Venice Film Festival 2016 (La Biennale)
Monday the 5th
Piuma
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The second week in the “Queen of the Adriatic” saw some home talent being showcased, starting with Roan Johnson’s Italian drama ‘Piuma’; the story of the fundamentally life-altering effect of a pregnancy on two teenagers and their families. Johnson was in attendance, flanked by his two leads Blu Yoshimi and Luigi Fedele for a film with no current release date.
Piuma Trailer
Monte (Mountain)
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Monday also saw the premiere of Iranian writer/director Amir Naderi’s Italian period drama ‘Monte’; a story of struggle and belief set in the middle ages, where a starving peasant family living the shadow of a mystical mountain, struggle between staying faithful to their existence or challenging it. Naderi was in attendance alongside stars Claudia Potenza, Andrea Sartoretti and Zaccaria Zanghellini, ‘Monte’ has no current release date.
Monte @ Venice 2016 highlights (courtesy of la Biennale on YouTube)
Tuesday the 6th
The Bad Batch
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After an impressive feature debut which subverted a sub-genre with Iranian vampire romance ‘A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night’; writer/director Ana Lily Amirpour opened Tuesday in Venice with her take on the Western dystopian drama in the form of ‘The Bad Batch’, a brutal love story set in a Texas wasteland among an isolated community of cannibals.
Only star Suki Waterhouse accompanied Amirpour from an impressive but absent ensemble cast, ‘The Bad Batch’ has no UK or US release date yet.
The Bad Batch @ Venice 2016 highlights (courtesy of la Biennale on YouTube)
Gukôroku (Traces of Sin)
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Accompanied by actress Hikari Mitsushima, director Kei Ishikawa brought his Japanese drama ‘Gukôroku’ to the Lido on tuesday; the tale of an investigative reporter on the case of the mysterious and brutal murder of a seemingly perfect family, but the pulling of the investigative thread reveals not everything is as it seems in this study on social division in Japanese society. ‘Gukôroku’ is released at some point in 2017.
Gukôroku @ Venice 2016 highlights (courtesy of la Biennale on YouTube)
Wednesday the 7th
Jackie
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Chilean director Pablo Larraín returned to La Biennale on Wednesday with his leading-lady Natalie Portman for the premiere of ‘Jackie’; a drama based on the life of former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy in the aftermath of the JFK assassination, struggling to keep her family together while protecting the legacy of her late husband. ‘Jackie’ has no current release date.
Jackie @ Venice 2016 highlights (courtesy of la Biennale on YouTube)
Voyage of Time: Life’s Journey
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Those present at the Lido on Wednesday were also treated to a first look at Terrence Malick’s first documentary feature ‘Voyage of Time: Life’s Journey’; a visual odyssey which builds on the themes in 2011’s ‘The Tree of Life’ and explores the origins of time & space and our place within them. Malick was conspicuous in his absence but sent producers Grant Hill and Sophokles Tasioulis in his stead, for a film with no current release date.
Voyage of Time: Life’s Journey @ Venice 2016 highlights (courtesy of la Biennale on YouTube)
The Journey
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Wednesday also saw the debut of director Nick Hamm’s Northern Ireland peace process drama ‘The Journey’; a fictional account of the historical meeting of two intractable enemies in 2006, Democratic Unionist leader Ian Paisley and Sinn Fein politico Martin McGuinness, whose first meaningful dialogue led to devolution and power-sharing agreements in a country stained by decades of bloody conflict.
Hamm was joined at the festival by his leads Timothy Spall and Colm Meaney for a film with no set release date yet.
The Journey @ Venice 2016 interview (courtesy of News Hollywood)
Thursday the 8th
Paradise (Ray)
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Thursday’s proceedings were opened in harrowing dramatic style by Andrey Konchalovskiy’s Russian World War II drama ‘Paradise’; the tale of a Russian woman in occupied France, whose life goes from privilege to desperation and then hope as she crosses paths with two different agents of the 3rd Reich. Konchalovskiy was in attendance with stars Julia Vysotskaya, Christian Clauss and Jakob Diehl, ‘Paradise’ has no release date yet.
Paradise @ Venice 2016 highlights (courtesy of la Biennale on YouTube)
Planetarium
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Natalie Portman made her second appearance at this year’s festival, alongside co-stars Lily-Rose Depp and Emmanuel Salinger, for writer/director Rebecca Zlotowski’s French period drama ‘Planetarium’; the story of two sisters and supposed supernatural mediums who meet an influential Parisian film producer and get involved in the early days of the film industry. ‘Planetarium’ is out in France on the 16th of November, with no UK or US dates yet.
Planetarium @ Venice 2016 press conference (courtesy of News Hollywood)
Friday the 9th
Ang Babaeng Humayo (The Woman Who Left)
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The penultimate day at La Biennale opened with a screening of director Lav Diaz’s Filipino drama and this year’s Golden Lion winner ‘Ang Babaeng Humayo’; the story of a woman whose life experiences have turned her into a reclusive shut-in during a time of fear and crime in the late 1990s. Diaz was joined by his stars Charo Santos-Concio and John Lloyd Cruz, for a film no no current release date.
Ang Babaeng Humayo @ Venice 2016 highlights (courtesy of la Biennale on YouTube)
Boys In The Trees
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Friday also saw Australian representation at the Lido in the form of writer/director Nicholas Verso’s ‘Boys in the Trees’; a dark Aussie coming-of-age suburban fantasy drama set in Halloween of 1997. Verso was in attendance with stars Mitzi Ruhlmann and Toby Wallace, ‘Boys in the Trees’ is out on the 20th of October 2016 in Australia, with no other release dates confirmed.
Boys in the Trees @ Venice 2016 highlights (courtesy of la Biennale on YouTube)
Na Mlijecnom Putu (On The Milky Road)
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Serbian director Emir Kusturica also premiered his comedy/drama ‘Na Mlijecnom Putu’ on Friday, in which he stars alongside Monica Belluccci and Sloboda Micalovic who were also present. Set at the end of the Yugoslav Wars, the film follows the fortunes of a milkman who’s torn by his passion for two very different women,‘Na Mlijecnom Putu’ is out in Serbia in December with no other confirmed releases yet.
Na Mlijecnom Putu @ Venice 2016 highlights (courtesy of la Biennale on YouTube)
Saturday the 10th
The Magnificent Seven
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Not ones to miss a promotional opportunity, Sony took the chance to close this year’s festival with a screening of their upcoming classic Western remake ‘The Magnificent Seven’; the story of 7 disparate gunslingers and outlaws as they come together to protect a poor village from a ruthless industrialist and his men.
Director Antoine Fuqua plus stars Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt graced the red-carpet with horse-in-hand, literally, for an early autumn blockbuster out on the 23rd of September of this year in the UK and US.
The Magnificent Seven @ Venice 2016 highlights (courtesy of la Biennale on YouTube)
Venice Film Festival 2016 Awards (Next Page)–>
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