At the Venice Film Festival, Cinema’s Future Looks Hopeful

Jury members Alexander Nanau, from left, Chloe Zhao, Cynthia Erivo, Jury president Bong Joon Ho, Virginie Efira, Saverio Costanzo, Sarah Gadon, and director of the Venice Film festival Alberto Barbera, front, pose for photographers at the photo call for the jury during the 78th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Sept. 1, 2021. Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP

VENICE, Italy—Hope for the future of cinema was front of mind for many as the Venice International Film Festival kicked off Wednesday on the Lido.

In the face of the Delta variant, and the trials those in the global film industry weathered last year, the 78th edition of the oldest festival in the world has returned, with precautions, to celebrate the best of what’s to come in film from both newcomers and established veterans, like Jane Campion and Pedro Almodóvar.