The Hollywood Reporter (THR) Roma hosted an extravagant yet laid-back party at their festival villa during the 80th Venice Film Festival. The event marked the international debut of THR Roma, the European edition of The Hollywood Reporter, and also celebrated the launch of their first stand-alone print edition.
The party drew a star-studded crowd, reminiscent of Pablo Sorrentino’s iconic party sequence in The Great Beauty. Italian film and fashion industry elites mingled with international celebrities. Among them were the cast of the festival opener Comandante, including Italian superstar Pierfrancesco Favino and director Edoardo De Angelis. The creative director of Valentino, Pier Paolo Piccioli, also graced the event with his presence. Notable guests at the party included Priscilla Presley and Sofia Coppola, who were in Venice for the world premiere of Priscilla, Coppola’s adaptation of Presley’s memoir Elvis and Me.
The business side of the industry was well-represented at the event, with top executives from indie production giant Fremantle attending. Fremantle received the inaugural THR International Producers of the Year award. Andrea Scrosati, Group COO and CEO of Continental Europe at Fremantle, and Christian Vesper, CEO of Global Drama, accepted the award on behalf of the company. Fremantle has quickly transformed from a producer of non-scripted and entertainment television to one of the leading backers and distributors of indie art house movies. They have produced over 60 films in the past three years through their boutique subsidiaries, including The Apartment, Wildside, and Element Pictures.
Other Fremantle executives spotted at the party included CEO, International Jens Richter and CEO, Southern Europe Jaime Ondarza. Lorenzo Mieli, head of Italian production company The Apartment, was also present. Mieli, known for his prolific output, co-produced Priscilla and is competing with Stefano Sollima’s Italian crime noir Adagio at the festival. His upcoming slate includes Angelina Jolie’s feature Without Blood and Luca Guadagnino’s Queer, an adaptation of the William S. Burroughs novel.
The highlight of the evening was when THR Roma’s editor-in-chief, Concita De Gregorio, dazzled in a stunning hot pink Valentino dress as she presented the publication’s first-ever stand-alone print magazine. The glossy collector’s edition, titled “The Lido of Dreams,” features interviews with industry legends such as Sofia and Francis Ford Coppola, Luca Guadagnino, Susan Sarandon, Ari Aster, Oliver Stone, Sophie Loren, and Dario and Asia Argento. The magazine also includes profiles of iconic figures from Venice, such as Arrigo Cipriani, the owner of Harry’s Bar, and Rene Caovilla, the renowned designer of exquisite high-heeled shoes worn by celebrities like Rihanna, Julia Roberts, and Sharon Stone on the Lido’s red carpet. The cover of the magazine, designed by Valentino’s creative director Pier Paolo Piccioli, showcases a watercolor painting of Salvador Dalí reclining in a gondola in Venice’s Grand Canal, with a pink carnivalesque mask covering his face.
The first print edition of THR Roma showcases the magazine’s commitment to providing in-depth and exclusive content about the Venice Film Festival and the industry as a whole. The magazine can be viewed online in English, allowing readers to immerse themselves in the glamour and excitement of the event.
Overall, the THR Roma Venice Film Festival party was a night to remember, filled with A-list guests, prestigious awards, and the unveiling of a beautifully curated print magazine. The event solidified THR Roma’s position as a key player in the European film industry and a go-to source for insightful and captivating industry coverage.
