The 78th edition of the Venice Film Festival runs from September 1-11 and it appears that this year’s line-up contains some of the most eagerly anticipated movies of 2021, including Edgar Wright’s oft-delayed horror Last Night in Soho, Ridley Scott’s medieval epic The Last Duel, and Pablo Larraín’s Kristen Stewart headlined drama Spencer.
Taking place over a weekend in 1991, Spencer will tell the story of Diana’s decision to end her marriage to Charles, Prince of Wales. Director Pablo Larraín stunned with his 2016 biopic Jackie, so anticipation is high that he can achieve similar results with Kristen Stewart playing the iconic Princess.
Elsewhere Pedro Almodovar’s Parallel Mothers will open the festival, which also brings Denis Villeneuve’s Dune and David Gordon Green’s Halloween Kills to the lagoon of Northern Italy. The in-person celebration will also take in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut The Lost Daughter, starring Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, and Jessie Buckley, and A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night‘s Ana Lily Amirpour returns with Mona Lisa And The Blood Moon, a fantasy film which stars Kate Hudson as a girl with unusual powers who escapes from a mental institute.
Here is the full line-up:
IN COMPETITION
Parallel Mothers, Pedro Almodovar
Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon, Ana Lily Amirpour
Un Autre Monde, Stephane Brize
The Power of the Dog, Jane Campion
America Latina, Damiano D’Innocenzo, Fabio D’Innocenzo
L’Evenement, Audrey Diwan
Official Competition, Gaston Depart, Mariano Cohn
The Hole, Michelangelo Frammartino
Sundown, Michel Franco
Lost Illusions, Xavier Giannoli
The Lost Daughter, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Spencer, Pablo Larrain
Freaks Out, Gabriele Mainetti
Qui Rido Io, Mario Martone
On The Job: The Missing 8, Eric Matti
Leave No Traces, Jan P. Matuszyski
Captain Volkonogov Escaped, Yuriy Borisov (Russia, Estonia, France)
The Card Counter, Paul Schrader
The Hand of God, Paolo Sorrentino
Reflection, Valentin Vasyanovych
La Caja, Lorenzo Vigas
OUT OF COMPETITION – FICTION
Il Bambino Nascosto, Roberto Andò
Les Choses Humaines, Yvan Attal
Ariaferma, Leonardo Di Costanzo
Halloween Kills, David Gordon Green
La Scuola Cattolica, Stefano Mordini
Old Henry, Potsy Ponciroli
The Last Duel, Ridley Scott
Dune, Denis Villeneuve
Last Night in Soho, Edgar Wright
OUT OF COMPETITION – NON-FICTION
Life Of Crime, Jon Alpert
Tranchees, Loup Bureau
Viaggio Nel Crepuscolo, Augusto Contento
Republic of Silence, Diana El Jeiroudi
Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song, Daniel Geller, Dayna Goldfine
DeAndre#Deandre Storia di un Impiegato, Roberta Lena
Django&Django, Luca Rea
