The Venice Film Festival: The Red Carpet & Beyond

Lady Gaga on the Red Carpet - Venice Film Festival 2018
Photo: La Biennale di Venezia (ASAC)

In anticipation of the 80th Venice Film Festival that starts this Wednesday, August 30, 2023, the following is a digital article I wrote in 2018 for the now defunct LUXOS Magazine, slightly edited.

The Red Carpet and Beyond

by Cat Bauer 

Glitz, glamour and thought-provoking films - Welcome to La Biennale 75th Venice International Film Festival, where stars are born

Cinema is a magical medium that whisks us to another realm. Watching world premieres with the stars themselves at the Sala Grande on the Lido is an intoxicating experience -- especially with the ethereal city of Venice as the backdrop.

Celebrities zoom across the lagoon in a boat taxi, then segue to posing on the red carpet, straight to sitting in a balcony seat with the audience. There they watch the world premiere of their film together with their fans.

This year, a lucky few had the chance to screen “A Star is Born” together with first-time actor Lady Gaga and first-time director Bradley Cooper — in a theatre that was actually struck by lightning during a violent summer storm. Talk about electricity! 

There was clear chemistry between the two during the press conference earlier in the day. Cooper said, “...we both came from East Coast Italian-American families. So we had a real synchronicity on that level from our upbringing.” 

Venice is a launchpad for Oscar-winning films, a place where stars truly are born. 

Academy Award winning director Damien Chazelle’s “First Man” starring Ryan Gosling as moon-walker Neil Armstrong kicked off this year’s festival. In 2016, Chazelle’s “La La Land” was the opener, which went on to receive 14 Oscar nominations, winning six, including Best Director, making him the youngest to win the category. 

The president of this year’s jury is two-time Academy Award winning director and screenwriter Giullermo del Toro, whose “The Shape of Water” won the Oscar for Best Picture after winning last year’s Golden Lion, Venice’s top award. 

A feisty future Academy Award winning actress Jennifer Lawrence popped up in Venice way back in 2008 just weeks after her 18th birthday, winning the emerging artist Marcello Mastroianni Prize for her performance in the world premiere of Guillermo Arriaga’s “The Burning Plain.” 

That same year, Academy Award winning director Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler” won the Golden Lion. The list goes on and on. 

Cat Bauer in the Campari Lounge at the Venice Film Festival

The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the world and one of the most prestigious.

The Venice Film Festival is the grande dame of all film festivals. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi di Misurata in 1932, the first edition took place on the terrace of the majestic Hotel Excelsior, a venue that remains a hub of activity today. 

Sipping cocktails overlooking the Adriatic Sea with the bustle of movie people in the background is a favourite pastime for film buffs all over the world. 

Since 2018 is the 75th edition of the festival, it would seem that the numbers don’t add up. 

Explanation: The festival wasn’t held during the 12 missing years for various reasons, one of which was that in 1946 the Palazzo del Cinema had been requisitioned by WWII Allies.

The Venice Film Festival has evolved into an intimate village with grassy knolls and eateries sprinkled throughout the grounds, and state-of-the-art theatres pulsing with soundtracks. 

With films screening in original languages from all over the globe, and the new cutting-edge Virtual Reality competition, it is a chance to grab a front-row seat and watch stars be born.

For more information about the film festival, visit La Biennale di Venezia’s website.