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★★☆☆☆ The general rule of thumb is that the best Italian films looking to premier each year go to either Berlin or Cannes, because in Venice any Italian effort in competition is viewed with suspicion. In the case of Roan Johnson's by-the-numbers pregnancy comedy Piuma, the suspicion is amply justified. This is as light as the feather of the title and although sporadically funny, it has no place in the main competition line up as it struggles to attain the philosophical heights of Bridget Jones' Baby or Nine Months.

Title: Piuma Director: Roan Johnson Starring: Luigi Fedele, Blu Yoshimi Di Martino, Michela Cescon, Sergio Pierattini, Francesco Colella, Francesca Antonelli, Bruno Sgueglia, Francesca Turrini, Brando Pacitto, Clara Alonso. In Italian “Piuma” mean feather. Roan Johnson’s latest film tries to grasp the difficulties of millennials in confronting parenthood, as they aspire to bequeath “lightheartedness” to their children. The comedy alternates grotesque irony and schmaltzy sensationalism, by telling the story of Ferro (Luigi Fedele) and Cate (Blu Yoshimi Di Martino), two teenagers who grew up in different families, but face the same problems. Between hesitation and leaps of faith, acceptance of responsibility and hotheadedness, the two protagonists will spend the nine most [ Read More ]

The post Piuma Movie Review (Venice Film Festival 2016) appeared first on Shockya.com.

There comes a time when everyone is forced to grow up whether they want to or not, and sometimes that time comes a little too early. Roan Johnson’s latest film “Piuma” follows two Italian teenagers, Ferro (Luigi Fedele) and Cate (Blu Yoshimi Di Martino), who must cope with an unexpected pregnancy and a world moving in the wrong direction. Though they deal with typical teenage struggles involving family, school, and employment, they’re also getting ready to take a major step in both of their lives. A comedy that lies at the center between hesitation and leaps of faith, “Piuma” tracks nine months in Ferro and Cate’s lives as they try not lose their purity and innocence amidst the major sea change. Watch the trailer below.

Read More: Venice Film Festival Reveals First Slate of 2016 Titles, Including ‘Voyage of Time,’ ‘The Bad Batch,’ ‘Jackie’ and ‘Nocturnal Animals’

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The full list of this year's Venice Film Festival has been announced with high-profile titles from Mel Gibson, Tom Ford, Terrence Malick, Derek Cianfrance, Pablo Larrain, Denis Villenueve, Antoine Fuqua, Damian Chazelle, Emir Kusturica, Antoine Fuqua, Ana Lily Amirpour, Francois Ozon, and Wim Wenders all making the grade.

Amongst the films in competition are Chazelle's Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone-led musical "La La Land," Ford's second film "Nocturnal Animals," the high-profile book adaptation "The Light Between Oceans," the mysterious sci-fi title "Arrival," and Malick's doco "Voyage of Time". Screening outside of competition are Gibson's "Hacksaw Ridge," Fuqua's "The Magnificent Seven," and the first two episodes of Paolo Sorrentino's "The Young Pope". Here's the full line-up:

In Competition

"The Bad Batch," Ana Lily Amirpour (U.S.)

"Une Vie," Stephan Brizé (France, Belgium)

"La La Land," Damien Chazelle (U.S.)

"The Light Between Oceans," Derek Cianfrance (U.S., Australia, New Zealand)

"El ciudadano ilustre,...

The selection for the 2016 Venice Film Festival has been announced, with new films by Terrence Malick, Pablo Larraín, Lav Diaz, Wang Bing, Amat Escalante, Tom Ford, and more.COMPETITIONVoyage of TimeThe Bad Batch (Ana Lily Amirpour)Une vie i (Stéphane Brizé)La La Land (Damien Chazelle)The Light Between Oceans (Derek Cianfrance)El ciudadano ilustre (Mariano Cohn, Gastón Duprat)Spira Mirabilis (Massimo D'Anolfi, Martina Parenti)The Woman Who Left (Lav Diaz)La región salvaje (Amat Escalante)Nocturnal Animals (Tom Ford)Piuma (Roan Johnson)Paradise (Andrei Konchalovsky)Brimstone (Martin Koolhoven)Jackie (Pablo Larraín)Voyage of Time (Terrence Malick)El Cristo Ciego (Christopher Murray)Frantz (François Ozon)Questi Giorni (Giuseppe Piccioni)Arrival (Denis Villeneuve)Les beaux jours D'Aranjuez (Wim Wenders)Out Of COMPETITIONSafariOur War (Bruno Chiaravolloti, Claudio Jampaglia, Benedetta Argentieri)I Called Him Morgan (Kasper Collin)One More Time with Feeling (Andrew Dominik)The Bleeder (Philippe Falardeau)The Magnificent Seven (Antoine Fuqua...

Is there a best picture winner in the bunch? The Venice Film Festival has unveiled its 2016 lineup, including both in competition and out of competition offerings, and with the festival’s strong track record of debuting recent best picture winners — from “Spotlight” to “Birdman” — there might be another big winner among the slate’s ranks.

As had been previously announced, the festival will open with Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land,” which will later hit Toronto (and, presumably, also Telluride). The festival will close with Antoine Fuqua’s “The Magnificent Seven,” which kicks off its own festival run days earlier, when it will open Tiff.

Read More: Tiff Reveals First Slate of 2016 Titles, Including ‘Magnificent Seven,’ ‘American Honey,’ ‘La La Land’ and ‘Birth of A Nation’

Other picks that will also do the Venice-tiff two-step include Tom Ford’s “Nocturnal Animals,” Denis Villeneuve’s “Arrival,” Francois Ozon’s “Frantz,” Nick Hamm...

On the heels of the Toronto International Film Festival announcement, this year’s slate for the Venice International Film Festival has arrived — and it’s a fantastic-looking line-up. Outside some of the Tiff titles (La La Land, Arrival, Frantz, The Age of Shadows, Nocturnal Animals, etc.), they’ll have the world premiere of one of our most-anticipated films of the year: Terrence Malick‘s documentary Voyage of Time (the 90-minute Cate Blanchett-narrated version).

Also among the premieres are Ana Lily Amirpour’s follow-up to A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, The Bad Batch, Mel Gibson‘s return to the director’s chair, Hacksaw Ridge, Derek Cianfrance‘s The Light Between Oceans, Pablo Larrain‘s Natalie Portman-led Jackie, as well as new films from Andrew Dominik, Lav Diaz, Ulrich Seidl, Emir Kusturica, and more. Check out the line-up below and return for our coverage.

Opening Night Film

La La Land,...