Venice Film Festival Day 1: First Covid-Era Fest Underway With Sparsely Populated Theaters & An Allegorical Film For The Covid Era

Tasmanian-born advertising executive Mary Donaldson, then 28, was at the Slip Inn with a girlfriend when they began chatting with a group of European men. The playful topic of conversation was whether or not a man was attractive with a hairy chest.

At the start of the coronavirus pandemic,Los Angeles’ signature outdoor venues— the Hollywood Bowl, Greek Theatre, Rose Bowl, the Ford and a bit north, the Santa Barbara Bowl — canceled their slate of summer shows and prepared for the worst,making 2020 the first summer without concerts at the city’s amphitheaters. "It’s been the most challenging time," says Rose Bowl GM Darryl Dunn, "but we’re trying to make lemonade." For each venue, that lemons-into-lemonade approach looks different.

A minimalist deadpan dramedy with serious political undertones, Gaza Mon Amour offers up a vision of the Palestinian situation at once realistic and absurdist, revealing how even the simplest of love stories can be thwarted by a repressive government, collective human foibles and an ancient Greek statue with a major erection.

In a welcome sign for a struggling independent film market, the Venice Film Festival kicked off this week with a series of international deals. Sony Pictures Classics picked up worldwide rights, outside of Italy, for Luca Guadagnino’s documentary Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams, which covers the life of fashion icon Salvatore Ferragamo.

Cate Blanchett is encouraging the reemergence of the film industry amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, as the Jury President of the Venice Film Festival, the Hollywood actress is thrilled to be present for the annual event and she couldn’t be more proud to support and help filmmakers share their work after the worldwide health crisis has affected the film industry in a major way.The Oscar winner urges for a safe reopening of cinema gatherings, and congratulates the effort and organization of

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentDaniele Luchetti’s “The Ties” (“Lacci”), the first Italian film to open the Venice Film Festival in 11 years, garnered warm reviews on its world premiere on Wednesday evening, and has been sold by MK2 Films in a raft of territories around the world.MK2 Films has been able to lure major distributors in key markets, notably France (Pyramide), Spain (Caramel), Latin America (Synapse), China (Huanxi), Portugal (Midas), Greece (Weirdwave), Austria (Thim),

Yorgos Lanthimos' dark absurdist comedy Dogtooth in 2009 ushered in the so-called Greek Weird Wave, which blossomed at least partly out of national chaos triggered by the country's financial crisis that same year. Christos Nikou, whose background includes working as an assistant director on that film, establishes himself as an exciting new voice in the movement with his assured feature debut, Apples.

England is facing pressure to reconsider quarantine rules for Greece after Scotland and Wales introduced new measures over concerns about rising coronavirus cases.The Department for Transport (DfT) said no change to its rules for England had been made, but Wales’ health minister Vaughan Gething said he would be pressing the UK government for an urgent meeting to consider the potential risk in Greece.The Scottish government announced on Tuesday evening that travellers from Greece would have to

Love Island star Adam Collard has said he has tested positive for coronavirus after a trip to Greece.

Andreas Wiseman International EditorA film festival is about more than just the films and the festival center. It is about the location, the journey, the experience.

Christopher Vourlias Curzon Artificial Eye has acquired distribution rights in the U.K. and Ireland for “Apples,” the feature directorial debut of Greece’s Christos Nikou, which opens the Horizons section of the 77th Venice Film Festival on Sep.

Andreas Wiseman International EditorA film festival is about more than just the films and the festival center. It is about the location, the journey, the experience.