The 79th annual Venice International Film Festival is the talk of the cinema and fashion industry for all the right reasons.  The festival took place from Aug. 31 until Sept. 12.  From the abundance of A-list celebrities to the bold red-carpet looks, everything about it was extravagant.  It took place in Lido di Venezia, a small island in the Venetian lagoon that is a popular summer tourist destination. 

The Golden Lion is the highest award given at the festival, and one of the most sought-after honors in the industry.  This year, it was given to All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, directed by Laura Poutras, which tells the story of activist and photographer Nan Goldin’s fight against the Sackler pharmaceutical company’s role in the opioid epidemic.  It was the second documentary film to win this award in the festival’s history.  

Bones and All is a romance movie starring Timothée Chalamet and Taylor Russell, directed by Luca Guadagno, who won Best Director for the film.  For the Best Screenplay award, Martin McDonagh won for The Banshees of Inisherin.  The film is set on a remote island off the coast of Ireland and about the end of a lifelong friendship and its repercussions.  Colin Farrell’s performance in the movie also won him Best Actor.  For the award of Best Actress, Cate Blanchett took the title for her performance in the movie Tár, a biopic on Lydia Tár, one of the most highly regarded conductors of all time and the first woman to lead a major German orchestra.  

“I’m so excited to see Bones and All because Timothée Chalamet is one of my favorite actors and the plot of the movie seems sweet,” said sophomore Nicole McGuire.  

Without question, one of the most talked about films this year was Don’t Worry Darling, an American psychological thriller directed by Olivia Wilde.  The reason for its popularity is its stars, Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, who are both major pop culture icons.  

“There’s one clip from the movie that went viral on the internet where you can hear Harry Styles’ British accent.  It’s confusing because the movie is supposed to be set in America, so I’m interested to see if this was an intentional decision or just bad acting,” said sophomore Emma Goldberg. 

The movie is set to be released on Sept. 23 and is highly anticipated by fans despite critics giving it a score of 42 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.  Other cast members include Chris Pine, Gemma Chan, and Nick Croll.  Director Olivia Wilde also starred in the movie, and allegedly dealt with some friction with Florence Pugh. However, their performances didn’t seem to be affected by this.

“If you go to Don’t Worry Darling looking for clues to Wilde’s alleged ineptitude or insensitivity as a director, you won’t see them in Pugh’s performance: she gives Alice some depth and sparkle, and there’s never a moment you don’t root for her.  Styles is cute, but a dud.  Everything he does on-screen practically evaporates from one scene to the next,” said Stephanie Zacharek in Time magazine.  

The most talked about aspect of the Venice Film Festival is the red carpet looks flaunted by some of the world’s biggest stars.  Pieces by designers including Chanel, Alexander McQueen, Valentino, and Christian Dior were featured.  

“While there were plenty of glamorous gowns and spiffy suits to be had, the event’s best dressed attendees were those who took risks and rebuked classic designs in favor of garments that stood out,” said Christian Allaire of Vogue.  

According to Vogue, some of the most memorable endeavors were given to us by Harry Styles in a ‘70s inspired Gucci suit and sunglasses, Florence Pugh in a gorgeous bedazzled black gown accompanied by feathered heels, and Jodie-Turner Smith in a full denim dress.  

“One of my favorite red carpet looks was from Sadie Sink.  She was wearing a gorgeous purple dress and I loved all the crystals they used for the top,” said sophomore Sydney Forman.  

The Venice International Film Festival is a massive part of pop culture and a beautiful display of creativity.  The outstanding style and celebration of movie making appeals to all kinds of people who love absorbing innovative works of art in all kinds of ways.