Venice Fest Taps Egoyan and Forman

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Venice Fest Taps Egoyan and Forman

 

 

HOLLYWOOD--Director Milos Forman has been tapped president of the

main jury at the upcoming 57th Venice Film Festival, while director Atom

Egoyan will top the jury judging first-time filmmakers. The fest unspools on

the Lido from Aug. 30 to Sept. 9.

Actress Sharon Stone will grace the Lido Aug. 30-31 to present Clint

Eastwood with the Golden Lion for his contribution to cinema. The actress

will also preside over an evening gala, Cinema Against AIDS Venice, on Aug.

31.

Other main jury members include actress Jennifer Jason Leigh;

directors Samira Makhmalbaf, Giuseppe Bertolucci and Claude Chabrol;

writer Tahar Ben-Jelloun; and German film critic Andreas Kilb.

The jury for the Luigi De Laurentiis First Film Prize, which is headed by

Egoyan, comprises actress Chiara Mastroianni, director Mimmo Calopresti,

director-actor Peter Mullan and American film critic Bill Krohn.

The two jury presidents have something in common apart from the fact

they are filmmakers -- both live in North America, though they come from

Europe. Forman is now an American citizen, but is of Czech origin, while

Egoyan is a Canadian citizen of Armenian origin.

The members of the juries were selected by fest director Alberto

Barbera and were recently approved by the Venice Biennale board, chaired

by Paolo Baratta.

The fest's entire slate of films will be unveiled by Barbera and Baratta

during a press conference on Friday at the Cinema Quattro Fontane in

Rome.