Rome: The 83rd Venice International Film Festival, the world’s oldest film festival, opened on Wednesday on the Lido di Venezia, featuring a broad selection of independent films and a notable Arab cinema presence, including eight films and projects supported by the Doha Film Institute.
The festival, which runs until September 12, opened with Ink, directed by British filmmaker Danny Boyle. The film explores the history of British newspaper The Sun. American star George Clooney was also honoured during the opening ceremony with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement for his career as an actor, director and producer.
A total of 21 films are competing for the festival’s top prize this year, only two of which are directed by women. Artificial intelligence also has a prominent presence at this year’s festival, both through works exploring the impact of technology and new approaches to film production.
Qatar’s presence is particularly significant through the Doha Film Institute, with DFI-supported films and projects featured across four major programmes.
La Maison Du Vent (House of the Wind), directed by Bernard Auguste, is competing in the Orizzonti section, while Conversation with the Sea, directed by Muayad Alayan, is being presented in Venice Spotlight.
The Venice Gap-Financing Market also includes two DFI-supported films: Faux Bijoux, directed by Jessy Moussallem, and Wolfmother, directed by Ismael El Iraki.
Four projects are participating in the Final Cut in Venice program: A Quarter to Thursday by Sofia Djama, Eldorado, The Taste of the South by Alaa Eddine Aljem, Occupational Hazards by Bassel Ghandour, and Plague by Youssef Chebbi.
