Nanni Moretti's ‘It Will Happen Tonight' Earns Nine-Minute Ovation At Venice World Premiere
Deadline
•Sat, 05 Sep 2026 19:32:06 +0000
📰 What Happened
Nanni Moretti's romantic drama 'It Will Happen Tonight' received a warm nine-minute ovation at its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday evening. The premiere marked Moretti's first new film world-premiering at Venice in 37 years, since 'Palombella Rossa' screened as a special event within the parallel Critics Week section in 1989. It is only his second Golden Lion contender after 'Sweet Dreams' in 1981.
🔍 The Backstory
The failure of 'Palombella Rossa' — about a communist politician and water polo player — to make the main competition caused a stir at the time amid suggestions the exclusion was politically motivated. Moretti was last at the festival in 2024 with a restored copy of his 1978 film 'Ecce Bombo'. The director remains one of Italy's most celebrated and personal filmmakers, and his Venice returns are major events in European cinema.
🎯 Why It Matters
A nine-minute ovation on his first Venice premiere in nearly four decades confirms Moretti's enduring standing in European cinema and gives the film strong momentum in the awards conversation. Strong audience reactions at Venice frequently translate into festival heat and distribution buzz. For cinephiles, it is a significant return from a director who has shaped modern Italian film.
Nanni Moretti's romantic drama 'It Will Happen Tonight' received a warm nine-minute ovation at its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday evening. The premiere marked Moretti's first new film world-premiering at Venice in 37 years, since 'Palombella Rossa' screened as a special event within the parallel Critics Week section in 1989. It is only his second Golden Lion contender after 'Sweet Dreams' in 1981.
The failure of 'Palombella Rossa' — about a communist politician and water polo player — to make the main competition caused a stir at the time amid suggestions the exclusion was politically motivated. Moretti was last at the festival in 2024 with a restored copy of his 1978 film 'Ecce Bombo'. The director remains one of Italy's most celebrated and personal filmmakers, and his Venice returns are major events in European cinema.
A nine-minute ovation on his first Venice premiere in nearly four decades confirms Moretti's enduring standing in European cinema and gives the film strong momentum in the awards conversation. Strong audience reactions at Venice frequently translate into festival heat and distribution buzz. For cinephiles, it is a significant return from a director who has shaped modern Italian film.