Veteran American filmmaker Gus Van Sant will be handed the Campari Passion for Film Award at this year’s Venice Film Festival.
The award ceremony will take place on September 2 in the Sala Grande, just before a screening of his latest film Dead Man’s Wire, which screens out of Competition.
The film stars Bill Skarsgård, Dacre Montgomery, Colman Domingo, Cary Elwes, Myha’la, and Al Pacino. The film was written by Austin Kolodney and produced by Elevated.
The film tells the story of Anthony G. “Tony” Kiritsis, a former real estate developer who, in 1977, took a mortgage banker hostage in a downtown office. Kiritsis, believing he was cheated out of money, armed himself with a sawed-off shotgun wired to a “dead man’s switch” around his own neck, demanding a $5 million apology, and immunity from prosecution.
“I’m truly honored to receive the Passion for Film award. My heartfelt thanks to Campari for this recognition — it means a great deal to me,” Van Sant said in a statement. “I’m grateful not only for their acknowledgement of my work, but also for their support of one of the world’s great institutions of cinema celebration and exhibition. It’s a privilege to be part of this tradition, and I deeply appreciate the passion they bring to film.”
In a statement, Venice head Alberto Barbera described Van Sant as a “unique filmmaker in the landscape of contemporary cinema, who combines a deeply independent perspective with a remarkable ability to connect with audiences.”
“His cinema moves freely between the Hollywood system and the circuits of cinéma d’essai, engaging with industry rules without ever being constrained by them, and remaining true to a bold and ever-evolving personal vision,” Barbera said.
“He has made films that have left a lasting mark on the collective imagination, from Drugstore Cowboy to My Own Private Idaho, from Elephant to Milk, interpreting and anticipating the anxieties of multiple generations. A discoverer of talent, he has launched actors such as River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, Casey Affleck, Joaquin Phoenix, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. His filmography alternates minimalism and classical storytelling, queer cinema and political narrative, moving effortlessly into painting, photography and music as well. Forty years after his first feature film, Van Sant remains a fully active artist, ceaselessly capable of reinventing himself, as demonstrated by his latest, remarkable film Dead Man’s Wire”.
Venice runs from August 27 to September 6.
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