Ridley Scott to Receive Cartier Award at Venice Film Festival

MILAN — British director and producer Ridley Scott will be the recipient of the inaugural Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker Award at the 78th Venice International Film Festival, running Sept. 1 to 11.

Dedicated to a personality who has made an original contribution to contemporary film, the award will be handed over at a ceremony on the evening of Sept. 10 at Palazzo del Cinema’s Sala Grande venue, before the screening of Scott’s new movie “The Last Duel.”

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Premiering out of competition, the film stars Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer and Ben Affleck in a tale of betrayal and vengeance set in 14th-century France.

The recognition is part of Cartier’s sponsorship of the festival this year. As reported, the French jewelry house last month partnered with La Biennale di Venezia to become main sponsor of the event starting this year, jointly contributing to supporting contemporary film creation.

”For this first edition of the Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker Award, Cartier is proud to join the Venice Film Festival in paying tribute to Ridley Scott’s outstanding work, talent and particularly original contribution to the contemporary film industry,” Cartier’s chief marketing officer Arnaud Carrez said in a statement, adding that the director “has enriched the world of cinema with his productions since the ‘70s and has unequivocally become a mainstay in contemporary artistic creation.”

Scott’s expansive body of work encompasses movies such as “Alien,” “Blade Runner,” “Thelma & Louise” and “Gladiator,” which won the Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards for best picture, and conferred Russell Crowe the Academy Award for best actor in a leading role in 2001.

In addition to “The Last Duel,” Scott’s upcoming releases include the buzzy “House of Gucci,” centered on the murder of Maurizio Gucci orchestrated by Patrizia Reggiani, who will be portrayed by Adam Driver and Lady Gaga, respectively. The film is slated to hit theaters in November, but the trailer released last month has revved up the hype around the movie.

Scott’s future projects also include “Kit Bag,” in which Joaquin Phoenix is set to star as French military leader and emperor Napoleon.

In announcing Scott’s award, Alberto Barbera, director of the Venice Film Festival, underscored that “his personal approach to genre films, which successfully reconciles the requirements of entertainment, the expectations of the general public and the demands of critics, is the most distinctive element of Ridley Scott’s filmmaking.

“Had he directed one film only, the English director — who made his debut in film at the age of 40 with ‘The Duellists,’ before capturing the attention of the general public with the global box-office success ‘Alien’ — would still have earned his rightful place in the Olympus of the great filmmakers of contemporary cinema thanks to ‘Blade Runner,’ the most influential film in modern science fiction, which became a benchmark for decades to come,” said Barbera, adding that the director “has demonstrated his ability to navigate the most disparate genres with ease, injecting new lifeblood into each one of them.”

“His indisputable merits include the extraordinary visual talent and painterly taste he has demonstrated in the creation of sumptuous Baroque and graphically majestic images, accompanied by a rare and priceless talent for directing actors,” concluded Barbera.

In addition to Cartier, this year Armani Beauty also renewed its role as official beauty sponsor of the film festival, introducing the new The Audience Award – Armani beauty, Orizzonti Extra.

In particular, Orizzonti Extra is an extension of the competitive section focusing on new trends in the cinema world, and the prize will celebrate the best picture of the new section, according to a jury of spectators.

This is the fourth year Armani Beauty will partner with the event as official make-up artist to the guests and celebrities due to attend. The partnership signals Giorgio Armani’s long-standing relationship with the world of cinema, providing costumes for movies ranging from “American Gigolo” to “The Wolf of Wall Street” and dressing the likes of Cate Blanchett and Tom Cruise, to name a few.

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