Washington DC [US], July 4 : 'La Grazia', the latest feature from Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino, will open the 82nd Venice Film Festival, reported Deadline. It stars Toni Servillo and Anna Ferzetti in the lead roles.
Sorrentino's 'La Grazia' will have its world premiere screening on August 27 (Wednesday), in the Sala Grande, as per the outlet.
'La Grazia' is a Fremantle film produced by The Apartment, a Fremantle Company, by Numero 10, and by PiperFilm, which will be distributed in Italy. MUBI owns worldwide rights, excluding Italy. The Match Factory is handling international sales.
"I am very happy that the 82nd Venice International Film Festival will open with the new and highly anticipated film by Paolo Sorrentino," Venice head Alberto Barbera said in a statement as quoted by Deadline.
"I like to recall that one of the most important and internationally acclaimed Italian auteurs made his debut right here at the Biennale di Venezia in 2001 with his first film, 'One Man Up', in my early years as the Artistic Director. The relationship with the Venice Film Festival became consolidated over the years with the presentation out of competition of the first episodes in the series The Young Pope (seasons one and two) and, above all, with The Hand of God, which, in 2021, won the Silver Lion-Grand Jury Prize," added Alberto as quoted by Deadline.
He concluded by saying, "Paolo Sorrentino's return in competition comes with a film destined to leave its mark for its great originality and powerful relevance to the present time, which the audiences of the Venice Film Festival will have the pleasure of discovering on opening night," as quoted by Deadline.
Meanwhile, the 'Vertigo' fame star Kim Novak will be honoured with a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival, reported Variety.
While announcing the actress's honour, the Venice Film Festival released a statement calling Novak "a star who was emancipated; a rebel at the heart of Hollywood who illuminated the dreams of movie lovers before retiring to her ranch in Oregon to dedicate herself to painting and to her horses," as quoted by Variety.
As part of the tribute, Venice will world premiere the documentary biopic "Kim Novak's Vertigo," directed and written by Alexandre O. Philippe.
The documentary blends rare archival footage with personal reflections from Novak and glimpses into her reclusive life along Oregon's wild Rogue River and traces her path from mid-century cinema icon to fiercely private artist.
The fest's upcoming 82nd edition in Venice will run from August 27 to September 6.