Los Angeles, April 23 (IANS) Hollywood actress Maggie Gyllenhaal is set to preside over the main jury of the upcoming edition of the Venice Film Festival.
The Oscar-nominated actor, director, producer and screenwriter was last in Venice in 2021 with her directorial debut ‘The Lost Daughter’, which was an adaptation of the Elena Ferrante novel of the same name, reports ‘Variety’.
The film starred Jessie Buckley, Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson and Peter Sarsgaard, which won the fest’s best screenplay award.
As per ‘Variety’, Maggie Gyllenhaal more recently directed ‘The Bride!’, a feminist take on the ‘Frankenstein’ myth starring Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Penelope Cruz, Sarsgaard, Annette Bening and Jake Gyllenhaal that was recently released in the U.S.
Maggie is the third woman to head the Lido jury in the past five years, following Isabelle Huppert (2024), Julianne Moore (2022) and Cate Blanchett (2020).
Maggie said in a statement, “I am thrilled to accept the invitation to lead this year’s Venice Film Festival jury. Venice has always supported truthful, singular voices and I am honored to play a part in continuing that brave and necessary tradition. I will not be standing in judgement, but in curiosity, admiration and excitement”.
Venice chief Alberto Barbera said, “Maggie Gyllenhaal embodies an artistic path of uncommon consistency, constructed over time with intelligence and courage. An actress who is able to portray disturbing and multifaceted characters, she also reinvented herself as a director with ‘The Lost Daughter’”.
“Her perspective on cinema, both intellectual and visceral, has found further confirmation in the recent film ‘The Bride!’, which consolidates her stature as an original filmmaker. Having her as the president of our jury means being able to rely on an authoritative and independent voice, animated by that authentic passion for arthouse cinema which has always represented the heart of the festival”, he added.
–IANS
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