At the Venice Film Festival, cinema’s future looks hopeful

HOPE for the future of cinema was front of mind for many as the Venice International Film Festival kicked off Wednesday on the Lido.

In the face of the delta variant, and the trials those in the global film industry weathered last year, the 78th edition of the oldest festival in the world has returned, with precautions, to celebrate the best of what’s to come in film from both newcomers and established veterans, like Jane Campion and Pedro Almodóvar.

“I have the feeling and impression that everyone is willing to come back, ready to start again, ready to release the films that stayed on the shelf for two years,” festival director Alberto Barbera told The Associated Press. “And the hope is that the audience will come back to the theaters, which is the best way to watch a movie.”

Although a vocal supporter of the movie theater experience, Barbera also