Grand Duke & Duchess, Culture Minister Attend Venice Film Festival

Film Fund Luxembourg - the National Fund for Support to Audiovisual Production - together with the Ministry of Culture have reported that, as part of the 81st edition of the Venice International Film Festival, the Minister of Culture, Eric Thill, together with the Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess, took part in this major international film event and met with professionals from the Luxembourg audiovisual sector.

The Minister began his visit on 30 August by meeting the delegations of Luxembourg and Wallonia-Brussels, which are particularly highlighted this year under the name "The Center of Attraction": Luxembourg and Wallonia-Brussels, as well as Japan, are this year at the centre of the Venice Production Bridge, the festival's film market.

The delegations were welcomed by Alberto Barbera, Artistic Director of the Venice Film Festival, and Pascal Diot, General Director of the Venice Production Bridge. In his speech to the professionals of the audiovisual sector, the Minister reiterated his support for the 7th art: "Six Luxembourg co-productions in the official selection reflect the quality and diversity of our national audiovisual sector, a vital force of creativity and cultural expression. I am proud of Luxembourg's commitment to supporting and promoting the audiovisual industry, both nationally and internationally."

The Minister then discussed with professionals in the sector key topics such as the future of the film industry in the digital age and the role of festivals in promoting cultural diversity. These discussions highlighted the importance of the Ministry's support for Luxembourg film productions and the commitment of the entire Film Fund Luxembourg team, which supports professionals in the sector on a daily basis.

The following day, 31 August, the Minister and the Luxembourg delegation attended a round table dedicated to the stakeholders of the immersive ecosystems of Luxembourg and Wallonia, followed by a visit to the "Film Market" with its director, Pascal Diot. The film market represents an essential platform for exchanges between producers, distributors and buyers from around the world. This visit was an opportunity to strengthen the links between Luxembourg and the global audiovisual sector and to explore new possibilities for cooperation with international partners.

The Minister then accompanied the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess who viewed the Luxembourg XR works selected in competition on the immersive island, accompanied by the curators Michel Reilhac, Liz Rosenthal and Myriam Achard and in the presence of the Luxembourg directors.

Minister Thill was particularly pleased with Luxembourg's success in the digital field: "Exploiting the potential of digital technology is one of our government's priorities, and the selection of no fewer than five Luxembourg co-productions at Venice Immersive is evidence of the success of this policy and the quality of our national audiovisual industry."

The Minister also reiterated his invitation to the audiovisual conference to be held on 20 September at the CNA in Dudelange, aimed at developing a strategy and vision for the development of the sector for the years to come.

Six Luxembourg co-productions are in the official selection in competition at the 81st Venice International Film Festival at the Cannes Film Festival this year.

Feature film in official competition:

- The documentary Youth (Homecoming) by Chinese director Wang Bing, co-produced by Les Films Fauves (Gilles Chanial) with France, Hong Kong and the Netherlands.

Virtual reality works in the official competition "XR Immersive":

- This is my heart by Nicolas Blies and Stéphane Hueber-Blies: a production mainly in Luxembourg by the company a_BAHN (François Le Gall and Marion Guth) including France.
- Oto's Planet by Gwenael François: a production mainly in Luxembourg by the company Skill Lab (Julien Becker) involving Quebec and France.
- Mamie Lou by Isabelle Andréani: a co-production Skill Lab (Julien Becker) with France.
- Ito Meikyu by Boris Labbé: a co-production Les Films Fauves (Gilles Chanial and Govinda Van Maele) with France.
- Champ de bataille by François Vautier: a co-production Digital Voodooh (Fred Neuen and Mark Mertens) with France and Belgium.