By Lindsey Bahr
Julianne Moore has been selected to serve as president of the main competition jury for the Venice International Film Festival this year, festival director Alberto Barbera announced Friday.
The Oscar-winning actor will preside over a jury that includes French director Audrey Diwan, whose film "Happening" won the Golden Lion last year, author Kazuo Ishiguro ("Never Let Me Go") and Iranian actor Leila Hatami ("A Separation"). Also on the jury are Italian director Leonardo Di Costanzo ("The Inner Cage") Argentinian filmmaker Mariano Cohn ("Official Competition") and Rodrigo Sorogoyen ("The Candidate").
All will travel to the Lido next month to decide on the festival's main prizes, including the Golden Lion for best film and the Silver Lion for best director, which often set the tone for the upcoming awards season.
Last year, Jane Campion was awarded the Silver Lion for her film "The Power of the Dog" by a jury that included Bong Joon Ho, as president, and Chloé Zhao. Campion went on to win the best director Oscar. It was one of seven times in the past decade that the director of a film that premiered at Venice would also win a best director Oscar that season.
This year's slate of films will be revealed later this month. The 79th Venice International Film Festival will run from Aug. 31 through Sept. 10.
Lindsey Bahr is an AP film writer
“Scandal” cast will reunite for online script reading for hurricane relief in western North Carolina
The cast of ABC's hit political drama "Scandal" may need to brush up on their snappy, speedy delivery known as "Scandal-pace," because they're reuniting for a good cause. Its stars including Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn and Bellamy Young will take part in a live virtual script reading on Nov. 17 to raise money for hurricane relief in western North Carolina.
Beginning Friday, fans can go online and donate to reserve a spot for the online reading. Proceeds will benefit United Way of North Carolina. Everyone who donates will be able to take part in a virtual pre-event with the cast and Shonda Rhimes will give an introduction.
Additional guest stars will also be announced. The online fundraising platform Prizeo is also holding a contest where one person who donates online via their site will be selected to read a role from the script with the actors. The winner should not worry about the "Scandal"-pace, assured Young over Zoom.
"Whomever the lucky reader is can read at whatever pace they want," she said.
Young, who played Mellie Young, the first lady and later Republican presidential nominee on "Scandal," was born and raised in Asheville, North Carolina. She came up with the idea for the effort with a friend and took it to her fellow "Scandal" actors, who all jumped on board. Young said this is the first script reading the cast has all done together since the show ended after seven seasons in 2018.
Which episode they will be reading has not been announced yet.
Young said it's "been devastating" to see so many parts of her hometown badly damaged by Hurricane Helene, which ravaged western North Carolina one month ago.
To research the best use for donations, Young spoke with numerous political leaders, including North... Read More