As glamorous as Cannes, the world’s oldest film festival has served up some iconic moments in its 86-year history. Vogue remembers some of the best.
“The Venice Film Festival was like passing a final exam,” director Federico Fellini said after his work was accepted by the esteemed competition. Evolving out of a recurring late 19th-century art exhibition, the festival, which was first held in 1932, is the oldest of its kind. Traditionally hosted on the Venetian island of Lido, the event sees new releases vying to win its highest accolade, the Golden Lion, recognised globally as a mark of cinematic prestige.
One of the “Big Three” alongside the Cannes Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival, Venice has all the star-studded appeal of the former, as well as the auteurist leanings of the latter, while also bringing its own distinct qualities, championing arthouse Italian films alongside global blockbusters in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
The event’s history is peppered with significant cultural moments including the cementing of Marlon Brando as an acting great with the screening of On the Waterfront (1954) and the posthumous release of Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut (1999). Alongside this, the Queer Lion award for films representing LGBT themes was initiated in 2007, and in 2012, the organisation began online streaming of showcased movies for public viewing. This year marks its 75th edition, beginning 29 August and ending 8 September 2018.
Vogue (image credits: Getty Images)
