Venice Film Festival line-up: Only two films made by women make list

Selection also has a spot for Roman Polanski

Roman Polanski poses during a photocall at the Cinematheque in Paris on 30 October, 2017. (LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/Getty Images)

The Venice Film Festival has unveiled its line-up, with just two films directed by women in competition – and a spot for controversial director Roman Polanski.

The list, announced on Thursday in Rome, highlights the 21 titles that make up its official selection.

Babyteeth by Shannon Murphy and The Perfect Candidate by Haifaa Al Mansour are the only two movies made by female directors to have made the cut.

In 2018 and 2017, the festival only shortlisted one film directed by a woman as part of its competition selection.

Polanski's inclusion in the line-up, meanwhile, has already generated some backlash on social media and is likely to remain a talking point.

The director pleaded guilty to unlawful sex with a minor in 1977 and fled the United States the following year. He has remained in exile since.

Polanski was subsequently expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2018.

"Venice programming a new Roman Polanski movie on competition while having just two films by women there is... uhh... a look," wrote one Twitter user.

"The Venice Film Festival line-up has only two women and one Roman Polanski... yikes," someone else tweeted.

Among Venice's 21 competition titles is the Netflix-produced Panama Papers drama The Laundromat, starring Meryl Streep and Antonio Banderas, which could not run in Cannes.

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Netflix will also present Marriage Story and The King, with the latter debuting out of competition.

Hollywood productions such as Joker with Joaquin Phoenix in the comic book classic role and the sci-fi space journey Ad Astra starring Brad Pitt, are also in the running.

The Venice Film Festival will run from 29 August to 7 September.

Additional reporting by agencies