We’re just a week away from the unveiling of the initial lineup of films competing at this year’s Venice Film Festival. And as we prepare for what is shaping up to be a star-studded event, the festival went ahead and announced the lineup of its Critics’ Week selections, which includes nine films from first-time feature filmmakers such as actress Billie Piper.
That’s right, according to Variety, the “Doctor Who” and “Secret Diary of a Call Girl” actress is preparing her directorial debut, “Rare Beasts,” for Venice Critics’ Week. The film, which stars Piper alongside Lily James, Leo Bill, and David Thewlis, tells the story of a struggling writer and young mother that comes from a very dysfunctional family.
Critics’ Week head Giona Nazzaro called the film “a completely unhinged comedy.”
As mentioned, “Rare Beasts” is one of nine films selected to screen during the section. And it’s also interesting to note that out of the nine films, four of them (including “Rare Beasts”) are directed by female filmmakers, showing that festivals are starting to take notice of the inequality amongst male and female directors that seems to run rampant at these events.
Joining Piper’s film are Indian animated film “Bombay Rose” by Gitanjali Rao, Shahad Ameen’s “Scales,” Ahmad Ghossein’s “All This Victory,” Mantas Kvedaravicius’ “Parthenon,” Marie Grahto’s “Pyschosia,” Ascanio Petrini’s “Tony Driver,” Sebastián Munoz’s “The Prince,” and Joshua Gil’s “Sanctorum,” which will close out the program.
Next week, we’ll get a first look at the lineup of the competition films that will screen at the Venice Film Festival. But for now, it seems like the out-of-competition films, such as those at Critics’ Week, are shaping up to be pretty great.
The Venice Film Festival begins on August 28.
