Published: Fri 07 Sep 2012 at 09:36
Updated: Fri 07 Sep 2012 at 09:47
Lovers booking cheap flights to Venice at the end of August may find themselves becoming star-struck, as the crowds arrive for the start of the internationally acclaimed Venice Film Festival (VFF).
A city break in Europe is seen by some as the perfect cure for those post-bank holiday blues, and arguably few cities are more enchanting than Venice. After August 27th, the sweltering temperatures and humidity of high summer tends to give way to cooler breezes, and the locals who evacuated the city for their summer holidays have returned to reopen their shops and restaurants. The crowds, however, might still be in evidence to witness the VFF.
The Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia (to give it its Italian name) is the world’s oldest international film festival. Now in its 69th year, this year’s 11-day celebration starts on 29th August; not in the city centre, but the Lido di Venezia (Venice Lido), an 11km stretch of beaches and hotels resembling a Renaissance Cannes. The festival is centred around the historic Palazzo del Cinema, which was opened in 1937.
Several awards are given each year, with the most prestigious being the Leone d’Oro (Golden Lion) for the best movie. However, there is also a Leone d’Oro award given for lifetime achievement, which this year will be awarded to Italian film director Francesco Rosi.
With a year-round calendar of cultural events, cheap flights to Venice, seen by many as one of Europe’s most romantic cities, are always in demand. We at Jet2.com operate from eight regional airports in the UK.
