British star Robert Pattinson's latest film, Oasis brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher and a four-hour documentary about Elon Musk are set to feature at the Venice Film Festival in September.
Organisers unveiled a programme packed with independent and arthouse productions, but lacking major Hollywood support — a pattern seen at other European festivals this year. The festival is one of Europe's leading cinema showcases.
A total of 20 films will compete for the prestigious Golden Lion over the September 2-12 festival, including "Prime Time" by Lance Oppenheim, about an American television show that sought to expose paedophiles.
It stars Pattinson, fresh from his acclaimed performance as the villainous Antinous in Christopher Nolan's box-office champion "The Odyssey".
"This film is the true story of the unscrupulous host of a disturbing reality show by NBC", festival director Alberto Barbera told reporters.
Other competition highlights include "Wild Horse Nine", a dark comedy by Ireland's Martin McDonagh starring John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell; and "Bunker" by Florian Zeller, featuring Spanish power couple Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz.
As previously announced, the competition will open with a film about press baron Rupert Murdoch's transformation of the British media by "Trainspotting" director Danny Boyle.
Veteran filmmaker Werner Herzog's "Bucking Fastard", featuring sisters Kate and Rooney Mara, will also compete for the Golden Lion.
Hollywood studios and US streaming giants Netflix and Amazon, which brought a series of big-budget films to Venice last year, have steered clear this time.
European festivals typically rely on Hollywood to provide mass-market entertainment alongside the edgier independent cinema at the core of their programmes. US majors also largely blanked the Berlin festival in February and Cannes in May.
Some observers had expected Alejandro Inarritu's "Digger", starring Tom Cruise, to make a splashy entrance on the Venice Lido.
An exception is Disney's documentary about Manchester rock band Oasis and its comeback tour, "Don't Look Back in Anger".
"The Gallagher brothers have promised they will be in Venice", Barbera said.
Another documentary likely to attract attention — and test viewers' concentration — is American director Alex Gibney's four-hour exploration of Musk.
"He traces the whole career, the contradictions and the power that is centralised in the hands of a single man", Barbera said.
The programme also includes overtly political films tackling state repression in Hungary, with Gabor Reisz's "Ground Floor"; Belarus, with Andrei Kutsila's "Letters From The Silenced Country"; and Iran, with Ali Asgari's "A Bit of Light".
Several films examine violence in Israeli-controlled Palestinian territory, while Ahmed Hassouna's "Citizen Osama" follows a photojournalist documenting killing and destruction by Israeli troops in Gaza. — AFP
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
