We don’t think we’re going to shock anybody by saying that 2020 has, thus far at least, been a dreadful year for film festivals. That’s not the fault of the movie industry. As we all know through week after week of being asked to stay indoors for our own good, it hasn’t been possible to hold many of the major international film festivals this year because having so many people in one place isn’t possible right now. We suspect that in years to come, this won’t be seen as a vintage year for entertainment - although we imagine that as a year, it will provide ripe inspiration for the filmmakers of the future.
That's not to say that some film festivals haven't been able to go ahead. We have the internet to thank for that. In the same way that the casino industry hasn't died because online slots websites have been able to provide people with a way of playing casino games, the film festival scene has been kept alive by virtual festivals. Ask any gambler, and they'll tell you that online slots websites are great, but there are certain aspects of the real thing that they can't replace. You might still be able to get a big win from an Online Slots UK, but it doesn't replace the thrill of beating someone in person at a card table. In the same way, participating in a virtual film festival isn't as immersive an experience as mixing with the crowd and sharing a great movie experience together.
Thankfully, we have some great news to report on that front. Plans can change, but right now, the Venice Film Festival is planning to be the first big in-person to make a full-scale return to action with an in-person event running from September 2nd to September 12th. We’ve already had the chance to cast our eye over what will be appearing on the event’s big screens, and these are the movies we think you should get excited about.
Nomadland
There’s been a buzz about this film ever since it was picked up by Fox in early 2019. The director and producer pairing of Chloe Zhao and Frances McDormand have brought Jessica Bruder's original novel to life, with McDormand also starring in the movie's lead role alongside David Stratham. It's a gritty exploration of life for older American citizens who found themselves adversely affected by the great recession of 2009 and packed up their homes and their lives to travel across America in search of new employment and, by extension, a new life. While this may be a fictional account with fictional tales to tell, it's got strong roots in reality and paints an uncompromising picture of life for our elders in 21st Century America. This movie has "Oscar-worthy" written all over it, and will doubtless be one of the 'must-see' events of the festival.
The Duke
If “Nomadland” isn’t the star of the festival, then that accolade will probably go to “The Duke” - an all-British heist movie that stars tried and tested actors Helen Mirren and Jim Broadbent as they try to solve the riddle of a stolen portrait of the Duke of Wellington. Like "Nomadland," this film is inspired by real-life events dating back to the early 1960s. To add to the all-star feel of this production, Roger Mitchell of "Notting Hill" fame is in the director's chair, which makes it a small wonder that Hugh Grant isn't involved. Despite the criminal theme, this is described as an uplifting comedy, and would also have premiered at the Telluride Film Festival had the event not been canceled.
The World To Come
Casey Affleck’s company Sea Change Media acquired the rights to turn Jim Shepard’s novel “The World To Come Into A Film,” and the performer himself has elected to take one of the lead roles in a frontier drama that also features Vanessa Kirby and Katherine Waterston in prominent roles. There will be few laughs in the running time of this one, which tells the story of two women who form a life-changing friendship amid the isolation and despondency of life on the American frontier during the 19th century. Mona Fastvold was the director of the film, which marks the first time she's agreed to helm the production of a screenplay that she didn't write herself. She found herself drawn to the screenplay after receiving it, and will be hoping that the same factors that drew her into the tale have the same effect on the audience.
Mainstream
Gia Coppola’s “Mainstream” is remarkable for the fact that despite having a famous name in the director’s chair and a cast that includes Andrew Garfield, Maya Hawke, and Jason Schwartzman, it’s been filmed and produced for a budget of just five million dollars. In the context of modern film-making, that’s almost nothing at all. Personal relationships in the modern age will be brought to the forebear of this deeply personal drama, which tells the tale of three people confronting their own identity issues as they form an unlikely three-way relationship that’s mostly conducted across the internet. Expect to see plenty of Skype or Zoom calls on the big screen - but by now, you should all be used to seeing those apps on a regular basis anyway. This has been described as a “cautionary tale,” so expect a heavy moral message to go with the drama.
We've selected a mere four films from a lineup that contains several dozen. Including all of them here would be impossible, and we don't mean to dismiss those we haven't mentioned by way of omission. This year's Venice Film Festival, so long as it goes ahead, should be viewed as a triumph over extremely difficult circumstances. If the movies it shows are of high quality, we should view that as a bonus in 2020. Nevertheless, the information that we have about the lineup looks good on paper, and we expect great things from the four that we've chosen to highlight. As always, though, there's a strong chance that one of the more unheralded entries will end up catching the eye. That's the joy of film festivals, and it's been far too long since we got the chance to see one.