Paolo Sorrentino to Open Venice Film Festival with “La Grazia”

The film La Grazia, written and directed by Oscar-winning Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino, will open the 82nd edition of the Venice Film Festival with its world premiere and as part of the official competition, the festival’s organizers announced Friday. The event will take place from August 27 to September 6.

Sorrentino’s new film, starring his longtime collaborator Toni Servillo alongside Anna Ferzetti, will be screened in the Sala Grande of the Palazzo del Cinema on the Venice Lido.

Festival director Alberto Barbera expressed his delight at launching this year’s event with “the much-anticipated new film by Paolo Sorrentino,” calling him “one of the most important and internationally acclaimed Italian auteurs,” and noting his long-standing relationship with the festival.

Born in Naples in 1970, Sorrentino made his Venice debut in 2001 with his first feature L’uomo in più. His ties with the Biennale deepened over the years with the out-of-competition premieres of episodes from The Young Pope series and especially with È stato la mano di Dio (The Hand of God), which earned the Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize in 2021.

“Paolo Sorrentino returns to competition with a film destined to leave a lasting impression thanks to its remarkable originality and deep resonance with the present,” Barbera said in a statement. “It will be a pleasure for the festival audience to discover it on opening night.”

The acclaimed filmmaker has received numerous awards throughout his career. In addition to his Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe wins for La grande bellezza (The Great Beauty), which premiered at Cannes, his most recent film Parthenope also screened in competition at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

American director Alexander Payne will preside over the international jury that will decide the Golden Lion and other prizes at this year’s festival. Legendary American actress Kim Novak, 92, will receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.