The 39th edition of Venice Critics’ Week unveiled

The Venice Critics’ Week, the parallel section of the Venice Film Festival dedicated to new filmmakers, has unveiled the selection of seven feature films in competition and two titles out of competition for its 39th edition, which will take place from August 28 to September 7.

Among the most current entries, we find Locally grown by American director Michael Premo. The documentary follows three far-right activists as they campaign for Donald Trump during the tumultuous 2020 election.

French-American director Alexandra Simpson makes her Venice debut with No sleep untila drama set in a coastal Florida town as a hurricane approaches. Other highlights from the Venice Critics’ Week competition include Paul and Paulette take a bathby Franco-British director Jethro Massey, about an American photographer and a young French woman who become friends over a dark game involving the re-enactment of notorious crimes in their native places; Anywhere anytimeFrom Iranian-Italian director Milad Tangshir, a modern immigrant story inspired by the Italian neorealist classic Bicycle thieves; And Don’t cry butterflya female-centric drama from Vietnamese filmmaker Dương Diệu Linh, about a woman who calls upon a spell master to win back her cheating husband after discovering his infidelity on live television.

Venice Critics’ Week will open with the out-of-competition screening of the film by French director Aude Léa Rapin. Planet Ba cyberpunk sci-fi film featuring Adèle Exarchopoulos (Blue is the warmest color), and ends with Lawrence Valin Little Jaffnaa drama that takes place in the Tamil community of Paris.

Critics’ Week artistic director Beatrice Fiorentino stressed that this year’s selection addressed current global uncertainties. “We cannot look away from the images of the present,” she said.

Films in competition are eligible for several prizes, including the Grand Prix, worth 10,000 euros ($10,890). The Venice Film Festival will unveil its main selection on Tuesday, July 23. The 81st edition of the Venice Film Festival will run from August 28 to September 7.

Discover the full programme of Venice Critics’ Week below.

Opening film (Out of competition)
Planet B
Dir. Aude Léa Rapin
France, Belgium

Competition

Anywhere anytime
Dir. Milad Tangshir
Italy

Don’t cry, butterfly
Director, Duong Dieu Linh
Vietnam, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia

Locally grown
Directed by Michael Premo
UNITED STATES

No sleep until
Director Alexandra Simpson
United States, Switzerland

Paul and Paulette take a bath
Director Jethro Massey
United Kingdom

Peacock
Director Bernhard Wenger
Austria, Germany

Pmint flavored
Dir. Mohammed Hamdy
Egypt, France, Tunisia

Closing film (Out of competition)
Little Jaffna
Dir. Lawrence Valin
France