The success of the Venice Production Bridge (VPB) keeps on growing, with more than 2,200 industry professionals in attendance this year to pay a visit to the Venice Gap-Financing Market, the Book Adaptation Rights Market, the VR competition and the Final Cut workshops. Some of the Venice competition titles, such as Suspiria [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Luca Guadagnino and László Nemes’ new drama, Sunset [+leggi anche:
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intervista: László Nemes
scheda film], have been picked up for theatrical release in key markets. The remake of the 1977 Italian horror film by Dario Argento has sold to France (Metropolitan Filmexport), Germany/Switzerland (Koch Media), Spain (Sun Distribution) and the UK (MUBI). The drama Sunset, which unfolds during the Austro-Hungarian Empire, has been acquired by Sony Pictures Classics for the US market; further sales were made for France (Ad Vitam), Germany (MFA), Italy (Movies Inspired), Spain (Avalon), the UK (Curzon) and Benelux (Cinéart). Netflix has six titles at Venice (three in competition), and at the very least, the black-and-white film Roma by Alfonso Cuarón, 22 July [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Paul Greengrass, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs by Joel and Ethan Coen, and Orson Welles’ The Other Side of the Wind will get a limited theatrical release. While further sales are being negotiated, various industry representatives are on the lookout for upcoming projects in Venice.

The 2018 Berlinale Golden Bear winner Touch Me Not [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Adina Pintilie
scheda film] by Adina Pintilie was previously pitched at the Venice Gap-Financing Market, as was The Harvesters [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Etienne Kallos
scheda film] by Greek-South African director Etienne Kallos, which premiered in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard earlier this year. “More than 80% of the projects that were presented at the Venice Gap-Financing Market have been completed within eight months,” says Pascal Diot, head of the VPB. A huge pool of talents can also be found taking part in the Final Cut programme, in which the 2018 Berlinale Silver Bear winner Félicité [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Alain Gomis
scheda film] by Alain Gomis and the 2018 Cannes competition film Rafiki [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Wanuri Kahiu
scheda film] by Wanuri Kahiu were discovered. 

At the VPB, projects can be found at different stages of development, with attendees in search of everything from inspirational books to gap financing. “We are getting some great feedback from the publishers because they have more meetings this year,” Diot points out. The Book Adaptation Rights Market attracts a growing number of international publishers from across the world. “Venice is the perfect place to pitch projects to producers,” says Jaha Cummings, a publisher from Blue Ocean Press in Florida. The Venice Virtual Reality section has an outstanding international reputation and is presenting installations in an exclusive showroom on Lazzaretto Vecchio island. Among the film professionals scouting out the interactive films and VR installations this year is Loren Hammonds, programmer, Film and Immersive, at the Tribeca Film Festival. “This is an event that I don’t want to miss,” he enthuses.