At Venice you’re guaranteed a taste of old Hollywood glamour – Lady Gaga delicately perching over the edge of a moving water taxi, George and Amal Clooney gliding over the horizon or Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck making their red carpet debut.
But the world’s oldest film festival, now entering its 80th year, places equal emphasis on the new. The 11-day event launched on Wednesday with the Adam Driver flick White Noise, marking the first time a Netflix film has officially opened Venice – seven years after the festival became the first to open its competition to streaming services.
