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PEOPLE & ARTS Wednesday 28 august 2019
Venice Film Festival to host Oscar hopefuls, controversy

By LINDSEY BAHR the United States. It stars
Associated Press Edgar Ramirez, Penelope
It may be the oldest film Cruz and Ana de Armas
festival in the world but at and was partially filmed in
76, the Venice Internation- Cuba.
al Film Festival is more rele- "For a movie like this it is
vant and divisive than ever. very important to be in
Kicking off Wednesday in Venice, and Toronto and
the normally sleepy beach New York," Assayas said. "It
town of Lido, this year's fes- gives us the kind of visibility
tival has already become we need."
a hotbed for discussion Venice is the unofficial start
about the Oscar hopefuls of the fall film festival sea-
launching there, its em- son, with the Toronto Inter-
brace of controversial film- national Film Festival and
makers like Roman Polan- Telluride and New York
ski and Nate Parker in the festivals following shortly
#MeToo era and its lack of after. It helps define the
female directors. films in awards discussion
Among the highest-profile until the Oscars in February.
films debuting in compe- Last year saw the debuts of
tition for the prestigious In this Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, file photo, jury member Naomi Watts poses for photographers upon Oscar winners like "A Star Is
Golden Lion Award, which arrival at the closing ceremony of the 75th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy. Born," ''Roma" and "The Fa-
last year went to Alfonso Associated Press vourite," while in 2017 Ven-
Cuaron's "Roma," include: ice premiered the eventual
James Gray's space epic went to Roman Polanski's "There are festivals that are my life as I grow as a direc- best picture winner "The
"Ad Astra" starring Brad Pitt; espionage thriller "An Offi- committed to making sys- tor," Al-Mansour said. "I'm Shape of Water."
Noah Baumbach's divorce cer and a Spy." The "Rose- temic change and those very grateful for the op- It's also one of the friendlier
drama "Marriage Story" mary's Baby" director has that felt forced to be a part portunity to bring my voice festivals for streaming. Netf-
starring Scarlett Johansson; been a fugitive for more of an agenda they had to the world with such an lix is bringing three films this
Steven Soderbergh's Pan- than 40 years. He fled the no interest in. The Venice amazing platform for film- year: "Marriage Story," ''The
ama Papers comedy "The U.S. after pleading guilty to Film Festival is clearly in lat- makers. But (it's) still very Laundromat," and David
Laundromat," with Meryl unlawful sex with a minor. ter camp," Silverstein said. nerve-wracking. It's a big Michod's "The King," an ad-
Streep; "Waiting for the Bar- The festival is also hosting "The only way a festival can screen and it's a big festi- aptation of several Shake-
barians," a J.M. Coetzee the premiere of "American change is if the leadership val." speare plays starring Timo-
adaptation with Johnny Skin," the first film from Nate wants it to change. Nobody She would like to see more thee Chalamet.
Depp and Robert Pattin- Parker since a rape allega- is expecting the change to women in competition, Julie Andrews is being hon-
son; and "Joker," an uncon- tion from his past derailed be easy, but the message as would Olivier Assayas, ored with the Golden Lion
ventional, Martin Scorsese- the release of his Nat Turner this festival is sending is that who also debuted his first for Lifetime Achievement,
inspired origin story about biopic "The Birth of a Na- abusers are more welcome feature there over 30 years which will coincide with a
Batman's foe starring Joa- tion" in 2016. than women directors." ago and credits the festi- retrospective screening of
quin Phoenix. Melissa Silverstein, the A spot at Venice has val for putting him "on the "Victor Victoria," directed
For "Joker" director and co- founder and publisher of helped launch careers, like map." by her late husband Blake
writer Todd Phillips, the fes- the website Women and Al-Mansour, Saudi Arabia's Known for writing and di- Edwards. The festival opens
tival debut will be helpful in Hollywood and co-founder first female director, whose recting films with complex Wednesday night with the
"educating the audience" of the Athena Film Festival, first feature "Wadjda" female leads, Assayas premiere of "The Truth," Hi-
before it opens in theaters has been one of the most played at Venice in 2012. is coming this year with rokazu Kore-eda's first film
on Oct. 4. vocal critics of the pro- "Venice has been really an "Wasp Network," based on set outside of Japan, which
"We don't want to mislead gramming, which festival important launch for my the stories of the "Cuban stars Catherine Deneuve as
people," Phillips said. "Com- director Alberto Barbera career. This time I'm in the Five," a spy ring in the 1990s a French movie star Juliette
ic book movies have been has defended as worthy competition so hopefully that was controversially ar- Binoche as her estranged
these giant, great specta- choices. this marks a new stage in rested and imprisoned by screenwriter daughter.q
cles and this is truly a char-
acter study."
But only two of the 21 films Margaret Atwood among 2019 Center for Fiction honorees
in competition are from fe-
male directors: Shannon Associated Press tured and championed
Murphy in her directing de- NEW YORK (AP) — Literary fiction writers. Nesbit's cli-
but with "Babyteeth," star- agent Lynn Nesbit and Mar- ents have included Jeffrey
ring Ben Mendelsohn, and garet Atwood and some of Eugenides, Anne Rice and
"The Perfect Candidate" the forces behind the Hulu Tom Wolfe. Atwood, Hulu
from Saudi Arabian director adaptation of her novel executive Craig Erwich
Haifaa Al-Mansour about a "The Handmaid's Tale" will and Bruce Miller, creator
young Saudi female doc- be this year's honorees at and showrunner of the Hulu
tor who decides to run for the Center for Fiction's ben- "Handmaid's Tale" series will
office. It's an increase from efit and awards dinner. be presented the center's
last year, which only had The Center announced first ever On Screen Award
Jennifer Kent's "The Night- Tuesday that Nesbit would for an adaptation that re-
ingale," but still far from receive the Maxwell E. Per- flects the "complexity and
equal. kins Award, given to an vision of great novels." The This April 13, 2018 file photo shows author Margaret Atwood at
On top of that, one of the editor, publisher, or agent ceremony will be held Dec. Variety's Power of Women: New York event in New York.
coveted competition slots who has discovered, nur- 10 in New York.q Associated Press