The 68th Venice Film Festival Official Competition has been announced including ‘Shame’ and ‘A Dangerous Method’, starring Irish actor Michael Fassbender and ‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy’ with Stephen Rea and Ciarán Hinds. Samson Films co-production ‘The Moth Diaries’, directed by Mary Harron, is to screen out of competition at the festival.
‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy’ features Irish cast members Stephen Rea and Ciarán Hinds, alongside Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy and John Hurt. Irish actor Michael Fassbender will appear in David Cronenberg’s ‘A Dangerous Method’ and Steve McQueen’s ‘Shame’, both set to screen in the official competition.
‘A Dangerous Method’ explores the conflict between psychoanalysts Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, played by Viggo Mortensen and Michael Fassbender, with ‘Shame’ following the drama of 30-something Brandon (Fassbender) and his sexual escapades, and what happens when his wayward younger sister moves in with him. They will be screened in the Official International Competition at Venice alongside such features as Andrea Arnold’s ‘Wuthering Heights’, Roman Polanski’s ‘Carnage’ and Yorgas Lanthimos’ ‘Alpeis’. Opening the festival is ‘The Ides of March’, directed, produced, co-written and featuring an appearance from George Clooney.
Mary Harron’s gothic horror ‘The Moth Diaries’ will receive an out of competition screening at the festival. It is an Irish/Canadian co-production starring IFTA winning Sarah Bolger (The Tudors), Lily Cole (The Rage), Sarah Gadon (A Dangerous Method) and Scott Speedman (Underworld). Samson Films are Irish co-producers on the feature.
The 68th Venice Film Festival takes place from 31st August to 10th September 2011. The full official selection for the Venice Film Festival 2011 can be found here: Venice Film Festival line-up 2011.
