Nicole Kidman’s arrival in Venice on Wednesday for the Italian city’s celebrated film festival caused a frenzy, with the press and her eager fans descending on the airport. As the flame-haired actress navigated the flood of well-wishers, one customs agent joked, “How can the poor woman get out?”.
The Moulin Rouge star emerged in a sleek black trouser suit and white top, briefly waving to the crowd before hopping aboard a waiting speedboat. Members of the press set off in hot pursuit across the scenic waters as Nicole – complete with 22 suitcases and six bodyguards – was whisked away to The Cipriani, a luxury hotel nearby.
Nicole is in town to celebrate two films, the upcoming comedy Birthday Girl and the Tom Cruise-produced ghost story The Others, for which she’s already drawing Oscar buzz. And while Tom made the rounds in LA to promote the thriller earlier this month, the Mission Impossible star reportedly isn’t planning an appearance in Venice.
The 58th annual film festival kicked off on Wednesday night with the premiere of the cowboy picture Dust starring Joseph Fiennes. And while the Shakespeare In Love actor was nowhere in sight, there is no shortage of A-list talent headed to Italy over the next two weeks.
Oscar winner Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke are expected in the historic city to promote their upcoming film Training Day. Pensive heart-throb Johnny Depp and Boogie Nights beauty Heather Graham are also likely to appear, as are Woody Allen’s latest muses, Helen Hunt and Charlize Theron.
A total of 41 films will compete this year, for the first time divided into two competitions. Twenty films will go head-to-head in the Venice 58 contest which encompasses international full-length films including The Others and Larry Clark’s controversial picture Bully, while 21 others will compete for the new Lion Of The Year Award, which celebrates cutting-edge films.
The film festival has been criticised in the past for being anti-Hollywood. However, the competition’s director Alberto Barbera insists that isn’t the case. “We have been accused of being many things, especially of being anti-American and of setting up a sober and sad festival,” says Barbera. “They are both false… This year we have 12 Hollywood films, making it the biggest presence at the festival.”
Organisers viewed upwards of 900 films before selecting the short list, which also includes projects such as Steven Spielberg’s AI that will screen outside of competition.
The Venice competition, the world’s oldest film festival, opened on Wednesday and closes on September 8.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
