'Guys and Dolls', Polanski's 'Macbeth' Among Venice Film Festival's Classics Selections

Film director Giuliano Montaldo (Sacco & Vanzetti, And Agnes Chose to Die, The Gold-Rimmed Glasses) will chair the Jury of film students which, at the 71st Venice Film Festival (27 August - 6 September 2014), will award the VENICE CLASSICS AWARD for BEST RESTORED FILM and the VENICE CLASSICS AWARD for BEST DOCUMENTARY ON CINEMA.

The students on the jury, selected from various Italian universities, are graduating students in the History of Cinema, recommended by the professors of 13 Arts, Music and Performing Arts Departments (DAMS) and from the University of Ca' Foscari in Venice. This is the second year in which these prizes are being awarded.

Venice Classics is the section of the Venice Film Festival that since 2012 has presented, with growing success, a selection of classic films. The section brings back to light underestimated or neglected films of the past - restored over the past year by film archives, cultural institutions or production companies around the world. Venice Classics also presents a selection of documentaries about cinema and its auteurs.

Once again this year la Biennale di Venezia will participate in Venice Classics with the Collections from its Historic Archives of the Contemporary Arts (ASAC), which continues in its effort to cultivate its heritage. In particular, the 71st Venice Film Festival will feature a screening of Marco Bellocchio's masterpiece La Cina è vicina (China is near), winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 1967 Venice International Film Festival, restored by Sony Pictures Entertainment in collaboration with the Cineteca di Bologna, on the basis of a valuable period copy preserved at the ASAC.

The 71st Venice Film Festival will present 21 restored films in the Venice Classics section, including 18 feature-length films and 3 short films.

The feature-length films will range from Guys and Dolls (1955) by Joseph L. Mankiewicz to Baisers volés (Stolen Kisses, 1968) by François Truffaut, from The Innocents (1961) by Jack Clayton to The Tragedy of Macbeth (1971) by Roman Polanski, from Umberto D. (1952) by Vittorio De Sica to L'udienza (Papal Audience, 1971) by Marco Ferreri and Una giornata particolare (A Special Day, 1977) by Ettore Scola, to name just a few of the most famous titles.

The 3 short films being presented are: Arlecchino (Harlequin) by Giuliano Montaldo (1983, 8'), the first experiment in HDTV, made by RAI with Sony and NHK (Japanese public television), which paved the way to digital cinema, featuring Vittorio Storaro as cinematographer and starring Ferruccio Soleri; L'amour existe (Love exists) by Maurice Pialat (1961, 19') and L'avventura di un soldato (The Adventure of a Soldier)- an episode from L'amore difficile (Of Wayward Love) - by Nino Manfredi (1962, 25'), a tribute to the great Italian actor on the 10th anniversary of his death.

The 71st Venice International Film Festival will be held on the Lido from 27 August to 6 September 2014, directed by Alberto Barbera and organized by the Biennale di Venezia chaired by Paolo Baratta.

The following are the titles of the 21 restored films in the Venice Classics section of the 71st Venice Film Festival:

Feature Films

Baisers volés (Stolen Kisses)
by François Truffaut (France, 1968, 90', Color)
restored by: Mk2

Bez konca (No End)
by Krzysztof Kieslowski (Poland, 1984, 108', Color)
restored by: Studio Filmowe Tor with the support of the National Audiovisual Institute (the Multiannual Government Programme Culture +) and the Polish Film Institute

Gelin (Bride)
by Ömer Lütfi Akad (Turkey, 1973, 92', Color)
restored by: Erman Film

Guys and Dolls
by Joseph L. Mankiewicz (USA, 1955, 150', Color)
restored by: Warner Bros. Motion Pictures Imaging and Samuel Goldwyn

Kanojo dake ga steiru(Only She Knows)
by Takahashi Osamu (Japan, 1960, 63', B&W)
restored by: Shochiku Co. Ltd and TOKYO FILMeX

L'udienza (Papal Audience/The Audience)
by Marco Ferreri (Italy/France, 1971, 112', Color)
restored by: Cineteca di Bologna and Museo Nazionale del Cinema di Torino, in collaboration with Cristaldi Film

La Cina è vicina (China is near)
by Marco Bellocchio (Italy, 1967, 108', B&W)
restored by: Sony Pictures Entertainment (period copy used as reference from the Historic Archives of the Contemporary Arts of the Biennale di Venezia - ASAC), in collaboration with the Cineteca di Bologna

Mouchette
by Robert Bresson (France, 1967, 82', B&W)
restored by: Argos Films, with the support of the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'Image Animée (CNC)

Senza pietà (Without Pity)
by Alberto Lattuada (Italy, 1948, 89', B&W)
restored by: CSC - Cineteca Nazionale di Roma, in collaboration with Cristaldi Film

The Innocents
by Jack Clayton (United Kingdom/USA, 1961, 100', B&W)
restored by: Twentieth Century Fox

The Iron Mask
by Allan Dwan (USA, 1929, 97', B&W)
restored by: The Museum of Modern Art, New York

The Man From Laramie
by Anthony Mann (USA, 1955, 102', Color)
restored by: Sony Pictures Entertainment

