Turkish directors to hit Venice Film Festival

ROME

Turkish-German director Fatih Akın’s new film ‘The Cut’ will make its premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

Two acclaimed Turkish directors will feature at the 71st Venice Film Festival, from Aug. 27 to Sept. 6.

At a press conference on July 24, festival organizers announced a 20-strong competition lineup, which will include “The Cut” by Turkish-German director Fatih Akın, starring Tahar Rahim, and “Sivas” by Turkish director Kaan Müjdeci.

The two films will make their premiers in the festival. Akın’s new film, which is set in Turkey’s southeast during the tumultuous events of 1915, will compete for the grand award of the festival, the Golden Lion, while Müjdeci’s film will compete for the Young Lion award, given to the first feature of young directors.

In addition, Turkish director Ömer Lütfi Akad’s 1973 film “Gelin” (Bride), which has been restored, will be shown at the festival. The festival lineup also includes Ramin Bahrani’s subprime mortgage drama “99 Homes,” with Andrew Garfield and Laura Dern, and Andrew Niccol’s “The Good Kill,” starring Hawke as a dissatisfied drone operator, David Gordon Green’s Texan drama “Manglehorn” starring Pacino and Holly Hunter, Abel Ferrara’s “Pasolini,” starring Dafoe as the taboo-breaking Italian filmmaker.

The 71st Venice Film Festival will open 27 with the world premiere of Alejandro Inarritu’s “Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance,” starring Michael Keaton. The world’s oldest film festival’s jury president Alexandre Desplat will head a judging panel that also includes British actor Tim Roth, Palestinian director Elia Suleiman and Italian actor Carlo Verdone.