“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 Cannes Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival, Venice Film Festival has all the star-studded appeal of the former as well as the auteurist leanings of the latter, while also distinguishing itself by 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). More recently, the Queer Lion award for films representing LGBTQ+ themes was initiated in 2007, and in 2012, the organisation began online streaming of showcased movies for public viewing. This year marks its 77th edition, set to run from 2 to 12 September 2020.
Ahead of opening night, we revisit the festival through 17 glamorous vintage images featuring the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Ross, Jane Fonda, and Sophia Loren.
