VENICE FILM FEST UPDATES

A sharp-eyed reader sends in a few Venice Film Festival updates today:

- EXILED is not finished. Johnnie To's latest film was selected for Venice based on one hour of footage he submitted to the selection committee. Media Asia says he's still hard at work wrapping post production on the film up.

- Jackie Chan will be one of the award presenters in Venice. Sadly, the baby from ROB-B-HOOD will not attend the festival, citing previous engagements.

- Michi, over on HogaCentral, provides some more details about Otomo's live action MUSHISHI. Apparently it's already been shot (three months of shooting starting in August 2005) and is in postproduction. There was no fanfare around the shoot, but it's gaining attention after being selected for Venice, and is scheduled to be released in Spring 2007. The writer of the original manga has seen the film and says, "It struck me with a fresh surprise to see this new world, in which Director Otomo depicts the people of this fictitious profession."

- the English title of Tsai Ming-liang's movie is I DON'T WANT TO SLEEP ALONE. It's his Mozart-inspired entry in New Crowned Hope, the Mozart festival Vienna is hosting in 2006 that's being created by Peter Sellars. Also part of Venice and of New Crowned Hope is Apichatpong Weerasethakul's new film SYNDROMES AND A CENTURY. Both movies are repped by Fortissimo.