2010 Venice Film Festival Predictions

I don’t think the title of head programmer for any festival is an easy job, but I’d argue that Marco Müller has it “easy” this year. With so many of the world’s best auteurs having not been ready to deliver at the Cannes deadline, the 67th edition of the Venice Film Festival (which will run 1st to 11th September 2010) is going to be loaded in premium titles. With many items having already been mentioned and speculated on before, here is an updated predictions list with a good helping of new names.

Opening Film Prediction: Anton Corbijn’s The American
With Focus Features being a key supplier for the festival over the years, and them having set Corbijn’s film for a September 1st release, I would logically conclude that, an European-based thriller with scenes shot in parts of Italy and with an Italian resident in Geroge Clooney might lead the pack. *Update: Black Swan is the opening film.

Predictions: Films from the U.S:
About two dozen titles make up the Main Comp with a good helping of those titles coming from the U.S. Three titles that would be a huge surprise if they didn’t show are Julian Schnabel’s Miral, Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere and Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan. With Fox Searchlight having so many items set for this fall, they could also set John Cameron Mitchell’s Rabbit Hole to join the Aronofsky pick. From the unsold premium titles, I expect Mike Mills’ Beginners and Kelly Reichardt’s Meek’s Cutoff to join the pack. The big question remains The Tree of Life. Terrance Malick didn’t succumb to Thierry Fremaux’s needs to show in Cannes, so will Apparition be ready, willing and wanting to make the double showings this early? A late entry on this list could be an out of comp from John Carpenter and his latest, The Ward.

Missing from the list is Danny Boyle’s 127 Hours – which I would imagine would be better suited for a Sundance and Berlin preems next year, and the Coen Bros.’ who on “off” Cannes years can usually be found at Venice are a possibility – but True Grit is slated only for a Holiday release via Paramount. Then you have Eastwood’s latest, but I think that film is bound for TIFF only.

Predictions: Films from France:
There’s not a doubt in my mind that Abdellatif Kechiche’s Black Venus (see smaller picture at the top of the article), François Ozon’s Potiche and Antony Cordier’s Happy Few are headed to the Lido and then to downtown Toronto the following week. Also from the French, I’m including La Lisiere – (update: heading to Locarno) Géraldine Bajard’s (whose only credit is on Jessica Hausner’s Lourdes) debut film should be included as a sidebar selection.

Predictions: Films from Asia:
I believe all the filmmakers here have already shown in Venice, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Death Of A Hostage (Johnnie To), The Ditch (Wang Bing), Zhao’s Orphan (Chen Kaige), Thirteen Assassins (Takashi Miike), Norwegian Wood (Anh Hung Tran), Jiang Wen
’s Let the Bullets Fly and Im Kwon-taek’s 101st film, Scooping Up the Moonlight are included in the festival. A last minute mention: Andrew Lau’s Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen, but the big question is will Wong Kar-wai’s The Grand Master (which is slated for an end of year release back at home) be a Lido delivered special? 

Predictions: Films from the rest of the world:
Guaranteed titles going to Venice include A Sad Trumpet Ballad (Alex de la Iglesia), Flower of Evil (Michele Placido), The Way Back (Peter Weir), Three (Tom Tykwer), and Neds from Peter Mullan. If Bela Tarr isn’t holding out for next year’s Cannes, then expect The Turin Horse to show as well. Other titles could come from Rowan Joffé (Brighton Rock),
Susanne Bier (Civilization), Andrucha Waddington (Lope), Sergio Machado (The Two Deaths of Quincas Wateryell), Saverio Costanzo (The Solitude of Prime Numbers) and Venice head jury member Quentin Taratino could see his pal Ricardo Del Rio come to the fest with Memories of My Melancholy Whores.

Sidebar mentions:
With the 16 or so titles in the Orizzonti (New Horizons), the dozen or so in
Venice Days (Giornate Degli Autori) and the plus seven from the Critics Week, I’m expecting these titles potentially added: Alois Nebel from Tomas Lunak, Braden King’s Here, Jaffe Zinn’s debut Magic Valley, Gustavo Taretto’s Medianeras, the interesting looking Meteora from Spiros Stathoulopoulos, the feature debut from Marian Crisan (Morgen) and Pablo Larrain’s Post Mortem. Add on docs from vets Frederick Wiseman (Crazy Horse) and Ulrich Seidl’s Im Keller.

Status Unknown:
I’m not sure where Aleksandr Sokurov is at with Faust and have no clue if Catherine Breillat even commenced production on La belle endormie (The Sleeping Beauty). Update: Breillat’s film is opening the Horizons section.