Italian Cinema Builds on Bumper Budgets to Up Quality, Be Bolder, Battle in International Markets
variety.comNick Vivarelli International Correspondent Venice Film Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera is adamant about his decision to place six Italian movies in this year’s 23-title festival lineup. “Nobody accused the French of chauvinism because they had seven French films in competition in Cannes this year,” Barbera quipped to a snarky Italian reporter when the Venice lineup was announced in July, though he did concede, “It’s true that in the past I have not done this.” Indeed, Barbera’s previous limit on Italian movies in competition for the Golden Lion was five titles last year, which some local critics considered a stretch.
More importantly, the Venice chief pointed out that he presently sees Cinema Italiano at a particularly favorable juncture largely thanks to the fact that Italians are making movies with bigger budgets, “which means greater quality and the ability to compete in international markets, and to travel beyond our borders,” he said. “Providing more resources also means giving directors the possibility to better express themselves; to be more daring; to seek new narratives and perhaps try innovative visual languages while also seeking to resonate with the general public,” Barbera noted.
One case in point is “My Brilliant Friend” director Saverio Costanzo’s highend costume drama “Finally Dawn,” featuring a stellar cast comprising Lily James (“Pam & Tommy”), Joe Keery (“Stranger Things”), Rachel Sennott (“Shiva Baby”), Willem Dafoe and Italian newcomer Rebecca Antonaci.
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