Latest in Alberto Barbera

In an introduction to the Venice Film Festival lineup announced this morning in Rome, Alberto Barbera, commented, "The winter of our dismay turned into a springtime of anxiety, and then slipped slowly into a summer marked by uncertainty and fear over a fraught future." The fest’s director later spoke with Deadline…

The Venice Film Festival this morning said that the 77th edition will go ahead from September 2-12 with certain changes owing to sanitary protocols imposed by the COVID-19 crisis. The overall number of films in the official selection will be reduced, down to about 50-55, while the competitive sections Venezia 77 and…

Alberto Barbera, Artistic Director of the Venice Film Festival, has outlined some of the coronavirus preventative measures that the event could employ for its next edition in September, if the fest does go ahead. Quoted in Italian outlet ANSA, Babera said that Venice would likely take place in a "necessarily…

EXCLUSIVE: Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbera has had plenty to ponder in the festival’s first week. There have been strong receptions for flagship movies such as Joker, Marriage Story and Ad Astra, on-going debate over the scarcity of women in Competition and drama when jury president Lucrecia Martel had…

The Venice Film Festival is getting underway today, kicking off with the world premiere of Hirokazu Kore-eda’s The Truth. However, before the red carpet rollout this evening, there was some spirited discussion — and a bit of dissension in the ranks — at the annual opening press conference. The panel, led by Venice…

A few years ago, a politically charged movie starring and directed by Nate Parker, and championed by Spike Lee, would have all but walked into the Toronto Film Festival. Not this year. The cultural landscape has been radically and vitally reshaped by the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. As part of that reshaping, a…

UPDATE: Much of the Venice Film Festival’s 2019 competition field, which was announced this morning in Rome, lines up as expected with Warner Bros/DC origns story Joker; Fox/Disney’s Brad Pitt space drama Ad Astra; Steven Soderbergh’s starry Netflix dark comedy, The Laundromat; and Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story from…

The Venice Film Festival has designated Julie Andrews the recipient of the 2019 Golden Lion for Career Achievement. The Mary Poppins and Sound Of Music star will receive the honor at the 76th Lido event which runs August 28-September 7. Andrews responded today, "I am so honored to have been selected as this year's…

In 2012 Venice chief Alberto Barbera began a campaign to grow Hollywood’s presence on the Lido. The festival had always been an A-list arthouse event, but Barbera went to U.S. studios and leading American producers to explain his project to make Venice a key awards season launch-pad. Regular visits to LA continue to…

From Roma to Suspiria and A Star Is Born to The Favourite, female actors and characters have shone through on the big screen during the first half of the Venice Film Festival. The phenomenon is notable given the concurrent lament over the lack of women directors on the Lido. Jacques Audiard today became the…

In a striking display of poor taste fashion sense, an Italian filmmaker paraded a ‘Weinstein Is Innocent’ t-shirt on the Venice Film Festival red carpet Saturday night for the world premiere of Suspiria. Venice fest chief Alberto Barbara told Deadline this morning the stunt was “a stupid move.” Luciano Silighini…

The Venice Film Festival has joined festivals in Cannes, Locarno and Sarajevo in putting its signature to a gender parity charter today. Biennale chief Paolo Baratta and fest director Alberto Barbera signed the pledge, begun at Cannes by French organization 5050×2020, with the associations Dissenso Comune and Women…