The Venice Film Festival opened on Wednesday 2 September with a main competition selection of five first works from among the record-setting 19 debut or second efforts in the overall selection.
There is general consensus that the festival’s line-up of relatively unknown directors is partially due to the downturn in the world economy – new directors generally cost less. A first for the festival is a sidebar competition for 3D films.
Baaria, from Oscar winner Giuseppe Tornatore, will be the first Italian film to open the festival in a generation.
The 66th edition of the festival ends on 12 September.
