Alberto Barbera

Venice fest boss baffled by hostility to Woody Allen

The head of the Venice Film Festival, which started yesterday, told AFP it was "absolutely incomprehensible" why U.S. opinion had turned so strongly against director Woody Allen.

The festival has been criticized for its inclusion of several directors with past sexual assault allegations in this year's line-up, including Allen, Roman Polanski and Luc Besson.

Zendaya tennis drama ‘Challengers’ to open Venice Film Festival

The Venice Film Festival is serving up one of the year's buzzier films as its opening night selection in Luca Guadagnino's "Challengers." The romantic tennis drama starring Zendaya, "West Side Story's" Mike Faist and "The Crown's" Josh O'Connor will have its world premiere out of competition at the 80th edition of the festival in September, organizers said Thursday.