Venice Film Fest Ends Amid Controversy, Media Backlash
>> Monday, September 10, 2012
ROME -- The worlds oldest film festival ended Saturday amid controversy about how the main awards were decided, followed by vicious attacks in the Italian media about the lack of success from homegrown productions.
Chalk it up to growing pains for a festival that had undergone an ambitious set of changes under newly installed artistic directorAlberto Barbera, in his second stint as artistic director after a 10-year hiatus.
PHOTOS: Venice Film Festival Day 9: Robert Redford and Shia LaBeouf Present 'The Company You Keep'
There is little doubt that this years edition of the festival will be remembered for the scandals that emerged as it drew to a close. The question is whether Barbera and his team can build on the positive.
The international jury headed byMichael Mannwas so enamored withPaul Thomas AndersonsThe Master, a fictional story about the formation of a Scientology-like religion, that it intended to give the film three of the festivals five top awards. Festival rules did not allow that, forcing the jury to pull the main award and hand it instead toKim Ki-duks intense mother-son dramaPieta.
And a day later, the Italian media attacked the festival for turning a blind eye to Italian productions screening on the Lido.
Marco Bellocchios competition entryBella Addormentata (Dormant Beauty), an expertly constructed euthanasia drama, earned much critical praise. But the film left Venice almost empty handed, sparking rage from the 72-year-old director -- honored by Venice with its main career achievement award just last year -- who said he would never again bring a film to the festival.
And two-time Cannes jury prize winnerMatteo Garronecalled his experience as the only Italian member of the jury a nightmare, sparking a personal vow to never serve on another Italian festival jury.
In addition to all that, films from two of the best known directors in the main competition -- both Americans -- were mostly panned by critics:Terrence Malick, in the Venice lineup for the first time ever with his dreamy and confusingTo the Wonder, andBrian De Palma, with his first directorial effort in five years,Passion.The Hollywood Reporter'sTodd McCarthycalledTo the Wonder"an impressionistic mish-mash," whileNeil YoungsaidPassionwas "convoluted" and "disappointingly anemic."
STORY: Venice 2012: Awards Shrouded in Controversy After The Jury Was Prohibited From Giving 'The Master' Top Prize
Lost amid the controversies, however, was an overall strong lineup made up almost exclusievly of world premieres, a more selective program than in past years, films from many figures new to the Lido, and Venices first, tentative steps toward creating a full-fledged market event.
While the jury was blocked from presenting it toThe Master, the "second choice" label for Golden Lion winnerPietawas an unfair fate for the intense filmThe Hollywood ReportercriticDeborah Youngsaid was "violent but ultimately moving."The Masters Anderson was given the Silver Lion for Best Director and co-starsPhilip Seymour HoffmanandJoaquin Phoenixwere given the Coppa Volpi prize for Best Actors -- making it the only film to earn to major prizes.
The Best Actress award went toHadas Yaronfor her work in Israeli productionLemale et HaChalalfromRama Bursthein.Paradies: Glaube (Paradise: Faith), an exploration into religious faith that sparked protests from catholic groups, directed by Austria'sUlrich Seidl, won the Jury Prize.
ActorFabrizio Falco, who appeared in both BellocchiosBella AddormentataandE Stat il Figlio (The Son Was Here)fromDaniele Cipri, was given theMarcello MastroianniAward for the best new young actor. Cipri's film also won the award for Best Technical Contribution.
The Best Screenplay award went toOlivier AssayasforApres Mai (Something in the Air), an early-1970s set story about a group of would-be militants.
TheLuigi de Laurentiisaward for the Best Debut Film went toKuf (Mold), from Turkish directorAli Aydunout of the Critics Week sidebar, while the top prize from the Horizons sidebar was given to Hong Kong productionSan ZimeifromWang Bing.
STORY: Marco Bellocchio, Matteo Garrone Swear Off Festivals After Bad Venice Experiences
Overall, attendance was down around 7 percent compared to last year, though with around 20 percent fewer films, the figures could be seen as an increase.
Meanwhile, Barbera declared the festivals five-day market event completely satisfying even before it concluded. Though the festival had not as of Monday released official attendance figures or a list of deals brokered in the confines of the Lidos Excelsior Hotel, Barbera said there were at least 200 buyers on the Lido who had not come the previous years and that the feedback he received had been positive. His strategy for next year? The same but bigger, he said.
Participants in the market said they were satisfied with the first-year event within the 69-year-old Venice festival
Its a boutique market that will never be as big or as important as Cannes or Berlin, saidCatherine Mtsitouridze, general director of Russias Roskino. But it doesnt have to be that in order to be useful. All it will take is one or two big deals to close here and then the Venice Film Market will be on the map.
Rating: 100% based on 99998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
Author: AdSense bom klik biar banned
Thanks for visiting, Comment and Feedback are welcome...
0 comments:
Post a Comment