Venice International Film Festival 2021: Kirsten Dunst radiates Hollywood glamour in black gown

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She made a stylish arrival in Italy earlier this week ahead of the premiere of her upcoming film The Power Of The Dog at the 78th Venice International Film Festival.

And Kirsten Dunst, 39, radiated Hollywood glamour when she stepped onto the film’s red carpet on Thursday, wearing a sweeping black gown while posing for photographers.

The actress was joined by Molly Sims, 48, who turned heads in a show-stopping metallic dress complete with puffed sleeves, as well as theatre writer Sophie Hunter, 43, who wowed in a red-and-white frock and was joined by her husband and Kirsten’s co-star, Benedict Cumberbatch.

Kirsten wore her blonde hair swept into a chic bun and accessorised with a statement pair of drop earrings.

Model Molly also had her tresses styled into a bun and opted for striking earrings.

Sophie, meanwhile, styled her brunette locks in an up-do but rocked a glossy fringe and made her look pop with a bold swipe of red lipstick while working her best angles alongside a dapper Benedict, 45.

In a recent trailer for The Power Of The Dog, Kirsten was seen being tormented by co-star Benedict.

Benedict’s cruel character is seen teasing and tormenting a widow played by Kirsten as he runs a ranch in 1925 Montana alongside his brother George, played by Dunst’s real life husband Jesse Plemons.

The Western drama is the film adaptation of Thomas Savage’s 1967 novel and sees Benedict, 45, star as cowboy Phil Burbank.

Though Cumberbatch harasses Dunst’s character Rose and her son Peter, George takes a liking to them and marries her.

Furious at his new family members, Phil continues to lash out at Rose.

He’s then seen in a moment mentoring Peter, played by Kodi Smit-McPhee, prompting viewers to wonder if Phil could be kind or if he was plotting something sinister.

The Power Of The Dog’s ensemble also includes Thomasin McKenzie, Frances Conroy, Keith Carradine, Peter Carroll, and Adam Beach, among others.

It is filmmaker Jane Campion’s first time directing a feature film since Bright Star 12 years ago.

And critics are expecting the film to get a solid awards season push, according to Entertainment Weekly.

Cumberbatch’s performance already earned him the TIFF Tribute Actor award at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, which isn’t until next month.

The Power Of The Dog will be released November 17, 2021 in cinemas and will stream on Netflix on December 1.

The 2021 Venice Film Festival will take place from 1-11 September, and is considered one of the world’s oldest awards ceremonies and one of the ‘Big Five’ events.

The jury is headed by Parasite frontman Bong Joon Ho, who said he is ‘honoured to be woven into its beautiful cinematic tradition.

‘As president of the jury — and more importantly as a perpetual cinephile — I’m ready to admire and applaud all the great films selected by the festival. I’m filled with genuine hope and excitement.’

The jury is also comprised of director Saverio Costanzo, actress Virginie Efira, star Cynthia Erivo, actress Sarah Gadon, documentarian Alexander Nanau, and director Chloé Zhao.

This year’s festival has also invited two Afgan filmmakers, Sahraa Karimi and Sahra Mani, to discuss the Taliban’s takeover of the country, with ‘particular attention to the situation of filmmakers and artists,’ in a panel taking place on 4th September.

The topic of the panel will be ‘the dramatic situation of Afghan filmmakers and artists in general, the need for the creation of humanitarian corridors and the guarantee of the granting of political refugee status, as well as concern for their future and the need to provide for their accommodation once they arrive in Europe.’

Oscar-winning Italian director Roberto Benigni, who helmed the acclaimed Life is Beautiful, will also be honoured with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.

In a statement he said: ‘My heart is full of joy and gratitude. It is an immense honour to receive such an important recognition of my work from the Venice International Film Festival.’

This year’s festival has also seen the grand return of its star-studded red carpet premieres, after last year’s event was drastically scaled back due to the Covid pandemic.

Last year’s occasion saw a significantly smaller number of guests in attendance, will all red carpet arrivals required to adhere to social distancing, with temperature checks and mask wearing mandatory at the event.

Despite its return, this year’s festival is still adhering to strict Covid guidelines, following a rise in cases in Italy.

Public access to the red carpet is banned, and more than 10 testing stations have been set up.

All attendees must show proof of a negative test or vaccination to enter a screen, and masks are required indoors.

This year’s Venice Film Festival will also see the long-awaited premiere of the Princess Diana biopic Spencer, which sees Kristen Stewart star as the late Royal.

The film is set to depict a dramatised version of a ‘critical’ weekend in the early 1990s, when Diana decided that her marriage to Prince Charles wasn’t working.

The script, written by English screenwriter Steven Knight, who has also written Peaky Blinders, follows the moments Diana realised she ‘needed to veer from a path that put her in line to one day be queen’.

