Contenders for the Golden Lion film award

Brillante Mendoza. AFP FILE PHOTO

ROME—The Venice film festival opening on the famous lagoon on Wednesday and running until September 8 will bring together the best of Hollywood as well as up-and-coming talent from around the world.

Brillante Mendoza’s “Sinapupunan” is among the 18 contenders for the coveted Golden Lion award. These are:

• “Apres Mai” (“Something in the air”) by Olivier Assayas: France

• “At any price” by Ramin Bahraini: Britain/USA

• “Bella Addormentata” by Marco Bellocchio: France/Italy

• “La cinquieme saison” by Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth: Belgium/France/Netherlands

• “Lemale Et Ha’Chalal” (“Fill the Void”) by Rama Burshtein: Israel

• “E’ stato il figlio” by Daniele Cipri: France/Italy

• “Un Giorno Speciale” by Francesca Comencini: Italy

• “Passion” by Brian de Palma: France/Germany

• “Superstar” by Xavier Giannoli: Belgium/France

• “Pieta” by Kim Ki-duk: South Korea

• “Outrage Beyond” by Takeshi Kitano: Japan

• “Spring Breakers” by Harmony Korine: USA

• “To the Wonder” by Terrence Malick: USA

• “Sinapupunan” by Brillante Mendoza: Philippines

• “Linhas de Wellington” by Valeria Sarmiento: France/Portugal

• “Paradies: Glaube” (“Paradise: Faith”) by Ulrich Seidl: Austria/France/Germany

• “Izmena” (“Betrayal”) by Kirill Serebrennikov: Russia

“The Master” by Paul Thomas Anderson: USA