International Insider: Venice Dispatches; ‘Cuties’ Controversy; ‘Tenet’ Tops Expectations

Tom Grater International Film ReporterHello and welcome to International Insider. Tom Grater here bringing you our latest rundown of international news, including some exciting TIFF deal-making action, a key hire in the German TV market, and the winners from the first major film festival to take place in the pandemic era.Pre-market nerves: “How will this year’s market play out? Who knows?” Wrote Deadline’s Mike Fleming on the eve of this year’s Toronto Film Festival.

Clayton Davis Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars from Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis. Following Academy Awards history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar predictions are updated regularly with the current year's contenders in all categories.

Guy Lodge Film CriticBefore this year’s Venice Film Festival comes to a close with Saturday’s announcement of the official selection awards, the fest’s autonomous sections got the ball rolling Friday with their own prizes.Coming out on top in the Venice Days program was Russian director Philipp Yuryev’s debut feature “The Whaler Boy,” an offbeat story of a teenage whale hunter on the Bering Strait, who sets out to meet the webcam model with whom he’s become obsessed.The film received the

Tom Grater International Film ReporterWelcome to the latest edition of International Insider. This week we’re looking forward to Toronto International Film Festival, which began yesterday, and closing the book on Venice, which ends tomorrow.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentLebanese director Ely Dhager’s “Harvest” (see interview here), a drama about a young woman contending with identity issues on returning to Beirut after a long stint abroad, is the standout title in this year’s Final Cut in Venice workshop – part of the Venice Film Festival – which provides post-production support and partnership opportunities to films from Africa and the Arab world.This debut feature by Dhager – whose short “Waves ‘98” was awarded the

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent“Shorta,” the timely action-packed Danish thriller that had its world premiere in Venice Critics’ Week this weekend, has now been sold by Charades in a number of territories.Directed by up-and-coming Danish filmmakers Frederik Louis Hviid and Anders Ølholm, “Shorta” unfolds in the aftermath of the killing of 19-year-old Talib Ben Hassi while in custody.

Manori Ravindran International EditorAn international body supporting global filmmakers facing severe risks in the field has officially launched at the Venice Film Festival.The International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk (ICFR) was formed by the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, International Film Festival Rotterdam and the European Film Academy.

Filmmaker Kornél Mundruczó is no stranger to the film festival circuit, with his 2005 film “Johanna” screening at the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival, before “White God” took home the Prize Un Certain Regard later in 2014. “White God” was even selected to be Hungary’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 87th Academy Awards.

Christopher Vourlias Three teenagers living in an institution for people with special needs fall into an unexpected love triangle, and are suddenly forced to navigate powerful new feelings of envy and desire. As their emotions threaten to upend the carefully structured world around them, the trio find themselves increasingly willing to resort to desperate measures to find a way out.“Oasis” is the sophomore feature film from Serbian director Ivan Ikić, which world premieres Sept.

coronavirus pandemic, Tamhane plans to be there.“It’s been my dream, in a way to, you know, (to) be in competition at the festival,” he said. “You know, there would be no bigger high than presenting the film in person at Venice.”“I started off almost like a journalist, you know, attending concerts, interviewing musicians and hanging out in these spaces that they inhabit.

Taylor Hill stuns on the red carpet with a pretty Etro gown for the 2020 Venice Film Festival opening ceremony on Wednesday (September 2) in Venice, Italy.

Cate Blanchett walks the red carpet while attending the opening ceremony of the 2020 Venice Film Festival on Wednesday (September 2) in Venice, Italy.

Tilda Swinton is honouring Chadwick Boseman once again at the Venice Film Festival.

Tilda Swinton accepts the Golden Lion Award on stage at the 2020 Venice Film Festival‘s opening ceremony on Wednesday (September 2) in Venice, Italy.

Manori Ravindran International EditorTilda Swinton accepted her Golden Lion for career achievement at the Venice Film Festival with a touching love letter to cinema, which she punctuated with “Wakanda Forever,” in a nod to “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman.The British actor accepted the prize from Venice jury president Cate Blanchett during the festival’s opening ceremony on Wednesday evening, where the festival kicked off with a tribute to Italian composer Ennio Morricone — complete with

Manori Ravindran International EditorThe Venice Film Festival stuck to its guns in promising a physical 2020 festival amid a global pandemic, and somehow, it’s pulled it off.

Covid-19 pandemic has had an impact on the red carpet in Venice. That’s not to say, though, that the fashion is anything less than what we’ve come to expect from the Venice Film Festival.

Nancy Tartaglione International Box Office Editor/Senior ContributorIn a sign of unity, Artistic Directors of several major European Film Festivals gathered for a press conference here in Venice this afternoon. Venice Film Festival chief Alberto Barbera and the others will appear on stage at this evening’s opening ceremony to reassert the importance of cinema and in solidarity towards the global film industry which has been hit hard by the COVID pandemic.