There are many films and directors representing Tuscany in the various sections of the event
The 81st edition of the Venice International Film Festival organised by the Venice Biennale runs from 28 August to 7 September 2024. This year the jury is chaired by French actress Isabelle Huppert. The two Golden Lions for Lifetime Achievement will be awarded to actress Sigourney Weaver (Alien; Ghostbusters) and director Peter Weir (Dead Poets Society; The Year of Living Dangerously).
Tuscany will be represented in the various sections of the exhibition by numerous projects, some filmed on the territory, others made by Tuscan authors.
Among the titles in Competition there is the new film by Gianni Amelio, Campo di battaglia (Battlefield), produced by Kavac Film with Rai Cinema and shot in May for a day in Arezzo, at the railway station of Pescaiola. The cast stars Alessandro Borghi, Gabriel Montesi, and Federica Rosellini.
Also in Competition: The Brutalist written and directed by Brady Corbet and filmed for several days in Carrara in April 2023. The set involved the city’s historic centre, Corso Rosselli, Drogheria Riacci and the Corsi Quarry in Colonnata. The cast included Adrien Brody, Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones.
In the Orizzonti section: the film Diciannove, a debut feature by Giovanni Tortorici produced by Luca Guadagnino’s company Frenesy Film. Shooting took place in Siena for four weeks between May and June 2023, in collaboration with the Toscana Film Commission and the Municipality of Siena. The set involved the historic centre and some symbolic locations, such as Piazza del Campo and the Torre del Mangia, Piazza del Duomo, Piazza Salimbeni, Fontebranda, the Civic Museum, the Complex of Santa Maria della Scala, the Accademia Chigiana, the University of Siena and the Consorzio Agrario.
The autobiographical film tells the story of a nineteen-year-old from Palermo who leaves London, where he studies economics, to move to Siena and begin literature studies. The introspective journey through the protagonist’s memories shows his growth as he searches for his place in the world.
Among the titles in the section Out of Competition – Series: Disclaimer by the Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón. A psychological thriller starring Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline. The series, consisting of seven episodes, was shot for four weeks between September and October 2022 in Versilia, between Viareggio, Forte dei Marmi and Pietrasanta, as well as in Pisa and Massa Carrara.
Tuscan authors
In the Orizzonti Extra section there is Vittoria, the second film directed by Alessandro Cassigoli and Casey Kauffman and produced by Lorenzo Cioffi, Giorgio Giampà, Nanni Moretti and Rai Cinema. In the section Out of Competition – Fiction we find the short film Allégorie citadine by Alice Rohrwacher and JR.
At the Settimana internazionale della critica (SIC) – International Critics’ Week in the section Competition – Short films: Things that my best friend lost by Marta Innocenti.
At the Giornate degli Autori – Venice Days, the opening film Out of Competition is Coppia aperta quasi spalancata directed by Federica Di Giacomo starring and produced by Chiara Francini.