The Tales of Hoffmann
by Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger (United Kingdom, 1951, 138', Color)
restored by: The Film Foundation and the BFI National Archive in association with Studiocanal.The funding for the restoration was kindly granted by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, by the Franco-American Cultural Fund, The Film Foundation, and the Louis B. Mayer Foundation

The Tragedy of Macbeth
by Roman Polanski (United Kingdom/USA, 1971, 140', Color)
restored by: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Todo modo
by Elio Petri (Italy/France, 1976, 125', Color)
restored by: Cineteca di Bologna and Museo Nazionale del Cinema di Torino, in collaboration with Surf Film

Umberto D.
by Vittorio De Sica (Italy, 1952, 91', B&W)
restored by: CSC - Cineteca Nazionale di Roma, in collaboration with the Cineteca di Bologna, the Associazione Vittorio De Sica and RTI

Una giornata particolare (A Special Day)
by Ettore Scola (Italy/France, 1977, 110', Color)
restored by: CSC - Cineteca Nazionale di Roma, in collaboration with Surf Film

Ya Shagayu po Moskve (Walking the Streets of Moscow)
by Georgiy Daneljia (USSR, 1963, 78', B&W)
restored by: Gosfilmofond

Short Films

L'amour existe (Love Exists)
by Maurice Pialat (France, 1961, 19', B&W)
restored by: Les Films de la Pléiade/Les Films du Jeudi and L'Agence du court métrage, with the support of the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'Image Animée (CNC)

Arlecchino (Harlequin)
by Giuliano Montaldo (Italy, 1983, 8', Color)
restored by: Rai Radiotelevisione Italiana and CSC-Cineteca Nazionale di Roma, in collaboration with the Associazione Italiana per le Ricerche di Storia del Cinema

L'avventura di un soldato(The Adventure of a Soldier) - episode from L'amore difficile (Of Wayward Love)
by Nino Manfredi (Italy/Germany, 1962, 25', Color)
restored by: CSC-Cineteca Nazionale di Roma, with the collaboration of Erminia Manfredi, Dalia Events and Onni

Completing the Venice Classics section will be a selection of documentaries about cinema and its auteurs. The complete roster in this section will be announced during the press conference presenting the programme of the Venice International Film Festival, which will be held in Rome on Thursday July 24th at 11:00 am (Hotel S. Regis).

About Giuliano Montaldo:

Giuliano Montaldo made his debut in cinema in 1950 when he was still a student, and Carlo Lizzani gave him a starring role in his film ACHTUNG! BANDITI! (Attention! Bandits!, 1952). He continued his career as an actor with important roles in CRONACHE DI POVERI AMANTI(Chronicle of Poor Lovers, 1954) by Lizzani, andGLI SBANDATI (1955) by Maselli.

But Montaldo's true passion was being behind the camera. Following several early film crew experiences, he served as assistant director to Gillo Pontecorvo on LA LUNGA STRADA AZZURRA (The Wide Blue Road, 1957), KAPÒ(1960) and LA BATTAGLIA D'ALGERI (The Battle of Algiers, 1966).

He made his own debut as a director with TIRO AL PICCIONE (Pigeon Shoot, 1960), in competition at the Venice International Film Festival, followed by UNA BELLA GRINTA (The Reckless, 1965), winner of the Special Jury Prize at the Berlin Film Festival, and two American films, GRAND SLAM(1967) and MACHINE GUN MCCAIN (1969), the latter presented in competition at the Cannes Film Festival.

Thanks to SACCO & VANZETTI(1971) and GIORDANO BRUNO (1974), Montaldo achieved great audience and critical acclaim. His next films were L'AGNESE VA A MORIRE (And Agnes Chose to Die, 1977), CIRCUITO CHIUSO (Closed Circuit, 1978) and IL GIOCATTOLO (I'll Get a Gun, 1979).
In 1980 Montaldo directed the television series MARCO POLO, a major international production, sold to 76 nations and winner of the prestigious Emmy Award for Best Television Series aired in the United States.

In the 1980s, he also began his career as a director of lyric operas, with his highly TURANDOT staged in 1983 at the Arena di Verona. That same year he filmed ARLECCHINO (Harlequin), the first experiment in high-definition video for television in the world.

He returned to filmmaking with IL GIORNO PRIMA (Control, 1985), GLI OCCHIALI D'ORO (The Gold Rimmed Glasses, 1987), which won the Osella d'Oro for Best Set Design and Costumes at the Venice Film Festival, and IL TEMPO DI UCCIDERE (Time to Kill, 1989) based on the book by Ennio Flaiano.

During the 1990's, Montaldo dedicated his work primarily to directing opera, including IL TROVATORE (1990) with Luciano Pavarotti at the Teatro Comunale in Florence, LA BOHÈME (1994) with Placido Domingo at the Arena di Verona, UN BALLO IN MASCHERAand TOSCA(1998), the latter subsequently staged to great acclaim in the immense setting of the Olimpico stadium in Rome.

In 2008 he directed his last film I DEMONI DI SAN PIETROBURGO (The Demons of Saint Petersburg). In 2008, he also filmed the documentary L'ORO DI CUBA. In 2014 he returned to directing opera.

From November 30th 1999 to November 30th 2002 Giuliano Montaldo was President of Rai Cinema. In 2002 he was named Cavaliere di Gran Croce by the President of the Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.