81st Venice International Film Festival to kick off

The 81st Venice International Film Festival kicks off today, running from August 28 to September 7, 2024, at Venice Lido in Italy, Azernews reports.

Tim Burton's film "Beetlejuice Beetlejuice" will open the festival on August 28, while Pupi Avati's "The American Backyard" will close the film festival on September 7.

Isabelle Huppert, the French actress, will be the Jury President for the main competition.

The 81st Venice International Film Festival is organised by La Biennale di Venezia and will be held on the Lido di Venezia from 28 August to 7 September 2024. The Festival is officially recognised by the FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Association).

The main goal of the festival is to raise awareness and promote international cinema in all its forms as art, entertainment and as an industry, in a spirit of freedom and dialogue.

One section is devoted to enhance the restoration works on classic films as a contribution towards a better understanding of the history of cinema.

Australian filmmaker Peter Weir and American actress Sigourney Weaver will receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement during the festival.