooper and Sofia Coppola’sPriscillaThe film about Elvis Presley’s wife will be among 23 films vying for the festival’s main prize, the Golden Lion.
They will compete alongside Ava DuVernay’s “Origin”, which was inspired by the non-fiction book Caste: The Origin of Our Discontent. Yorgos Lanthimos’s “poor thing, a sci-fi movie starring Emma Stone. Ferrari is a car racing drama directed by Michael Mann starring Adam Driver and Penélope Cruz. And David Fincher’s “The Killer,” a rival assassin starring Michael Fassbender and Tilda Swinton.
However, it’s unclear how many American stars will appear on the red carpet. The actors’ strike clause prohibits union members from engaging in promotional activities such as interviews, photography, or attending premieres. Barbera said on Tuesday that “some stars won’t be able to attend,” but added that he would like to welcome many of the actors who have appeared in independent films at the festival to the red carpet.
The actors’ union, SAG-AFTRA, allows independent films to sign interim contracts and is exempt from the promotional ban. These films cannot be associated with the Motion Picture and Television Producers Alliance, which is negotiating with the Guild over issues such as actor compensation and protection.
A number of other major films will be screened in Venice as non-competitive. That includes Hitman, directed by Richard Linklater, about an assassin. Harmony Korine’s ‘Aggro Dr1ft’ featuring rapper Travis Scott. and Wes Anderson’s 40-minute film “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.”
The festival will also premiere Woody Allen’s French version of Coup de Chance and Roman Polanski’s dark comedy Coup de Chance.palaceThese choices show the difference between Continental Europe and Hollywood’s recent approach to the work of filmmakers accused of sexual assault.
Allen’s films have faced backlash in North America since the #MeToo movement brought renewed attention to sexual abuse allegations against director Dylan Farrow. In 2018, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences expelled Polanski from membership. Polanski fled the United States in 1978 while awaiting a statutory rape verdict.
The Venice Film Festival has made a name for itself in recent years by debuting Oscar winners. Damien Chazelle’s La La Land premiered in 2016, followed by Todd Phillips’ Joker three years later. Last year’s titles included The Tar, starring Cate Blanchett, Banshees of Inisherin, directed by Martin McDonagh, and The Whale, directed by Darren Aronofsky.
