The Venice Film Festival is set to begin its 83rd edition, marking the start of the fall film festival season with a lineup of star-studded films and timely documentaries. Expected attendees include Noel and Liam Gallagher, Robert Pattinson, Rooney Mara, George Clooney, and Penélope Cruz, with some of the featured films anticipated to be Oscar nominees.
Among the prominent films is Alex Gibney's nearly four-hour documentary about Elon Musk. Gibney, who initially intended to explore Musk as a portrait of 21st-century power, stated that the film suggests Musk is not an inventor but a "confidence man." The documentary, which took nearly four years to complete, is based on interviews with hundreds of people, many of whom reportedly expressed fear of speaking on camera about the Tesla and SpaceX CEO.
Other notable documentaries include Julia Loktev's "My Undesirable Friends: Part II — Exile," which continues her four-year study of independent Russian journalists who fled their country after the invasion of Ukraine, and "NAZA," a late addition to the competition focusing on the conflict in Gaza from filmmakers of the Oscar-winning "No Other Land."
The festival also serves as a platform for potential Oscar contenders. Martin McDonagh's "Wild Horse Nine," starring John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell, and Florian Zeller's "Bunker," a psychological thriller featuring Cruz and Javier Bardem, are among the films generating buzz. Other anticipated features include Danny Boyle's "Ink," and Lance Oppenheim's "Primetime," starring Pattinson.
Hirokazu Kore-eda's "Look Back" and Lee Chang-dong's "Possible Love" are also set to debut. While some major Hollywood productions are skipping festivals this year, Venice aims to showcase a range of international cinema.
The festival has faced criticism regarding gender parity, with only one female director, May El-Toukhy, in the main competition. This follows a pledge made in 2018 to achieve at least 50% female directors in competition by 2020, a goal that has yet to be met. This year's jury president, Maggie Gyllenhaal, whose directorial debut premiered at Venice in 2021, presides over a jury that includes Kaouther Ben Hania, a past award winner.
In addition to films in the main competition, the Venice Open section includes short films, such as Laura Poitras's work on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Gyllenhaal's short about Marilyn Monroe.
Outside the main competition, Venice Days, an independent sidebar, will open with Lili Horvát's "My Notes on Mars." This section features a higher proportion of films directed by women, including several high-profile shorts.