Venice Film Festival (September 2-12): Celebrities, Toasts, and Signature Dishes

For 11 days, Venice will be much more than the capital of cinema: from the Lido to the Grand Canal, from terrace cocktails to hidden restaurants, from formal toasts to more intimate dinners, wine and food will accompany every moment of the Festival, underscoring a connection far deeper than one might imagine. The toast is part of the setting, the cocktail is a ritual of connection, the private dinner can transform into one of the most exclusive events of the entire week. And wine can become a lifestyle object, to be photographed and described. Like the limited-edition bottle created by the Consorzio di tutela Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG, the final installment in a trilogy this year titled "Sogno Cinematografico," an illustration that places the region and its wine center stage. This year, the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Consortium's participation is enhanced by Greg Goya, a renowned exponent of "fast art," who will create a highly interactive installation: a globe composed of a mosaic of gilded glass fragments, inspired by the art of Murano glassmaking and the region where the sparkling wine is produced. Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG will also be served at the opening and closing dinners and will be present in all the spaces managed by chef Tino Vettorello, including the Palazzo del Cinema, the restaurant of the Palazzo del Casinò, and the Terrazza Biennale. Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG will also be the common thread throughout an exclusive itinerary aboard the "Oedipus Rex," a historic Venetian vessel that has hosted Pier Paolo Pasolini and Maria Callas.

Meanwhile, Montelvini is bringing five labels to the Lido, including a 0% Alcohol Free option for those who prefer to stay clear-headed between red carpets. The iconic Campari Lounge is also returning, set up on the Terrazza Biennale in front of the Palazzo del Casinò: a lively meeting and social space throughout the event.

Lugana DOC, which originates from the hills surrounding Lake Garda, will be the signature wine at Isola Edipo, one of the Lido's main gathering places—with film industry figures, artists, journalists, industry professionals, and the public—enlivened by screenings, masterclasses, talks, concerts, performances, exhibitions, and convivial gatherings. The choice of Isola Edipo is no coincidence: Lugana DOC fits into an ecosystem that values ​​sustainability, inclusion, and connection with local communities. With its freshness and distinctive identity, the Garda white wine fits naturally into the dynamic and convivial atmosphere of Isola Edipo, becoming an integral part of the festival. The connection between Lugana and Venice ideally develops along the water: from Lake Garda to the Lagoon, two landscapes with strong identities, capable of generating culture, beauty, and encounters.

Tino Vettorello, the Festival's official food chef since 2010, designs the menus and events at the Palazzo del Casinò and the Terrazza Biennale (facing the red carpet), which will host film stars, institutional representatives, and guests from partner companies. "Venezia83," "Laguna," and "Cavallino" are the three tasting menus offered for dinner at the Terrazza Biennale, centered around cinema, water, and the coastal gardens. The menu also features "Turbot Clooney," one of the dishes the chef dedicates to film stars, which this year takes on a special meaning due to the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement awarded by the Venice Biennale to George Clooney. "Turbot Clooney has long been a part of my menus," explains Chef Vettorello. "This year, the dedication coincides with an important moment in the actor's career and his relationship with Venice. It's a coincidence that makes the dish even more connected to this edition, and I have a few surprises in store for Clooney, whom I'll be delighted to see again."

The hotels, then, are the most private parts of the Festival: the Hotel Excelsior on the Lido, the historic epicenter of Festival life, remains the obligatory stop for delegations and celebrities, while on the other side of the lagoon, hotels like the Cipriani, the Gritti Palace, the Aman, and the renovated Danieli represent some of the addresses most associated with international attendance during the Festival. According to the American press, the Cipriani also houses one of George Clooney's favorite bars: a detail that perfectly captures the relationship between the stars and Venice, a city where the public dimension of the red carpet coexists with a network of much more discreet venues. And then there are the celebrities' personal tastes, the terrain where food meets gossip: George Clooney, a great connoisseur and frequent visitor to Italy, has for years been associated with a Mediterranean and informal style of conviviality, far removed from the idea of ​​diet as deprivation. Penélope Cruz has repeatedly spoken of her connection with Spanish cuisine and the pleasure of eating, while Robert Pattinson belongs to a generation of stars for whom the relationship with food is often part of the pop narrative, between daily habits, comfort food and rituals depicted in the media.

Between red carpets and a glass of Prosecco di Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG, the Venice Film Festival confirms its dual identity: on the one hand, the seventh art, on the other, a laboratory of Italian food and wine excellence that, edition after edition, always finds new ways to showcase itself to the world.