Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars are heading to Venice, Italy, for the 83rd edition of the Venice Film Festival, which kicks off on Wednesday.
Here’s a rundown of everything you need to know about the festival, the Oscar buzz and who’s going.
It’s one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, second only to Cannes, and technically the oldest. Venice is also a reliably starry affair, gathering some of the best films in international cinema, and it often factors into the Oscars race.
The film festival was established in 1932, then a non-competitive event, by the La Biennale di Venezia, hosting films like "Grand Hotel” and "It Happened One Night.” By 1935, it decided to make it an annual event. Suspicions that the festival was succumbing to fascist influences actually led to the establishment of the Cannes Film Festival as an alternative after the 1938 edition.
The Golden Lion award as we know it today wouldn’t be introduced until 1949. "Rashômon” won in 1951, and other winners throughout history include "Belle de jour” in 1967, "Au revoir les enfants” in 1987, "Brokeback Mountain” in 2005, "Somewhere” in 2010, "Poor Things” in 2023 and, last year, "Father Mother Sister Brother.”
