Many poets compared Venice to a mysterious mythological figure, belongings half to the world of the sea and half to the land. Like an elegant siren, she silently swims through the high-water canals and under the carved stone bridges, cradling the gondolas under the quaysides. But in September, she changes get rid of shape. She slowly emerges from the water as shiny as glass, wears a long crimson velvet dress and walks resolutely down the red carpet, enlightened by the photographers’ flashes and waving at the sun setting in the lagoon. That’s how you’ll know the 78th International Venice Film Festival has started.

Together with the Cannes Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival, the Venice Film Festival belongs to the ‘Big Three’ events on the global cinema landscape. It is an eagerly awaited event for actors and directors hoping to receive the Golden Lion award, and for the city to immerse itself in an enchanting encounter of culture and art under the eyes of the world. Organized by the Venice Art Biennale, the 78th edition, which will take place from 1 to 11 September, aims to stimulate artistic activity and promote the tradition of a rich cultural program with the unmistakable glamour that has always distinguished it.

First held in 1932, the Venice International Film Festival holds the record as the oldest film festival in the world. Since its first edition presented on the Lido island, the Festival has seen screen legends stars like Greta Garbo and Clark Gable walk the carpet. Its prestige immediately led to an annual event that has followed over time. It brought to the red carpet the most successful directors and actors such as Brigitte Bardot, Elizabeth Taylor, and even a young Sean Connery, who arrived in 1967 whizzing by on a speedboat in classic James Bond style.