Venice film festival 2014

Birdman's Oscar triumph ruffles feathers in Italy

Italian press criticise last year’s Venice film festival jury for not awarding the Golden Lion to the Oscar-winning satire

Benjamin Lee

25, Feb, 2015 @10:48 AM

Venice film festival: thunder clouds and silver linings

A rainy week was brightened by a brilliant Willem Dafoe, a new Bogdanovich and a Swedish gem about two travelling salesmen, writes Xan Brooks

Xan Brooks

06, Sep, 2014 @11:08 PM

Swedish Pigeon bags Golden Lion: surrealist drama wins Venice film festival 2014

Roy Andersson’s A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence takes top prize at the 71st film festival, while Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Look of Silence is runner up

Xan Brooks

06, Sep, 2014 @7:16 PM

Abel Ferrara on the death of Pasolini: 'The pursuit of truth is what matters'

As his much-anticipated biopic, Pasolini, premieres at the Venice film festival, the American film-maker reveals his debt to Italy’s film provocateur, writes Xan Brooks

Xan Brooks

04, Sep, 2014 @5:33 PM

Pasolini first look review – Abel Ferrara's bewitching walk on the wild side

Xan Brooks: Willem Dafoe is superb as the celebrated Italian director who died in mysterious circumstances in 1975, in a film that could be Ferrara’s best yet

Xan Brooks

04, Sep, 2014 @11:19 AM

Bypass: Venice film festival review – brooding story about Britain's invisible youth

Duane Hopkins's latest film boasts strong performances from its leads, but fails to hit its stride quite soon enough, writes Xan Brooks

Xan Brooks

03, Sep, 2014 @1:01 PM

Reality bites at this year's Toronto film festival

Lineup at Toronto film festival and Oscars release schedule show new appetite among audiences for films based on recent headlines

Catherine Shoard

03, Sep, 2014 @6:00 AM

A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence review – Roy Andersson's glorious metaphysical burlesque

Xan Brooks: The eccentric Swedish director of Songs from the Second Floor and You, the Living returns with a brilliantly distinctive film that no one else could have made

Xan Brooks

02, Sep, 2014 @11:04 AM

Lars von Trier returns to TV: what can we expect?

Graeme Virtue: The director of Nymphomaniac has announced a new TV series, The House that Jack Built, produced by the Danish broadcaster behind The Killing and The Bridge. But what will it be like?

Graeme Virtue

02, Sep, 2014 @10:46 AM

Fires on the Plain: Venice film festival review – brilliantly bonkers Japanese film reminds us war is hell

Xan Brooks: Second world war thriller from Shinya Tsukamoto is a bizarre, gruesome account of Japanese soldiers retreating through the jungle in the Philippines

Xan Brooks

02, Sep, 2014 @10:40 AM

Il Giovane Favoloso review – a sweeping, swooning Leopardi biopic

Xan Brooks: This handsome biopic of the celebrated Italian poet Giacomo Leopardi may not be the most radical film on show at Venice, but still has much to recommend it

Xan Brooks

01, Sep, 2014 @2:46 PM

Lars von Trier breaks 'vow of silence' to appear in virtual form at Venice

Controversial Danish director makes first public utterances – via laptop – since infamous ‘Hitler’ remarks at Cannes as new TV series, The House That Jack Built, is announced

Xan Brooks

01, Sep, 2014 @2:02 PM