73rd Venice Film Festival Opens with Damien Chazelle's 'La La Land'

The 73rd Venice Film Festival opens today, August 30, with Damien Chazelle's musical 'La La Land' in competition. Directed by Alberto Barbera and presided over by Sam Mendes, the festival canceled its gala dinner and beach reception out of respect for victims of the earthquake in central Italy. The opening day also features a tribute to Luigi Comencini on the centenary of his birth, with a screening of 'Tutti a casa' preceded by rare Lumière footage of Venice from 120 years ago. The competition lineup includes films by Wim Wenders, Emir Kusturica, Terrence Malick, Pablo Larraín, and François Ozon. Three Italian films compete: 'Piuma' by Roan Johnson, 'Questi giorni' by Giuseppe Piccioni, and 'Spira Mirabilis' by Massimo D'Anolfi and Martina Parenti. The festival showcases films that have faced censorship, including Mohsen Makhmalbaf's 'The Nights of Zayandeh-rood,' restored after 26 years, and Keywan Karimi's 'Drum,' whose director was sentenced to prison and flogging in Iran. Virtual reality is highlighted with 'Jesus VR – The Story of Christ,' the first feature-length VR film, and a VR short 'No borders' by Haider Rashid. David Lynch's documentary 'The Art Life' was funded via Kickstarter. The festival includes sections such as Biennale College Cinema and Cinema nel Giardino, and a Sala Web with 18 titles. Venice Classics Restored offers restored films including Woody Allen's 'Manhattan,' John Landis's 'An American Werewolf in London,' and George Romero's 'Zombi.'