avatarCappelli, MFA, JD, PhD

Summary

The Venice Film Festival 2022 is a prestigious event celebrating its 79th year with a lineup of films, including Italian-directed features, and offers a guide on accommodations ranging from luxury to affordable options in Venice, Italy.

Abstract

The 79th Venice Film Festival, running from August 31 to September 10, 2022, is a significant cultural event in Venice, Italy, marking its 90th anniversary since the first festival in 1932. This year's festival, under the Artistic Direction of Alberto Barbera, showcases a competitive selection of films, including five Italian-directed entries vying for awards. The event is graced by Julianne Moore as the president of the main competition jury, which comprises esteemed international members. The festival also provides recommendations for accommodations, with the Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Resort and The St. Regis Venice offering luxury stays at 630 Euros and over 900 Euros per night, respectively. For a more budget-friendly option, the Hotel Flora is suggested, with double rooms available at 244 Euros per night. The article emphasizes the culinary experiences and ambiance of the featured hotels, as well as the availability of tickets and rooms for the festival, encouraging attendees to act quickly to secure their spots.

Opinions

  • The Hotel Excelsior is highly recommended for those seeking a luxurious and historically significant stay during the festival, described as a "Bellissimo posto" with exquisite dining options.
  • The St. Regis Venice is noted for its A-list status and high price point, offering a glamorous experience with a variety of dining and cocktail venues.
  • Hotel Flora is presented as a more affordable yet charming alternative, with a cozy atmosphere and a recommendation to enjoy regional wines and Venetian cocktails with barman Kelum.
  • The article suggests that staying at Hotel Flora provides a balance between experiencing the festival on a budget and enjoying the local nightlife and star-watching opportunities.
  • The author expresses a personal preference for Hotel Flora, unless they were to win the lottery, implying it as a sensible choice for most attendees.

Venice Film Festival 2022

Time to Get Tickets

Photo by Author

If you are in and around Venice, Italy, this summer, do not miss the 79th Venice Film Festival from August 31 to September 10. Venice held its first festival in 1932, ninety years ago, at the Hotel Excelsior del Lido and celebrates this year under the Artistic Direction of Alberto Barbera. This year’s festival features five Italian-directed films in the competition: Gianni Amelio’s The Lord of the Ants, Luca Guadagnino’s Bones And All, Andrea Pallaoro’s Monica, Emanuele Crialese’s The Immensity, and Susanna Nicchiarelli’s Chiara.

American Oscar-winning actress Julianne Moore will serve as president of the main competition jury, which includes French director Audrey Diwan, author Kazuo Ishiguro and Iranian actor Leila Hatami, director Leonardo Di Costanzo, Argentinian filmmaker Mariano Cohn, and Rodrigo Sorogoyen.

Best Places to Stay

Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Resort

Photo by Ceyda Çiftci: https://www.pexels.com/photo

If you can afford to pop for 630 Euros a night and want to be smack in the center of the glamour, then the Hotel Excelsior is a Bellissimo posto to enjoy the heart and history of Lido. This exquisite resort offers its guests several bars and restaurants to choose from, all offering traditional Italian cuisine: Elimar Beach Bar and Restaurant, featuring grilled fish and octopus salad; Adriatico Terrace, featuring Pesce di Branzino (sea bass) and Piccione Farcito (stuffed pidgeon); The Blue Bar inspired by the Venice Film Festival with delicious cocktails, and the trendy Pool Bar where you can hang out and be seen. https://www.hotelexcelsiorvenezia.com/

The St. Regis Venice

Photo by Kate Townsend on Unsplash

Even pricier than the Excelsior, this A-lister hotel offers all the glitz and glam at a heftier price of over 900 Euro a night. There are plenty of places to wine and dine on the property. Gio’s Restaurant & Terrace offers Venetian and Italian dishes. St. Regis Bar offers a delicious Spritz Veneziano and a variety of other cocktails. If you want to dive deep and experiment with some divine cocktails, go to Arts Bar and order a Negroni Desire or Venetian Cobbler. https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/vcexr-the-st-regis-venice/overview/?scid=f2ae0541-1279-4f24-b197-a979c79310b0

Hotel Flora

Photo by Diego Caumont: https://www.pexels.com/photo/

Most of us can’t afford the luxury of the Excelsior or St. Regis, so a more affordable bet is a 244 Euro night accommodation for a double “Little Room” at Hotel Flora. The Flora offers a delicious homemade breakfast, a magical courtyard garden, and a cozy retro wine bar where barman Kelum offers a variety of regional wines and Venetian cocktails. The Hotel Flora also has many bars and restaurants nearby, and it is my choice of hotel for the event unless I win the Lotto. Stay here and have a drink with barman Kelum, then head out to the other bars and star watch. https://www.hotelflora.it/life-at-the-flora/bar/

