Venice Film Festival opens with 'Ink'

The 83rd Venice Film Festival opened on Wednesday, Sept. 2, on the Lido with Danny Boyle’s “Ink” as the opening-night competition film and George Clooney receiving a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. La Biennale di Venezia said “Ink” had its world premiere in the Sala Grande at the Palazzo del Cinema after the opening ceremony. (labiennale.org) Clooney received his award the same night, with Laura Dern delivering the laudatio, according to the festival. (variety.com) Maggie Gyllenhaal, this year’s jury president, set the tone earlier in the day at the festival’s opening press conference. Variety reported that Gyllenhaal was asked whether cinema should be political against the backdrop of the wars in Gaza and Ukraine and unrest in the United States, and answered that films are political. (labiennale.org) The festival runs through Sept. 12. ### Why did “Ink” open the festival? Danny Boyle’s “Ink” was selected as the opening film of the 83rd Biennale Cinema and screened in competition on Sept. 2, La Biennale said. The festival said the film had its world premiere in the Sala Grande on opening night after the ceremony. (labiennale.org) Boyle said in the festival announcement that opening Venice with the film was “a huge honour.” AP coverage published through local outlets described “Ink” as a Rupert Murdoch film and showed Boyle on the red carpet with cast members including Jack O’Connell, Claire Foy and Guy Pearce. Festival materials list “Ink” among the official selections for the Sept. 2-12 edition. (variety.com) ### What exactly was Clooney honored for? George Clooney received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement during the Sept. 2 opening ceremony, La Biennale said. The festival said the award was recommended by artistic director Alberto Barbera and recognized Clooney as an actor, director and producer. (labiennale.org) Laura Dern was named in advance to deliver the tribute to Clooney in the Sala Grande. Opening-night photos distributed through AP and other outlets showed Clooney holding the award on stage and appearing on the red carpet with Amal Clooney. (ksat.com) ### What did Maggie Gyllenhaal say on opening day? Maggie Gyllenhaal said at the opening jury press conference that films are political, according to Variety’s Sept. 3 report from Venice. Variety said the question came amid discussion of Gaza, Ukraine and unrest in the United States. (labiennale.org) Variety had reported on Aug. 29 that the festival would proceed with its traditional opening jury press conference on the Lido after earlier scheduling questions. Gyllenhaal is serving as president of the main competition jury for this year’s festival. (labiennale.org) ### Where does this leave the festival now? The Venice festival is scheduled to run from Sept. 2 through Sept. 12, according to La Biennale’s official site. The organization has published the screening schedule and official selection for the 11-day event on the Lido di Venezia. Vanity Fair and NBC Los Angeles were among outlets publishing opening-day live coverage and explainers on Sept. 2 as the festival began. (variety.com) The next public milestones are the remaining competition premieres and the closing events on Sept. 12, when the festival is due to conclude in Venice. (labiennale.org) (variety.com)