The 65th annual Venice Film Festival is set to run August 27 through September 6 and wonderfully droll and pretentious German director Wim Wenders will preside over the jury.
Apparently, rumors had it that Meryl Streep was being tapped to head up the jury panel, but Wenders 35-year relationship with the Lido – as it’s known – was evidently too strong (his “The Goalkeeper’s Fear of the Penalty Kick” appeared at Venice in 1972 and he won the Golden Lion top prize 10 years later for “The State of Things”).
Now, we love Wenders hair and could pretty much listen to him talk for hours, but when was the last time he made a good film (“Buena Vista Club” not withstanding)? Huh? We digress.
Wenders will chair a jury that will vote from a 22-film competition lineup that hasn’t been announced yet. The Hollywood Reporter notes that for the past two years Venice’s line-up was comprised entirely of world premieres. We would say that would steal some thunder from TIFF ’08, but clearly they’re OK with recycling films from other festivals (at least, so far).
The Venice Film Festival is notable in recent years for 3 things. 1) Having the insane audacity to give Brian DePalma the Best Director Award for last year’s piece-of-shit laugh-fest that was “Redacted” 2) Awarding the sleep-inducing “Lust Caution” the top prize, zzzzz…. and 3) Being one of the few film festivals of 2008 to recognize Brad Pitt and the excellence that was “The Assasination of Jesse James.” As you were.
Update: Variety says the Coen brothers’ “Burn After Reading” will open Venice.
