Venice Film Festival 2025 Opens with Grace and Glamour

The 2025 Venice Film Festival 2025 began in a state of grace. Grace, after all, is the title of the opening film: La Grazia, by Italy’s own Paolo Sorrentino. It is the story of an Italian president in the last months of his term—a man who’s trying to smoke only one cigarette per day as he remembers his late wife. He’s played by Toni Servillo, who appeared on Wednesday’s opening light red carpet with Anna Ferzetti, the film’s leading lady. The stars and Sorrentino seemed in high spirits after the long applause their film drew at the morning press screenings, as did Milvia Marigliano, who plays the president’s explosive friend. Not far away was actor and producer Pierfrancesco Favino, who will present his own film at the festival— but on Wednesday, was there to accompany his partner, Ferzetti.

Italian rapper Guè, whose music is heard in the film, was also present, dressed in black and decidedly amused. (His wife introduced him to the artist’s music, Sorrentino said at that morning’s press conference.) Also arriving were Venice jurors Maura Delpero and Fernanda Torres, as well as Emanuela Fanelli, host of the event. “I am the face they wanted to open the Festival with,” she jokes on the stage of the Lido’s Sala Grande, recalling the first film she saw in theaters: The Little Mermaid. Werner Herzog, who won the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, was introduced by another Hollywood great, Francis Ford Coppola, who was recently recovering from heart surgery.

American stars were present too: Cate Blanchett, Adam Driver and Tom Waits, who appear together in the film Father Mother Sister Brother by Jim Jarmusch. The movie premieres in competition on August 31. The red carpet featured stars with family ties as well, including Giuseppe and Nicola Fiorello, and Heidi and Leni Klum. The Exhibition has officially begun.

Original story in VF Italy.

Anna Ferzetti and Pierfrancesco Favino

Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

Toni Servillo, Anna Ferzetti and Paolo Sorrentino

Ernesto Ruscio/Getty Images

Emanuela Fanelli

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Nicola Fiorello and Giuseppe Fiorello

Ernesto Ruscio/Getty Images

Cate Blanchett

Earl Gibson III/Getty Images

Tilda Swinton