After a year of digital-only film festivals, it appears that 2021 is going to finally usher in some in-person events. Cannes and the New York Film Festival are going to attempt to do in-person screenings this summer. Then, according to a new report from Variety, Venice is banking on an entire in-person festival this fall. And the event is possibly going to entice people back with Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune.”
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The report claims that the 2021 Venice Film Festival is planning on having a full in-person event in 2021. And while it’s still way too early to fully speculate on what films will and won’t be included in the lineup, it appears that “Dune” is lining up to be one of the features that is shown at Venice. If true, this would be a big “get” for Venice, as Denis Villeneuve’s latest is one of the most anticipated films of the year and is the rare blockbuster that has the outside chance of possibly being an awards contender. That is, if the filmmaker was able to crack the Frank Herbert code and figure out how to translate “Dune” to film. (David Lynch tried and, well, didn’t succeed.)
Other films that are being discussed as possible inclusions in this year’s Venice Film Festival include Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Hand of God,” which is a Netflix film. Another Italian filmmaker that could debut a feature at the event is Gabriele Mainetti with“Freaks Out.” Outside of Italian filmmakers, we could see some French influence with the premiere of Bruno Dumont’s “On a Half Clear Morning.”
With Venice 2021 not expected to begin until September 1, there’s still plenty of time for other films to make the cut. We still need to see what gets announced for Cannes, and of course, what is going to Toronto, as well. Regardless, if “Dune” is Venice-bound, then the festival will have secured one of the most anticipated films of the year.