February 27, 2009

Venice chooses Ang Lee to head its Jury

Variety has the story:
Ang Lee will head the main jury of the 66th Venice Film Festival.
A two-time Golden Lion winner -- in 2005 for "Brokeback Mountain," and in 2007 for "Lust, Caution" -- Lee was praised by fest topper Marco Mueller as "one of the most successful directors at creating a dialogue between the filmmaking cultures of the East and West."
Lee, who was born in Taiwan and trained at NYU Film School, is in post on the comedy "Taking Woodstock," based on the memoir about the leadup to the 1969 Woodstock concert by author Elliot Tiber.
While fest organizers declined to confirm whether "Woodstock" -- slated by Focus Features for an Aug.14 U.S. release date -- will unspool at the Lido, a Venice bow in an out-of-competition slot certainly seems timely.
The fest, which runs Sept. 2-12, will be the first to unspool while a new Palazzo del Cinema venue is under construction. In early February builders began work on the $100 million palazzo, part of a broader infrastructural Lido revamp that will also see the historic Hotel Des Bains converted into luxury apartments managed by the Four Seasons Hotel.
-I'm excited for his Woodstock film...how bout you?

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