2022 Venice Film Festival

Director Teona Strugar Mitevska is having an “exciting” time in her life, related to the title of her last movie, The Happiest Man in the World (2022). In her case, the happiness is literal, unlike her characters that meet in a speed dating event in Sarajevo looking for a Saturday break but end up in a spiral web of twists and emotions of different tenure, including absurdity, when a woman reconnects with the man who had shot and almost killed her 30 years ago, during the ex Yugoslavia war.

Athena was one of the most talked about films at this year's Venice Film Festival. Just released in theaters, it will surely make audiences think, feel and discuss.

A heavy topic. A seasoned filmmaker.

She is anything but blonde in real life, but Cuban actress Ana de Armas channels Marilyn Monroe, the girl who grew up in California foster homes in Andrew Dominik's Blonde. Producer Brad Pitt flew in just for the premiere which makes him the only true superstar who attended the festival this year.

He has won just about every major festival award: this year, Filipino director Lav Diaz is back at the festival with his newest work When the Waves Are Gone two years after he won Orizzonti award for Best Director for Lahi Hayop (Genus Pan) and six years after his breakthrough film Ang Babaeng Humayo (The Woman Who Left) which garnered him the Golden Lion. He sat down with his countryman Ruben Nepales for this exclusive interview.

Penélope Cruz had a busy few days on the Lido with not one but two films at the festival, L'Immensitá and On the Fringe. Casey Affleck showed off a new talent in Dreamin' Wild, and Hugh Jackman talked career and travel plans while promoting The Son.

The stars came out for a good cause at the AmfAR Gala as Turkish-Italian director Ferzan Ozpetek was celebrated in recognition for how his movies bring to the forefront characters within the LGBTQ community. Jodie Turner-Smith, Heather Graham, Ellie Goulding, Patricia Clarkson, Marisa Tomei, Trace Lysette, Sarah Ferguson, Zooey Deschanel, Casey Affleck and Rachel Brosnahan.

Venice and TIFF collide in black elegant fashion: Evan Rachel Wood, Monica Belucci, Carolina Sala, and Gabrielle Union in black, while Jeremy Pope, Didi Stone, and Sanaa Lathan went with color at TIFF. Carolina Sala in an elegant black overlay, the breeze teasing the fabric and revealing the under-bodice that gives the illusion of nudity.

The Kinéo Award show that always takes place during the Venice Festival is more than a sideshow given its spectacular location and attendance by Italy's biggest industry names and international actors and directors. Our team K.

Ana de Armas in short shorts by Louis Vuitton reminiscent of Kristen Stewart’s Chanel last year. She teamed the suit with Marilyn Monroe's slinky mule sandals.