Venice Film Festival has announced its 2021 lineup. The 78th edition of the fest will see see 21 titles competing for the fest’s highest honor, the Golden Lion, and five of them are directed or co-directed by women, amounting to about 24 percent of the slate. Last year’s Competition program marked a historic high for women helmers: 44 percent of the films were directed or co-directed by women.
As previously announced, Jane Campion’s latest, period drama “The Power of the Dog,” is set to make its world premiere in Competition at the fest. Other titles in the program include Ana Lily Amirpour’s “Mona Lisa and The Blood Moon,” a fantasy story about a girl with unusual powers, and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s feature directorial debut, “The Lost Daughter,” an adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s novel about a beach vacation that takes an unexpected turn.
Nine titles are featured in the Out of Competition – Fiction slate, and exactly zero of them are helmed by women. Fortunately, women aren’t shut out of the Out of Competition – Non-Fiction slate. Of eight titles, three are directed or co-directed by women, including Diana El Jeiroudi’s “Republic of Silence,” which sees the documentary filmmaker reflecting on growing up in Syria.
Two Special Screenings have been announced, and one of them is helmed by a woman: Simona Ventura’s “Le 7 Giornate Di Bergamo,” a doc exploring the impact of COVID-19 on Bergamo, Italy.
The Horizons sidebar section includes eight titles, and four are directed or co-directed by women. Mounia Akl’s “Costa Brava,” a dark comedy about a family who escapes the pollution of Beirut by fleeing to their mountain home, is among the features set to screen. The program is dedicated to exploring “new trends in world cinema,” and will feature a new prize, the inaugural Audience Award honor, voted on by festival-goers,” The Hollywood Reporter details.
Venice Film Festival runs from September 1-11. Jamie Lee Curtis is this year’s recipient of the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement. She’ll accept the award ahead of the premiere of the latest chapter of the “Halloween” franchise, “Halloween Kills.”
Check out the women-directed and co-directed titles screening at Venice below. List adapted from THR.
VENEZIA 78 – COMPETITION
Mona Lisa And The Blood Moon, dir: Ana Lily Amirpour
The Power Of The Dog, dir: Jane Campion
L’Evénement, dir: Audrey Diwan
The Lost Daughter, dir: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Captain Volkonogov Escaped, dirs: Natasha Merkulova, Aleksey Chupov
OUT OF COMPETITION – NON-FICTION
Republic Of Silence, dir: Diana El Jeiroudi
Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song, dirs: Daniel Geller, Dayna Goldfine
Deandré#Deandré Storio Di Un Impiegato, dir: Roberta Lena
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
Le 7 Giornate Di Bergamo, dir: Simona Ventura
HORIZONS EXTRA
Land Of Dreams, dirs: Shirin Neshat, Shoja Azari
Costa Brava, dir: Mounia Akl
Ma Nuit, dir: Antoinette Boulat
La Ragazza Ha Volato, dir: Wilma Labate
