2022 Venice Film Festival

A profound and stirring drama, The Father (2019) received 4 Golden Globe nominations including Best Picture Drama, Best Actor-Motion Picture Drama (Anthony Hopkins), Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture (Olivia Colman), and Best Screenplay Motion Picture (Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller). Just three years after his sensational debut on the silver screen, writer and director Florian Zeller and his writing companion, Christopher Hampton, are back with a new film, The Son, in competition in the 79th Venice International Film Festival.

As the Darren Aronofsky film, The Whale, begins, Brendan Fraser’s voice is heard during a Zoom call. The camera is off.

Light is the first thing that is seen on screen when the movie Blonde begins. It is not natural sunlight, but a bright, cold artificial spotlight, so strong that it could blind anyone who was caught in it.

The win was rare and certainly unexpected: Laura Poitras’ All the Beauty and the Bloodshed walked away with the top honor of the 79th Venice Film Festival. Only one documentary won Mostra's highest award before, Gianfranco Rosi’s Sacro Gra in 2013.

The films, the stars, the crowds, the awards. The world’s oldest film festival proved in its 79th edition that the global film industry is back as the entire 11 days felt post-pandemic.

A heavy topic. A seasoned filmmaker.

Walter Hill once said that he considers all of his films to be westerns, even modern-day thrillers such as Red Heat or Bullet to the Head. “If you look closely, you can see western touches, such as revolvers, Winchester rifles and cowboy hats,” he said.

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.