Alessandro Borghi hosted the opening night of the 74th Venice Film Festival
Alessandro Borghi opened the 74th Venice Film Festival on the evening of Wednesday, August 30th, on the stage of the Sala Grande (Palazzo del Cinema on the Lido) for the opening ceremony. On September 9th the actor will host the closing ceremony during which the winners of the Lions and the other official awards of the 74th Venice Film Festival will be announced.
Alessandro Borghi is one of the leading figure of the new generation of Italian actors. After many parts in several TV series, in 2016 Alessandro caught the public’s attention starring in the co-leading role in Claudio Caligari’s Non Essere Cattivo (Don’t Be Bad), presented during the 72nd Venice Film Festival and acclaimed by critics and public for the amazing performances by the actors involved; it has also been selected by Italy as its candidate film for the foreign-language Academy Award. Later last year Alessandro played the leading role of “Numero 8” (Number 8) in Stefano Sollima’s crime movie Suburra. Thanks to his interpretations in Suburra and Non essere cattivo he gained two nominations for the David di Donatello. In 2016 Alessandro also appeared in Michele Vannucci’s debut film Il Più Grande Sogno (I Was a Dreamer), based on a true story. He also played the main role in Gabriele Mainetti’s short movie Ningyo. Both movies were presented during the last 73rd Venice Film Festival. The same year, Alessandro won the prestigious Nastro d’Argento as best actor revelation.
In 2017 he has been chosen to represent Italy at the Shooting Stars Film Festival in Berlin, an eminent award as well as a launch pad for the international film market. Moreover, this year he played in Fortunata, the latest film by Sergio Castellitto, which was presented during the 70th Cannes Film Festival. As for future projects, we will see Alessandro in Suburra-the series, the first Italian production by Netflix; Alessandro is currently on the set of Napoli Velata, the latest film by director Ferzan Ozpetek.
The Opening Film:
DOWNSIZING
by ALEXANDER PAYNE
Starring: Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau, Kristen Wiig / USA / 135’
The Closing Film:
OUTRAGE CODA
By KITANO Takeshi.
Starring: Beat Takeshi,Nishida Toshiyuki /Japan/104’
The 74th Venice International Film Festival, organized by La Biennale di Venezia, will run at Venice Lido from August 30th to September 9th, 2017, directed by Alberto Barbera. The Festival is officially recognised by the FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Association).
The aim of the Festival is to raise awareness and promote the various aspects of international cinema in all its forms: as art, entertainment and as an industry, in a spirit of freedom and dialogue.
The Festival also organises retrospectives and tributes to major figures as a contribution towards a better understanding of the history of cinema.
The line-up includes the sections Venezia 74, Orizzonti, Out of Competition, Biennale College – Cinema, Venezia Classici, and Cinema nel Giardino.
The autonomous and parallel sections include the sections International Critics’ Week and the Giornate degli Autori-Venice Days.
The Jury for the Venezia 74 Competition will award the following official prizes: Golden Lion for Best Film; Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize; Silver Lion for Best Director; Coppa Volpi for Best Actor; Coppa Volpi for Best Actress; Award for Best Screenplay; the Special Jury Prize and “Marcello Mastroianni” Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress.
Are attending the Official Selection:
4 Golden Lion-winning directors (Tsai Ming-liang for Vive l’amour, 1994; Gianni Amelio for Così ridevano, 1998; Darren Aronofsky for The Wrestler, 2008; Samuel Maoz for Lebanon, 2009)
3 Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement-winning directors (William Friedkin, Frederick Wiseman, John Woo)
6 Academy Award-winning directors (George Clooney, Martin McDonagh, Alexander Payne, Frederick Wiseman, William Friedkin, Errol Morris)
2 Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize-winning directors (Paolo Virzì for Ovosodo, 1997; Tsai Ming-liang for Jiao you, 2013)
2 Special Jury Prize-winning directors (Abdellatif Kechiche for La graine et le mulet, 2007; Abel Ferrara for Mary, 2005)
1 “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Film – Lion of the Future-winning director (Abdellatif Kechiche for La faute à Voltaire, 2000)
1 Venice Award for a Debut Film – Special Mention-winning director (Salvatore Mereu for Ballo a tre passi, 2003)
1 Controcampo Italiano Award-winning director (Susanna Nicchiarelli for Cosmonauta, 2009)
3 Golden Osella-winning directors (Gianni Amelio for Lamerica, 1994; Anne Fontaine for Nettoyage à sec, 1997; George Clooney for Good Night, and Good Luck., 2005)
Are attending the Competition:
15 directors who are participating for the first time in the Competition of the Venice Film Festival (Ai Weiwei, Guillermo del Toro, Ziad Doueiri, Robert Guédiguian, Andrew Haigh, Xavier Legrand, Manetti Bros., Martin McDonagh, Andrea Pallaoro, Alexander Payne, Vivian Qu, Sebastiano Riso, Paul Schrader, Warwick Thornton, Frederick Wiseman)
2 documentaries (Human Flow by Ai Weiwei; EX LIBRIS – The New York Public Library by Frederick Wiseman)
The 74th Venice International from August 30th – September 9th, 2017. Lido Di Venezia, Italia.