On Friday, the science fiction epic Dune, which is directed by Denis Villeneuve and stars Oscar Isaac, Zendaya, Timothée Chalamet Rebecca Ferguson and Jason Momoa, among numerous others, will also premiere at the festival.

Dune was originally supposed to have its premiere in November of 2020, but it was eventually delayed on numerous occasions owing to the ongoing state of the global pandemic, and is now set for release on October 22nd.

The story is set in a far-distant future in the midst of several civilizations spread across the galaxy, centering on one family in particular, the Atreides family.

The family, lead by Duke Leto Atreides, becomes the new stewards for the dangerous desert planet Arrakis.

While the desert planet is sparsely populated and filled with deadly creatures, it is also quite important.

Arrakis is the only source of ‘melange,’ which extends ones life and greatly enhances mental capacities, and is a necessity for space travel and navigation.

Elsewhere, Zoe Saldana graced the red carpet alongside Molly Sims as they led the star-studded premiere for The Hand of God during the Venice Film Festival on Thursday evening.

The actress, 43, looked incredible in a red sequin dress with a sexy thigh high slit up the leg of the jaw-dropping gown, which highlighted her long toned pins as she strutted her way into the venue.

The Guardians Of The Galaxy star styled her eye-catching dress with a pair of simple black strappy heels and wore her raven tresses in a loose sleek style, while opting for a dewy coat of make-up. 

During her turn on the red carpet, Zoe put on a PDA-packed display with her tuxedo-clad husband Marco Perego, as she was seen sweetly kissing him on the lips as they posed for photos.

Meanwhile, Molly looked equally stunning in a vibrant neon pink dress, which featured layered tulle fabric and feathered detailing all over the showstopping garment.

American model Molly, 48, cut an elegant figure in the floaty dress, while she styled her blonde locks up in a neat chignon and opted for a subtle pallet of make-up to enhance her pretty features. 

The 2021 Venice Film Festival will take place from 1-11 September, and is considered one of the world’s oldest awards ceremonies and one of the ‘Big Five’ events. 

The jury is headed by Parasite frontman Bong Joon Ho, who said he is ‘honoured to be woven into its beautiful cinematic tradition. 

‘As president of the jury — and more importantly as a perpetual cinephile — I’m ready to admire and applaud all the great films selected by the festival. I’m filled with genuine hope and excitement.’

The jury is also comprised of  director Saverio Costanzo, actress Virginie Efira, star Cynthia Erivo, actress Sarah Gadon, documentarian Alexander Nanau, and director Chloé Zhao.

This year’s festival has also invited two Afgan filmmakers, Sahraa Karimi and Sahra Mani, to discuss the Taliban’s takeover of the country, with ‘particular attention to the situation of filmmakers and artists,’ in a panel taking place on 4th September. 

The topic of the panel will be ‘the dramatic situation of Afghan filmmakers and artists in general, the need for the creation of humanitarian corridors and the guarantee of the granting of political refugee status, as well as concern for their future and the need to provide for their accommodation once they arrive in Europe.’ 

Oscar-winning Italian directorRoberto Benigni, who helmed the acclaimed Life is Beautiful, will also be honoured with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.

In a statement he said: ‘My heart is full of joy and gratitude. It is an immense honour to receive such an important recognition of my work from the Venice International Film Festival.’ 

This year’s festival has also seen the grand return of its star-studded red carpet premieres, after last year’s event was drastically scaled back due to the Covid pandemic.

Last year’s occasion saw a significantly smaller number of guests in attendance, will all red carpet arrivals required to adhere to social distancing, with temperature checks and mask wearing mandatory at the event.

Despite its return, this year’s festival is still adhering to strict Covid guidelines, following a rise in cases in Italy.

Public access to the red carpet is banned, and more than 10 testing stations have been set up.

All attendees must show proof of a negative test or vaccination to enter a screen, and masks are required indoors.   

This year’s Venice Film Festival will also see the long-awaited premiere of the Princess Diana biopic Spencer, which sees Kristen Stewart star as the late Royal.

The film is set to depict a dramatised version of a ‘critical’ weekend in the early 1990s, when Diana decided that her marriage to Prince Charles wasn’t working. 

The script, written by English screenwriter Steven Knight, who has also written Peaky Blinders, follows the moments Diana realised she ‘needed to veer from a path that put her in line to one day be queen’.  

The Hand Of God is a story of a boy in the tumultuous Naples of the 1980s. 

Sorrentino’s most personal film yet is a tale of fate and family, sports and cinema, love and loss. 

The story of a boy in the tumultuous Naples of the 1980s. Sorrentino’s most personal film yet is a tale of fate and family, sports and cinema, love and loss.