Venice Film Festival 2014: BIRDMAN is Opening Film & Venice Days Lineup

Birdman opening 2014 Venice Film Festival and Venice Days Lineup Revealed. The selection of Alejandro G. Iñárritu‘s Birdman answers the question of what film will initiate the beginning of the 71st Annual Venice Film Festival.

The official press release for Birdman opening the 2014 Venice Film Festival:

The 11th edition of Venice Days will run Aug 27-Sept 6.

VENICE DAYS LINEUP

“One On One”,” Kim Ki-duk (South Korea) Opener out-of-competition

“El 5 De Talleres,” Adrian Biniez (Argentina)

“Return To Ithaca,” Laurent Cantet (France)

“Before I Disappear,” Shawn Christensen (U.S. U.K.)

“The Dinner,” Ivano De Matteo (Italy)

“Les Nuits D’Ete,” Mario Fanfani (France)

“Patria,” Felice Farina (Italy)

“Metamorphoses,” Christophe Honore (France)

“Between 10 And 12,” Peter Hoogendoorn (Belgium, France, The Netherlands)

“The Farewell Party,” (Israel)

“The Goob,” Guy Myhill (U.K.)

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“Labor Of Love,” Ritwick Chakraborty (India)

“They Have Escaped,” JP Valkeapaa (Finland, The Netherlands)

“Messi,” Alex De la Iglesia (Spain) Closer Out-Of-Competition

WOMEN’S TALES PROJECT (Shorts) in collaboration with Miu Miu

“Spark And Light,” So Yong Kim (Italy, U.S.)

“Somebody,” Miranda July (Italy, U.S.)

SPECIAL EVENTS

“9 x 10 Novanta,” collective project (Italy)

In Collaboration With Tribeca Film Festival:

“Five Star,” Keith Miller (U.S.)

“The Show Mas Go On,” Ra di Martino (Italy)

“The Lack,” Masbedo (Italy)

The official press release for Birdman opening the 2014 Venice Film Festival:

Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance, directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu (Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Babel, Biutiful), starring Michael Keaton, has been selected as the opening film of the 71st Venice Film Festival (August 27th – September 6th 2014). Along with Michael Keaton the film also stars Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, Emma Stone and Naomi Watts. The film is a Fox Searchlight Pictures/New Regency presentation of a New Regency/M Productions/Le Grisbi production.

The 71st Venice Film Festival is directed by Alberto Barbera and organized by the Biennale, chaired by Paolo Baratta. The world premiere of Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance will be screened in competition on August 27th in the Sala Grande of the Palazzo del Cinema at the Lido, following the opening ceremony hosted by Luisa Ranieri.

The film is a black comedy that tells the story of an actor (Michael Keaton) – famous for portraying an iconic superhero – as he struggles to mount a Broadway play. In the days leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career, and himself.

The screenplay is written by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr. and Armando Bo. The producers are Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, Arnon Milchan and James W. Skotchdopole. The credits also include Director of Photography Emmanuel Lubezki (Gravity, The Tree of Life, Children of Men), production designer Kevin Thompson (The Bourne Legacy, Michael Clayton) and music composed by Antonio Sanchez.
In 2000, Alejandro G. Iñárritu made his breakthrough with Amores Perros which received an Oscar nomination for best foreign film and won the Semaine de la Critique prize at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2003 Iñárritu directed his next feature film 21 Grams starring Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro and Naomi Watts. The film participated in the 60th Venice Film Festival where Penn won the Coppa Volpi for Best Actor, and both Watts and Del Toro received Oscar nominations for their performances. In 2006, Iñárritu directed Babel, the last film of his trilogy starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael García Bernal and introducing new actors such as Adriana Barraza, Rinko Kikuchi and several non-actors around the world.

For Babel, he was awarded the prize for best director at the 59th Cannes Film Festival. The film garnered seven Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Director and won the Oscar for best original soundtrack. It also received seven Golden Globes nominations and won the prize for Best Motion Picture – Drama. In 2007 Iñárritu was a member of the International Jury of the 64th Venice Film Festival’s Competition. In 2010 he presented Biutiful in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival, where Javier Bardem won the prize for Best Actor (tied with Elio Germano for La Nostra Vita). The film received an Oscar nomination for best foreign film, and Bardem was nominated for best actor as well.

Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance will release in North America on October 17th and in international territories at the beginning of 2015.

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Source: Variety