While the Venice Film Festival has proven to be one of the most important film events of the year, there are still many people that feel the fest should be doing better. Last year, even with some of the biggest premieres of 2019, there was still a stigma around Venice due to its lack of female filmmakers in the main competition, among other controversies. Basically, Venice is still one of the premier festivals, but it needs a bit of an optics upgrade. Enter Cate Blanchett.
According to Variety, Venice has brought in Blanchett to head the competition jury for the 2020 Venice Film Festival. This marks the third time in four years that a female has led the jury, after Lucrecia Martel last year and Annette Bening in 2017. But this year, it’s probably more important than ever for publicity’s sake to have a woman at the head of the jury. And Blanchett is no stranger to being a Jury President. Two years ago, the acclaimed actress actually was the jury president during the Cannes Film Festival.
“Cate Blanchett is not just an icon of contemporary cinema, courted by the greatest directors of the past 20 years and adored by moviegoers of every kind,” Venice boss Alberto Barbera said. “Her commitment in the artistic and humanitarian fields and to the protection of the environment, as well as her defense of the emancipation of women in a film industry still coming to terms with male prejudice, have made her an inspiration for society as a whole. Her immense talent as an actress, combined with her unique intelligence and sincere passion for cinema, are the ideal qualities for a jury president.”
Blanchett added, “Every year I look expectantly to the selection at Venice, and every year it is surprising and distinct. Venice is one of the most atmospheric film festivals in the world – a celebration of the provocative and inspirational medium that is cinema in all its forms. It is a privilege and a pleasure to be this year’s jury president.”
Obviously, including Blanchett as the president of the jury isn’t a sign that Venice will have a ton more inclusion and diversity among its selections. However, the actress is a strong choice if the festival wants to put out the idea that this year might be different than previous ones. We’ll just have to wait and see.
The 2020 Venice Film Festival begins on September 2.
