Venice Days Opens With Lili Horvát's 'My Notes on Mars' Starring Mackenzie Davis

Lili Horvát's English-language feature film My Notes on Mars, starring Mackenzie Davis and Rupert Friend, will open the Venice Days section of the Venice Film Festival, according to Variety.

The Giornate Degli Autori, also known as Venice Days, has announced its full selection, which this year features a strong emphasis on works by female directors and stories exploring female perspectives.

What is 'My Notes on Mars' about?

The film centers on an astrophysicist named Margot, played by Mackenzie Davis, who has a troubled marriage. She vanishes inexplicably while hiking with her husband Sam, played by Rupert Friend. Weeks later, she reappears on the day of her own memorial service, remembering nothing about her life except her research on Mars.

What is the focus of the Venice Days lineup?

This year's Venice Days selection comprises 25 world premieres across several sections. Fourteen of these premieres are directed by women. The lineup includes My Notes on Mars and nine other titles in competition, which will be judged by an all-female jury headed by Spanish director Carla Simón.

In a statement, the section's artistic director Gaia Furrer highlighted the variety of the program. She described them as: "sentimental science fiction, experimental documentaries, history films, family melodramas, anti-hero westerns, musical comedies and other works that freely cross the borders between documentary film and fiction, autobiography and invention."

"It’s a patchwork of genres that reflects the vibrancy of contemporary cinema and its ability to evolve along with the world itself," Furrer said.