Tuesday 1 September, Day 0 Of The Festival
Maybe this year it should be ‘the red wall’ rather than the red carpet. Among the more striking differences, this edition is a two-meter wall erected in front of the red carpet. Presumably, this safety measure has been put in place to minimize the usual crowds that gather to see the stars treading the carpet before screenings.
The festival center was quieter than usual for day zero but not a ghost town. The event doesn’t officially begin until tomorrow after all. In recent years the festival has had a number of glossy billboards for big studio movies. Not so this year with fewer of those in the lineup. The long approach to the festival center was devoid of posters and the billboards in front of the Sala Grande display more sponsor ads and Italian films than in recent editions.
The screenings will only be at 50% capacity and there are extra press screenings to ensure that everyone can see the films they want to see. Tomorrow morning’s first press screening still had plenty of available spots, for example.
It’s frustration the festival doesn’t have its own booking app and you need to go through a third party portal, which is a little clunky and the site crashed on me a couple of times. Others have also had trouble with it. But after clicking through multiple pages and receiving a bunch of emails I did finally manage to get my tickets onto my passbook. I think that once tickets are booked you can also just flash your badge. The process requires passwords, logins, and some patience. It won’t be easy for those who are not tech-savvy.