What to see
Founded in 1932 and now in its 75th year, the Venice Film Festival is the oldest of its kind in the world. Rivalled only by Cannes and Berlin in prestige, the festival – in its own words – aims “to raise awareness and promote international cinema in all its forms as art, entertainment and as an industry, in a spirit of freedom and dialogue”. Numerous film screenings celebrate new and archive films throughout the festival.
Part of the Venice Biennale – a Venetian organisation devoted to promoting the arts – the most anticipated part of the proceedings is the presentation of a number of awards to recognise deserving films and the talented people who make them. The Golden Lion, or Leone d’Oro, is the ultimate accolade, awarded to the best film screened at the festival; last year’s winner was Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water, and other previous winners have included Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere (2010).
Image Source: http://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/2018
Whether you’re planning to get your hands on tickets to a screening or you just want to see which famous movie stars you might spot, the Film Festival is a great time to visit Venice. The festival takes place on the Lido di Venezia, a 12km-long island in Venice famous for its beach – a great place to unwind in the late summer sun. The Palazzo del Cinema, which you’ll find on the Lungomare Marconi, is the setting for the main screenings, with more hosted in other nearby locations.
This year’s film line-up and tickets for public screenings will be released nearer the time, so keep an eye on the Venice Film Festival website for information when it’s available at the end of July. There’s typically a mix of brand new releases – some of which get their red carpet premiere at the festival – and older films.
In between experiencing the glitz and glamour of the festival’s film screenings, you have the Lido as well as the rest of beautiful Venice at your disposal for some serious sightseeing. It’s an easy vaporetto ride to the main island and famous attractions such as San Marco, the Doge’s Palace and the Rialto, or to other beautiful Venetian islands such as Murano and Burano.
If you’re thinking of heading to Venice for the Film Festival, why not combine your trip to Venice with a visit to Istria, Croatia’s holiday paradise? With Venezia Lines High Speed Connections, our ferries from Venice to Croatia make it easy to visit both in one holiday, so we’ll tell you more about Istria in our next post.
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