Venice Director on AI, Gaza & Hollywood's Return

Alberto Barbera, the 76-year-old artistic director of the Venice Film Festival, shared his insights mid-festival. He believes Artificial Intelligence represents a revolution potentially greater than the digital shift of the late 1990s, impacting humanity itself. Barbera acknowledged fears surrounding AI but emphasized its permanence and the need to integrate it creatively.

Discussing film scheduling, Barbera explained that politically charged films, like the Gaza documentary NAZA, were intentionally placed late to prevent them from dominating festival conversations and overshadowing other cinematic works. He also touched upon the challenge of including more films by women directors, noting that while the selection committee has 50% female programmers, the number of submissions can fluctuate yearly.

Barbera expressed optimism about Hollywood studios returning to Venice, stating their absence was due to films not being ready rather than a lack of interest or excessive costs. He anticipates that films like Martin McDonagh's and Lee Chang-dong's may attract Academy Award attention. Barbera also revealed he has two years remaining on his contract.