Abel Ferrara has had several premieres of his films at the Venice Film Festival over the years. Now, Variety reports that Ferrara is back again this year with “Padre Pio,” one of the highlights of the Venice Days lineup announced today. But the film’s world premiere has another highlight: Shia LaBeouf‘s return to acting since he went on a career hiatus in 2020.
LaBeouf stars as the titular Capuchin monk who was a religious sensation throughout mid-20th century Italy before his death in 1968. Faithful Catholics were so devoted to the monk in his lifetime that Pope John Paul II beatified him in 1999. He was later canonized in 2002.
It’s LaBeouf’s first acting performance since his self-imposed break from acting two years ago. The actor started his hiatus after his ex-girlfriend, Tahliah Debrett Barnett, also known as the musician FKA twigs, sued LaBeouf for sexual battery, assault, and emotional distress. It remains unknown if LaBeouf will join Ferrera on the Lido next month to promote the film’s premiere.
The Venice Days program, modeled after the Directors Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival, is an independent section of films at Venice. Steve Buscemi‘s “The Listener,” starring Tessa Thompson as a help call line volunteer, closes the program this year. The Days opener is Wissam Charaf‘s “Dirty, Difficult, Dangerous,” about two immigrant lovers in Beirut. Other films in the Days program include Mark Cousins’ “March On Rome,” “Blue Jean” from British director Georgia Oakley, and “Stonewalling,” the final film in Huang Ji and Otsuka Ryuji‘s feminist trilogy that started in 2012 with “Egg And Stone.”
“Portrait Of A Lady On Fire” director Celine Sciamma leads the Venice Days jury, made up of 27 young cinephiles from 27 EU countries. The 18th edition of Venice Days runs concurrently with the main festival on the Lido, from August 31 to September 10.
So, how will Venice audiences take to Shia LaBeouf’s return to acting in Ferrara’s latest? Follow our coverage of the Venice Film Festival next month to find out.