There are still tickets for the Festival and hotels with available rooms, so act quickly. For information on how to get tickets to the event, click here: https://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/2022/accreditation

A Partial List of the Venice Film Schedule Goes as follows:

White Noice — OPENING FILM by NOAH BAUMBACH with Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, Don Cheadle, Raffey Cassidy, Sam Nivola, May Nivola, Jodie Turner-Smith, André L. Benjamin, and Lars Eidinger / USA / 136. ‘

The Lord of the Ants by GIANNI AMELIO with Luigi Lo Cascio, Elio Germano, Leonardo Maltese, Sara Serraiocco / Italy / 134 ‘

The Whale by DARREN ARONOFSKY with Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Samantha Morton, Ty Simpkins / USA / 117’

The Immensity of EMANUELE CRIALESE with Penélope Cruz, Luana Giuliani, Vincenzo Amato, Patrizio Francioni / Italy, France / 97 ‘

SAINT OMER by ALICE DIOP with Kayije Kagame, Guslagie Malanda, Valérie Dréville, Aurélia Petit / France / 122 ‘

Blonde by ANDREW DOMINIK with Ana de Armas, Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale, Xavier Samuel, Julianne Nicholson, Lily Fisher / USA / 165’

Tar by TODD FIELD with Cate Blanchett, Noémie Merlant, Nina Hoss, Sophie Kauer, Julian Glover, Allan Corduner, Mark Strong / USA / 158 ‘

Love Life by KÔJI FUKADA with Fumino Kimura, Kento Nagayama, Atom Sunada / Japan, France / 123’

BARDO, FALSE CHRONICLE OF A HANDFUL OF TRUTHS by ALEJANDRO G. IÑÁRRITU with Daniel Giménez Cacho, Griselda Siciliani, Ximena Lamadrid, Iker Sanchez Solano, Andrés Almeida, Francisco Rubio / Mexico

ATHENA by ROMAIN GAVRAS with Dali Benssalah, Sami Slimane, Anthony Bajon, Ouassini Embarek, Alexis Manenti / France / 97 ‘

Bones and All by LUCA GUADAGNINO with Taylor Russell, Timothée Chalamet, Mark Rylance, André Holland, Chloë Sevigny, Jessica Harper, David Gordon Green, Michael Stuhlbarg, Jake Horowitz / USA / 130 ‘

The Eternal Daughter by JOANNA HOGG with Tilda Swinton, Joseph Mydell, Carly- Sophia Davies / UK, USA / 96 ‘

BEYOND THE WALL by VAHID JALILVAND with Navid Mohammadzadeh, Diana Habibi, Amir Aghaee / Iran / 126’

The Banshees of Inisherin by MARTIN MCDONAGH with Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Barry Keoghan / Ireland, UK, USA / 109 ‘

Argentina, 1985 by SANTIAGO MITER with Ricardo Darín, Peter Lanzani, Alejandra Flechner, Norman Briski / Argentina, USA / 140 ‘

Chiara by SUSANNA NICCHIARELLI with Margherita Mazzucco, Andrea Carpenzano, Carlotta Natoli, Paola Tiziana Cruciani, Luigi Lo Cascio / Italy, Belgium / 106’

Monica by ANDREA PALLAORO with Trace Lysette, Patricia Clarkson, Adriana Barraza, Emily Browning, Joshua Close / USA, Italy / 106 ‘

NO BEARS by JAFAR PANAHI with Jafar Panahi, Naser Hashemi, Vahid Mobaseri, Bakhtiar Panjeei, Mina Kavani, Reza Heydari / Iran / 106 ‘

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed by LAURA POITRAS USA / 113’

UN COUPLE (A COUPLE) by FREDERICK WISEMAN with Nathalie Boutefe / France , USA / 63 ‘

THE SON by FLORIAN ZELLER with Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern, Vanessa Kirby, Zen McGrath, Anthony Hopkins, Hugh Quarshie / UK / 123’

OUR TIES by ROSCHDY ZEM with Sami Bouajila, Roschdy Zem, Meriem Serbah, Maïwenn, Rachid Bouchareb, Abel Jafrei, Nina Zem / France / 85 ‘

OTHER PEOPLE’S CHILDREN by REBECCA ZLOTOWSKI with Virginie Efira, Roschdy Zem, Chiara Mastroianni, Callie Ferreira / France / 104 ‘

Travel
Italy
Film
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Festivals
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