Venice to Roll Out Red Carpet for Clooney on Opening Night
The festival is leaning on star power and art-house titles as major Hollywood studio premieres mostly stay away.
- On Wednesday, the Venice Film Festival opened on the Lido, awarding 65-year-old actor George Clooney a lifetime achievement honor on opening night. The charismatic megastar brings A-lister appeal despite Hollywood studios largely staying away this year.
- Most major Hollywood productions are skipping Venice this year due to studio risk-aversion; budget-conscious executives prefer tightly controlled premieres over festivals offering no guarantee of critical acclaim.
- Venice focuses this year on small, art-house films, including Susan Sarandon in Andrea Pallaoro's "The Echo Chamber" and documentaries about Elon Musk and Rupert Murdoch. The lineup reflects the festival's shift toward independent cinema.
- Disney-Produced documentary "Don't Look Back in Anger" covers the Oasis comeback tour and reconciliation of brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher. Festival organisers promised the Gallaghers will attend Saturday's premiere at the Sala Grande.
- Artistic director Alberto Barbera emphasized the festival's commitment to social issues, stating, "There are no fewer than four films that deal with the Palestinian issue and the current situation in Iran, so there can be no doubt about where we stand on this matter.
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35 Articles
George Clooney received an honorary Golden Lion for lifetime achievement at the opening of the Venice Film Festival, where he gave a speech about art and politics. The award was presented to him by his longtime friend and colleague Laura Dern, who described Clooney as an actor of great integrity and a man dedicated to others. Clooney began his speech with a joking tone, saying: "When they tell you you're going to receive a lifetime achievement a…
George Clooney Blasts Rise of Censorship and Authoritarians Who ‘Peddle in Fear’ During Venice Honors
"The people who are afraid of books and music and stories, they're never the heroes in history," George Clooney says in his Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement acceptance
George Clooney Calls Out ‘Authoritarians’ and ‘People Who Peddle in Fear’ in Moving Venice Golden Lion Speech: They’re ‘Never the Heroes in History’
George Clooney delivered a moving speech about the power of art in times of political turmoil at Venice Film Festival as he accepted the Golden Lion.
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