Venice Film Festival Announces Official Lineupby Peter Knegt (Updated 29 minutes ago)
Though highly speculated earlier this week, the lineup for the 2011 Venice Film Festival was officially announced this morning. Joining previously announced opening and closing films “The Ides of March” (directed by George Clooney) and “Damsels in Distress” (directed by Whit Stillman) were a mostly expected list including new works from David Cronenberg, Steven Soderbergh, Roman Polanski, Todd Solondz, Alexander Sokurov, Tomas Alfredson, Mary Harron, William Friedkin and
Madonna.
Notable differences from earlier suggestions of the lineup were that Madonna’s “W.E.” would be playing out of competition, as would Steven Soderbergh’s “Contagion” and Mary Harron’s “The Moth Diaries” (which together reduced the female-helmed films in competition by two). “Wilde Salome,” directed by Al Pacino, was an inclusion in the out-of-competition lineup that was not noted earlier this week. The film stars Pacino alongside 2011’s big breakout Jessica Chastain (who after being the next big thing at Sundance with “Take Shelter” and Cannes with “The Tree of Life,” is also in Venice’s “Texas Killing Fields”).
Overall, the English-language presence at the festival is quite considerable. In addition to the four U.S. films in competition (“Ides of March,” “4:44 Last Day on Earth,” “Killer Joe,” “Dark Horse”), there’s Tomas Alfredson’s “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” (an Italian production), David Cronenberg’s “A Dangerous Method” (Canada-Germany), Roman Polanski’s “Carnage” (France-Germany-Spain-Poland), and U.K. entries “Wuthering Heights,” directed by Andrea Arnold, and “Shame,” directed by Steve McQueen.
As a result, the festival is remarkably star-studded. George Clooney, Ryan Gosling, Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster, Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley,
Madonna, Jude Law, Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Al Pacino are just some of the celebrities with films heading to the Lido.
Full lineup listed below. More from indieWIRE as it comes in.
Competition “The Ides of March,” George Clooney (U.S.) - Opening Night Film
“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy,” Tomas Alfredson (Italy)
“Wuthering Heights,” Andrea Arnold (U.K.)
“Texas Killing Fields,” Ami Canaan Mann (U.S.)
“A Dangerous Method,” David Cronenberg (Germany, Canada)
“4:44 Last Day on Earth,” Abel Ferrara (U.S.)
“Killer Joe,” William Friedkin (U.S.)
“The Exchange,” Eran Kolirin (Israel, Germany)
“Alps,” Yorgos Lamthimos (Greece)
“Shame,” Steve McQueen (U.K.)
“Carnage,” Roman Polanski (France, Germany, Spain, Poland)
“Chicken With Plums,” Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud (France, Belgium, Germany)
“A Burning Hot Summer,” Philippe Garrel (France)
“A Simple Life,” Ann Hui (China, HK)
“Faust,” Aleksander Sokurov (Russia)
“Dark Horse,” Todd Solondz (U.S.)
“Himizu,” Sion Sono (Japan)
“Seediq Bale,” Wei Desheng (Taiwan)
“Quando la Notte,” Cristina Comencini (Italy)
“Terraferma,” Emanuele Crialese (Italy)
“L’Ultimo Terrestre,” Gipi (Italy)
Out of Competition “Damsels in Distress,” Whit Stillman (U.S.) - Closing Night Film of Festival
“Vivan las Antipodas!” Victor Kossakovsky (Germany, Arg, Neth, Chile, Russia) - Out of Competition Opening Night Film
“La folie Almayer,” Chantal Akerman (Belgium, France)
“The Moth Diaries,” Mary Harron (Canada, Ireland)
“W.E.,” Madonna (U.K.) “Il villaggio di cartone,” Ermanno Olmi (Italy)
“Wilde Salome,” Al Pacino (U.S.)
“Contagion,” Steven Soderbergh (U.S.)
“The Sorcerer and the White Snake,” Tony Ching Siu-tung (China, HK)
“Giochi d’estate,” Rolando Colla (Switzerland, Italy)
“La Desintegration,” Philippe Faucon (Belgium)
“Alois Nebel,” Tomas Lunak (Czech Rep., Germany)
“Eva,” Kike Maillo (Spain, France)
“Scossa,” Francesco Maselli, Carlo Lizzani, Ugo Gregoretti, Nino Russo (Italy)
“La Cle des chanps,” Claude Nuridsany, Marie Perennou (France)
“Tormented,” Takashi Shimizu (Japan)
“Marco Bellocchio, Venezia 2011,” Pietro Marcello (Italy)
“La Meditazione di Hayez,” Mario Martone (Italy)
“Tahrir 2011,” Tamer Ezzat, Ahmad Abdalla, Ayten Amin, Amr Salama (Egypt)
“The End,” Collective Abounabbara (Syria)
“Vanguard,” Collective Abounabbara (Syria)
“Evolution (Megaplex 3D),” Marco Brambilla (U.S.)
www.indiewire.com/article/venice_film_festival_announces_official_lineup/Wonder why Madonna's movie is in the "out of competition" section? I am happy they are showing her movie in Venice, however.
, if that's the only other choice.
