By Penny Theodorakopoulou,
Held from August 28 to September 7, 2024, the 81st Venice Film Festival once again wowed the world’s film industry with its unique combination of award-winning films, glamorous red carpets, and provocative screenings. Venice, one of the most venerable and esteemed film festivals globally, has a longstanding tradition of serving as a springboard for Oscar aspirants, and the 2024 edition was no exception. High-profile debuts, unexpected wins, and the presence of some of the biggest figures in the film business that gathered at the Lido defined this year’s festival.
A Galaxy of Stars: The Red Carpet highlights
Due to strikes in the business, the festival was less active the previous year, but in 2024 the stars made a big comeback. To the delight of fans and photographers, celebrities like George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Nicole Kidman, Joaquin Phoenix, and Julianne Moore walked the red carpet. The opening weekend of the festival was especially star-studded, drawing sizable audiences to the film premiere of Wolfs, which reunited Clooney and Pitt on the red carpet.
The festival demonstrated Hollywood’s glitzy side while also emphasizing its increasing significance as a major occasion on the world cinema calendar. The large number of celebrities in attendance confirmed Venice’s standing as a premier festival, comparable to Cannes and Toronto.
Major Awards: Celebrating the best in cinema
The festival’s main attraction was Pedro Almodóvar’s Golden Lion win for The Room Next Door, his first film in the English language. What Are You Going Through, a novel by Sigrid Nunez, is adapted for the big screen in this touching movie. Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton play two friends, one of whom is dealing with a terminal disease and must make the tough decision to end her life with dignity. Many people expressed joy over Almodóvar’s victory and predicted that the movie would be a serious contender for the Oscars in 2024.
Maura Delpero’s Italian film Vermiglio took home the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize. The movie garnered recognition for its distinct narrative and impactful performances, setting it apart from the other 21 competing films.
Aside from these significant honors, Vincent Lindon won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his work in the film The Quiet Son, which explored intricate family dynamics and intense emotional undertones. For her performance as a poor single mother in Babygirl, Nicole Kidman won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress. Her portrayal was praised for its realism and depth.
Nicole Kidman’s absence was noticeable from this year’s Venice Film Festival —and for a very personal reason: her mother, Janelle Ann Kidman, passed away. Kidman first traveled to Venice to take part in the festival and commemorate her victory for the role she played in Babygirl. But when she got the terrible news, she had to leave Italy right away. Later, the actress released a touching statement explaining her absence from the festival and expressing her sadness over her leaving. Although Kidman’s mother had been sick for a while, her death came as a shock, therefore she made spending time with her family her top priority during this trying time. What would have otherwise been a happy occasion for the actress took on a tragic note with the passing of her mother, who was eighty-four. Although Kidman’s absence from the festival was much felt, her poignant performance in Babygirl and the award that followed made sure that her contribution to the event continued to be important.
Recognizing Emerging Talent and Diversity
The festival’s numerous parallel sections and awards provided a platform for up-and-coming filmmakers and varied viewpoints. Alma del Desierto received the Queer Lion, which honors movies that address LGBTQIA+ issues, from Mónica Taboada-Tapia. Set against the backdrop of Colombia’s parched landscapes, this film follows the narrative of Georgina, a Wayúu transgender woman attempting to navigate the complexity of her identity in a harsh setting.
The New Year that Never Came, directed by Bogdan Mureșanu, won the top prize in the Orizzonti section, which honors avant-garde movies and emerging trends in international cinema. The film, which takes place against the backdrop of the 1989 revolution in Romania, won a FIPRESCI Award for its analytical examination of lives that cross paths during a turbulent historical period.
Special Mentions and Parallel Awards
April, a film by Dea Kulumbegashvili that explores the moral dilemmas confronted by an ob-gyn accused of performing unlawful abortions, won the Special Jury Prize. Both reviewers and viewers found great resonance in the movie’s examination of morality on a personal and professional level in the face of social scrutiny.
Other noteworthy honors from the festival included the FEDIC Award for Best Film, which went to Matteo Burani’s Playing God, and the Premio Fondazione FAI Persona Lavoro Ambiente, which was handed to Peacock by Bernhard Wenger. These honors highlight Venice’s dedication to recognizing motion pictures that push boundaries and venture into uncharted storytelling territory.
The Broader Impact of Venice 2024
The Venice Film Festival upheld its long-standing practice of acting as a critical predictor of the forthcoming awards season, independent of the prizes and premieres. Because the festival has a history of presenting movies that go on to win Oscars, the films that are chosen there are frequently early signs of future success. Movies like The Brutalist and The Room Next Door are already predicted to win the Academy Awards in 2025, thanks to their impressive Venice performances.
The films in this year’s festival, which included subjects including euthanasia, LGBTQIA+ rights, and reproductive health, also sparked conversations on significant social issues. These discussions that started on the Lido will probably reverberate in the upcoming months throughout the larger film industry.
The Venice Film Festival of 2024 was a cinematic triumph, uniting the finest of the industry in a celebration of artistic brilliance, diversity, and inventiveness. From the emotional Golden Lion-winning film by Pedro Almodóvar to the glamorous red carpets, the festival once again demonstrated why it is an essential and dynamic component of the world’s cultural calendar. With the festival coming to an end and the film business anticipating the awards season, Venice has laid the groundwork for yet another successful year in the cinema.
The Venice Film Festival has established itself as one of the most significant film festivals in history by capturing the attention of viewers worldwide with its innovative films and the dazzling appearances of Hollywood’s elite.
References
- 81st Venice International Film Festival. labienalle.org. Available here
- Five talking points from the 2024 Venice Film Festival. screendaily.com. Available here
- ‘The Room Next Door’ tops Venice Film Festival. Nicole Kidman misses acting honor due to mom’s death. apnews. Available here
- 8 Takeaways from the 2024 Venice Film Festival. indiewire. Available here
- Venice Film Festival 2024: Best Dressed Guests. wwd.com. Available here
