- Title: Venice Film Festival to showcase real stars and virtual reality
- Date: 27th July 2017
- Summary: VENICE, ITALY (FILE - SEPTEMBER 1, 2015) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** GONDOLA PASSING IN VENICE CANAL MAN AND WOMAN IN GONDOLA, WAVING GONDOLAS UNDER BRIDGE PEOPLE WALKING PAST DOGE'S PALACE NEAR ST. MARK'S SQUARE SUN SHINING BEHIND VENICE LION STATUE VENICE, ITALY (FILE - SEPTEMBER 4, 2016) (REUTERS) BOATS ARRIVING AT VENICE LIDO VENICE, ITALY (FILE - AUGUST 28, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ACTORS GEORGE CLOONEY AND SANDRA BULLOCK ARRIVING BY BOAT TO PRESENT "GRAVITY" AT THE FESTIVAL VENICE, ITALY (FILE - AUGUST 31, 2016) (REUTERS) PEOPLE ON RED CARPET ON OPENING NIGHT OF 73RD EDITION OF THE VENICE FILM FESTIVAL
- Embargoed: 10th August 2017 15:27
- Keywords: Venice Film Festival line-up announcement 74th edition director Alberto Barbera virtual reality Mother! George Clooney
- Location: ROME AND VENICE, ITALY / LOS ANGELES AND PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- City: ROME AND VENICE, ITALY / LOS ANGELES AND PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
- Country: Italy
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment,Film
- Reuters ID: LVA0026RHTC99
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A shrunken Matt Damon will open the 74th annual Venice Film Festival next month, organisers said on Thursday, as they unveiled the line-up for an event which has become a bellwether for Oscars success.
Staying within the realms of science-fiction, the world's oldest film festival will also invite attendees to don virtual-reality headsets for what organisers say is the first-ever competition for the genre at a major cinema showcase.
Curtains open on August 30 with Alexander Payne's "Downsizing", a satire about a couple who decide to undergo a procedure to have themselves shrunk to four inches tall, starring Damon, Kristen Wiig and Christoph Waltz.
Also vying for the Golden Lion top prize are 20 other titles including the unexpected addition of Darren Aranofsky's "mother!", a horror starring Jennifer Lawrence.
Distributor Paramount was in two minds over presenting the film at a festival, fearing spoilers, festival director Alberto Barbera told a news conference in Rome, adding he was very satisfied with the eventual line-up.
Damon reappears in "Suburbicon", directed by festival stalwart George Clooney. The black comedy also stars Julianne Moore.
Another hotly-anticipated entry is "Human Flow" a documentary about the global refugee crisis by Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei.
Entrants will be hoping for a replay of the success of films such as "La La Land", "Gravity" and "Birdman" which have all gone from Venice launches to Academy Awards triumph.
Outside of competition, Judi Dench plays Britain's 19th-century queen in "Victoria and Abdul", Stephen Frears's latest historical work on the British monarchy.
Director James Toback brings together Sienna Miller and Alec Baldwin in independent drama "The Private Life of a Modern Woman" and Spanish power couple Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz appear in "Loving Pablo" by Fernando Leon de Aranoa.
The Lifetime Achievement Award will be picked up by Jane Fonda and Robert Redford, who will also present their new film "Our Souls at Night", directed by Ritesh Batra.
American Beauty star Annette Bening heads the jury for the festival, which runs from Aug. 30 until Sept. 9. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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