Barbera noted that almost half of the competition film selections this year are directed by women. “The decision to hold the 77th edition of the Venice Film Festival is experienced like a sign of confidence in — and concrete support of — the world of film and the audiovisual industry,” Barbera said. COVID-19 has massively disrupted the film festival circuit, a major launching pad not only for awards contenders but also for films looking for buzz and distribution. Cannes and Telluride were cancelled and others like Venice and the Toronto International Film Festival have had to get creative and scale back where possible in order to proceed. Case in point, Chloe Zhao’s “Nomadland,” starring Frances McDormand, will premiere across the major fall film festivals — Venice, Toronto, Telluride and New York.

Source: ABC News July 28, 2020 11:39 UTC