Venice, Italy: Outdoor Movies at the Venice International Film Festival

The Mostra Internazionale d’Arte Cinematografica — the Venice Film Festival — is the oldest film festival still running today. Held every September as part of the Venice Biennale, screenings take place in cinemas throughout the city, with the centre of activity at the open air cinema in the Lido area.

The Mostra is organised into four sections: Venezia (20 feature films in competition), Out of Competition (major releases of the year), Orizzonti (new trends in cinema), and Corto Cortissimo (short films). Running alongside are International Critic’s Week, Venice Days, and a Film Marketplace.

The festival was established in 1932. Even then, amid prevailing pressures toward propaganda films and imitation Hollywood comedies, it upheld the values of cinema d’auteur across national boundaries. After the Second World War, Neo-realist directors like Rossellini and De Sica premiered their work here — influencing global cinema and opening the path for visionaries like Fellini. The Golden Lion (Leone d’Oro), introduced in 1952, remains one of the most coveted prizes in cinema alongside the Cannes Palme d’Or.

Festival director Marco Mueller has addressed criticism that Venice has become a platform for US films:

“Modern cinema was defined by a number of directors working within the Hollywood studio structure, so if modern cinema was born out of Hollywood, then why should we leave it outside the door?”

Biennale president Davide Croff:

“The Venice festival has strong roots in its cultural history, and we cannot move away from that mission — but at the same time, there is a certain amount of glamour that is necessary to a festival, so we very much share Marco’s vision. The Hollywood presence is welcome and required to be part of what the film industry can present to the world.”