stjorthotic Chapter 476 The Venice Film Festival Opens
Chapter 476 The Venice Film Festival Opens
On the morning of August 28, Zhang Xinyu drove to the postpartum care center to pick up Fu Yibai.
When they arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport, Fan Binbin was already in the airport's VIP lounge.
Seeing Fu Yibai come in, she stood up from the sofa.
"How are Rongrong and Yanyan?"
"It's all good. When I left, I told them not to worry about them."
Let me handle things in Venice properly.
Wang Peng and the rest of the crew waited at the boarding gate.
Several technicians each carried their own suitcases, and each of them had a calm expression on their face.
They had all worked with Fu Yibai for at least five years and participated in three of the three major film festivals, from Berlin to Cannes to the Oscars. The tension they felt had long been smoothed out by the professional process.
After a twelve-hour flight, the plane landed at Milan Malpensa Airport at 7 p.m. local time.
Margaret's arranged convoy was already waiting at the arrival gate, consisting of two black Mercedes vans, with drivers wearing suits and white gloves.
It took almost four more hours to get from Milan to the Lido in Venice.
The convoy crossed the long causeway over the lagoon in the night. The Venetian sea breeze at the end of August was humid, hot, and salty, carrying a mixed smell of seaweed and seawater.
The main venue for the film festival on Lido Island has been set up.
A giant poster hung from the hotel rooftop, displaying the posters of the 23 films nominated for this year's main competition.
The poster for "The Woman Who Left" is the third one on the right side of the main entrance of the cinema, with a close-up of Fan Binbin's profile taking up half of the image.
Upon receiving the news, Margaret was waiting for them in the hotel lobby. When she saw Fu Yibai arrive, she immediately came to greet him.
"The room has been arranged."
The premiere date has been confirmed: 8 PM on September 3rd in the main screening room.
The jury chairman, Aronofsky, will be present in person.
"What about the judges?"
"Of the nine judges, I have already established contact with six of them."
I contacted Aronofsky through his agent, but he didn't give a clear answer.
The group talked as they walked toward the elevator.
Upon arriving at the elevator, Margaret pressed the elevator button.
"The competition for Best Actress is fiercer than we expected."
Keira Knightley's performance in *A Dangerous Method* was strong, and Deanie Ip's reputation in *A Simple Life* also soared in the early days.
The elevator doors opened, and Margaret went in first.
"However, Miss Fan's advantages are equally obvious."
She was nominated for an Oscar last year, and her international profile is far higher than that of her competitors.
The jury will not ignore this when making their vote.
"What about Best Picture?"
The group arrived at their room floor and left via the elevator.
"To be honest, the competition for the Golden Lion Award is very stressful."
You have too many awards now: the Berlin Golden Bear, the Cannes Palme d'Or, and the Oscar for Best Director. Some members of the jury believe that the opportunity should be given to other directors.
"Then let's take what we can first."
Fan Binbin, Margaret, and Wang Peng went to Fu Yibai's room and held a meeting for another hour.
The Venice Film Festival officially opened on August 31.
A 200-meter-long red carpet was laid out in front of the cinema on Lido Island, and the media areas on both sides were filled with cameras and microphones.
When Fu Yibai and Fan Binbin walked onto the red carpet, the sound of camera shutters exploding on both sides.
Fan Binbin wore a dark blue strapless dress today, with hand-sewn crystals on the hem refracting light under the Venetian sun.
Her long hair was styled in a low bun, and she wore a pair of understated pearl earrings. Her makeup was bright and elegant.
Fu Yibai wore a dark gray suit and a dark blue tie. He stood on the red carpet with a relaxed and composed demeanor.
He nodded slightly to the cameras on both sides, Fan Binbin linked arms with him, and they walked steadily.
The opening ceremony inside the cinema proceeded as scheduled.
Jury president Darren Aronofsky delivered a speech, saying that this year's main competition was exceptionally fierce, with 23 shortlisted films from 14 countries and regions around the world, covering a wide spectrum from war epics to family dramas.
The opening film was George Clooney's "The Ides of March".
From September 1st to 2nd, the films in the main competition section began to be screened one after another.
The three award contenders, "Carnage," "Faust," and "A Dangerous Method," were all scheduled for prime time, and their respective PR teams worked through the night in hotel bars after the premieres.
Fu Yibai also took Fan Binbin to watch a competitor's film.
On the afternoon of September 3, Margaret knocked on Fu Yibai's door.
"All the judges on the jury for the evening premiere have confirmed their attendance."
Chairman Aronofsky's assistant also sent a message saying that the chairman would be coming.
"it is good."
At 7:30 p.m., the area outside the main cinema was packed with people.
All nine members of the jury were present, as were most of the other directors and actors from the main competition.
Fu Yibai saw Liu Dehua at the entrance.
Andy Lau came with the crew of "A Simple Life," in which he delivered one of his most acclaimed performances in recent years.