The 73rd Venice Film Festival announced its line-up today ahead of the event which runs August 31st to September. Ireland will be represented by Nick Hamm’s new Northern Irish drama The Journey.
The film sees Timothy Spall star as DUP leader Ian Paisley and Colm Meaney as Sinn Fein deputy leader Martin McGuinness, and focuses on the improbable friendship between two Northern Ireland political titans when they were forced to take a short journey and the biggest leap of faith. It is at this moment the future of British and Irish history is altered, as two sworn enemies put their past actions behind them and begin to forge a friendship that would lead them to be known as “The Chuckle Brothers”.
The additional cast includes Toby Stephens (Believe) as Prime Minister Tony Blair, Freddie Highmore (The Spiderwick Chronicles) as Jack, young government employee tasked to drive Paisley and McGuinness on their journey, and Oscar-nominated John Hurt (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) as Harry, an accomplished veteran political fixer overseeing the St. Andrews Agreement.
The Journey is directed by Hamm (Killing Bono) from a script by Colin Bateman (Divorcing Jack).
IM Global is financing the film through its Acclaim speciality division, in association with Lipsync and Northern Ireland Screen supported by Invest NI, and will also handle international sales. Greenroom / Tempo Entertainment, Nick Hamm, Mark Huffam (The Martian), and Piers Tempest (Like Minds) are producing, with IM Global Founder and CEO Stuart Ford and President of Production Matt Jackson executive producing.
Venice will be the world premiere for The Journey, which will travel on to Canada for its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival a week later.
Irish talent will be seen in competition as the Michael Fassbender-starring The Light Between Oceans, from director Derek Cianfrance, competes.
IN COMPETITION
The Bad Batch – Ana Lily Amirpour (U.S.)
Une Vie – Stephan Brizé (France, Belgium)
La La Land – Damien Chazelle (U.S.)
The Light Between Oceans – Derek Cianfrance (U.S., Australia, New Zealand)
El ciudadano ilustre – Mariano Cohn, Gaston Duprat (Argentina, Spain)
Spira Mirabilis – Massimo D’Anolfi, Martina Parenti (Italy, Switzerland)
The Woman Who Left – Lav Diaz (Philippines)
La region salvaje – Amat Escalante (Mexico)
Nocturnal Animals – Tom Ford (U.S.)
Piuma – Roan Johnson (Italy)
Paradise – Andrei Konchalovsky (Russia, Germany)
Brimstone – Martin Koolhoven (Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, France, U.K. Sweden)
On the Milky Road – Emir Kusturica (Serbia, U.K., U.S.)
Jackie – Pablo Larrain (U.S., Chile)
Voyage of Time – Terrence Malik (U.S., Germany)
El Cristo ciego – Christopher Murray (Chile, France)
Frantz – Francois Ozon (France)
Questi Giorni – Giuseppe Piccioni (Italy)
Arrival – Denis Villenueve (U.S.)
The Beautiful Days of Aranjuez – Wim Wenders (France, Germany)
OUT OF COMPETITION
Special Event
The Young Pope” (episodes 1, 2), Paolo Sorrentino (Italy, France, Spain, U.S.)
FICTION
The Bleeder – Philippe Falardeau (U.S., Canada)
The Magnificent Seven – Antoine Fuqua (U.S.)
Hacksaw Ridge – Mel Gibson (U.S.)
The Journey – Nick Hamm (U.K.)
A jamais – Benoit Jacquot (France, Portugal)
Gantz:O – Yasushi Kawamura (Japan)
The Age of Shadows – Kim Jee woon (South Korea)
Monte – Amir Naderi (Italy, U.S., France)
Tommaso – Kim Rossi Stewart (Italy)
NON-FICTION
Our War – Bruno Chiaravallotti, Claudio Jampaglia, Benedetta Argentieri (Italy, U.S.)
I Called Him Morgan – Kasper Collin (Sweden, U.S.)
One More Time with Feeling – Andrew Dominik (U.K.)
Austerlitz – Sergei Loznitsa (Germany)
Assalto al cielo – Francesco Munzi (Italy)
Safari – Ulrich Seidl (Austria, Denmark)
American Anarchist – Charlie Siskel (U.S.)
HORIZONS
Tarde para la ira – Raul Arevalo (Spain)
King of the Belgians – Peter Brosens, Jessica Woolworth (Belgium, Netherlands, Bulgaria)
Through the Wall – Rama Burshtein (Israel)
Liberami – Federica Di Giacomo (Italy, France)
Big Big World – Reha Erdem (Turkey)
Gukuroku – Ishikawa Kei (Japan)
Maudit Poutine – Karl Lemieux, (Canada)
Sao Jorge – Marco Martins (Portugal, France)
Dawson City: Frozen Time – Bill Morrison (U.S., France)
Reparer les vivants – Katell Quillevere (France, Belgium)
White Sun – Deepak Rauniyar (Nepal, U.S., Qatar, Netherlands)
Malaria – Parviz Shahbazi (Iran)
Kekszakallu – Gaston Solnicky (Argentina)
Home – Fien Troch (Belgium)
Die Einsiedler – Fien Troch (Germany, Austria)
Il più grande sogno – (Italy)
Boys in the Trees – Nicholas Verso (Australia)
Bitter Money – Wang Bing (China)
Special Out-Of-Competition Screening
Dark Night – Tim Sutton (U.S.)
Planetarium – Rebecca Zlotowski (France, Belgium)
CINEMA IN THE GARDEN
Inseparables – Marcos Carnevale (Argentina)
Franca: Chaos and Creation – Francesco Carrozzini (Italy, U.S.)
In Dubious Battle – James Franco (U.S.)
The Net – Kim Ki-duk (South Korea)
Summertime – Gabriele Muccino (Italy)
The Secret Life of Pets – Chris Renaud, Yarrow Cheney (U.S.)
Robinu – Michele Santoro (Italy)
My Art – Laurie Simmons (U.S.)