The 77th Venice Film Festival is set to take place today, Wednesday amidst strict safety measures in place, which marks the first major post coronavirus physical film event.
Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, Matt Dillon, and France’s Lupine Sagnier among international stars expected to grace the social-distanced red carpet.
Blanchett supplying this year's star power as president of the jury while Swinton is getting a lifetime achievement award as well as to promote Pedro Almodovar’s The Human Voice.
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Cate Blanchett Venice Film Festival Jury President[/caption]
The festival is packed with plenty of symbolic significance that might help movie buffs forget the pandemic for a while.
On Wednesday's opening film, "Lacci" by Italian director Daniele Luchetti, the theatre was just half full of journalists, whose temperatures were taken before being allowed inside.
Approximately 6,000 people are expected to turn out this year— about half the festival's usual number – as border restrictions around the globe have limited the ability to travel to many.
Eighteen films in the main competition will vie for the festival's top prize, the prestigious Golden Lion.
Provided it was done safely, it was now time for film lovers to be back in theatre seats, Barbera said.
"We're tired of seeing films in streaming," he said.
Organizers are hoping they can safely run the festival, which is due to go on until September 12, amidst coronavirus cases on the rise in Italy and neighboring European countries.
In one of the most radical changes, fans will no longer be allowed on the red carpet, where in past years they've pressed behind barriers hoping to get a photo or autograph from their favorite celebrities.
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Venice Film Festival[/caption]
Safety measures
In a statement, Festival Director Alberto Barbera stated that strict sanitary security measures are in place involving multiple swab tests for those arriving from outside Europe and also from some European countries, such as Spain.
There are also thermoscanners at festival entrance points and social-distanced seating in screening venues and at press conferences.
In May, Barbera made the high-stakes decision to go ahead with "La Mostra", despite film festivals around the world opting to cancel, including Cannes Film Festival.
"We feel a responsibility to be the first. We knew Venice will be sort of a test for everyone," he said at the time.
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Festival Director Alberto Barbera[/caption]
For the past few months across the globe, most film production remained on hold, and movie theatres dark due to the coronavirus.
"It is a festival without stars because Hollywood is still in lockdown. Will there be less glamour? Yes. Will there be fewer stars on the red carpet? Certainly," Barbera told AFP.
"But there will be so many good films, 65 from 50 different countries, a sign of the richness and variety of contemporary cinema."
The festival marks Italy’s return to the center of the art world after it became the first country in the West to be hit by COVID. At that time, “Mission: Impossible 7,” starring Tom Cruise, was shooting in Venice. The production company had to suspend work on the project.
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