The 82nd Venice International Film Festival began on 27 August with the world premiere of Paolo Sorrentino’s political drama “La Grazia,” starring longtime collaborator Toni Servillo. The 11-day event on the Lido is expected to host Hollywood figures such as George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Laura Dern and Adam Sandler, and marks the return of streaming heavyweight Netflix with new titles from directors Kathryn Bigelow, Guillermo del Toro and Noah Baumbach. Festivities opened under an unusual degree of political scrutiny. Around 1,500 filmmakers and actors signed a petition urging the festival to take a firm stance on Israel’s war in Gaza, and demonstrators unfurled “Free Palestine” and “Stop the Genocide” banners outside the main venue hours before the red carpet. Festival director Alberto Barbera welcomed debate but rejected calls to bar Israeli participants, while jury president Alexander Payne said films rarely change events but can “serve as vital documents of their times.” The main competition features 23 films, including Kaouther Ben Hania’s Gaza-set “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” Bigelow’s nuclear thriller “A House of Dynamite” and Yorgos Lanthimos’s satire “Bugonia.” Winners of the coveted Golden Lion will be announced on 6 September, sealing Venice’s traditional role as a launch pad for the awards season.