«Youth», a spectacular film on life, love, art and beauty by Oscar-winning director Paolo Sorrentino will open the 21st Athens Open Air Film Festival!

Two years after his Oscar-winning film “The Great Beauty”, director Paolo Sorrentino returns with his second English-language effort “Youth”, which screened in competition at the Cannes Film Festival and is set to open the 21st Athens International Film Festival - Opening Nights.

Set against the bittersweet vacation of an 80something maestro of international acclaim and his long-time filmmaker friend in a lavish Swiss resort, Paolo Sorrentino unleashes his visual virtuosity in order to explore the various stages of life through a string of poetics images.

Assembling an impressive cast, comprising Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Rachel Weisz, Jane Fonda and Paul Dano, Paolo Sorrentino fuses his Italian temperament with Hollywood glamour to deliver another spectacular creation of heightened aesthetics.

Synopsis: Fred and Mick, two old friends approaching their end of their lives, are enjoying a vacation in an elegant hotel in the foothills of the Alps. Fred, a retired composer and conductor, has no intention of resuming his music career which he dropped a long time ago, while Mick scrambles to finish the screenplay for what he imagines will be his last important film. They look with curiosity and tenderness upon their children's confused lives, Mick's enthusiastic young writers and the other hotel guests. But unlike them, no one else seems worried about the passage of time…

Their daily routine is disrupted when an emissary of Queen Elizabeth II asks Fred to conduct a concert in honor of Prince Philip's birthday at the Buckingham Palace.

“Youth” will open on Wednesday, September 23, at the Athens Megaron (invitation only event). 20-film pass-holders will be able to attend the Opening Gala with prior reservations.

The film is slated for a domestic release on Thursday, October 15 via local distributor Odeon.

TICKET AND FESTIVAL PASS PRE-SALES
Festival passes will be available for pre-sales starting September 14, between 11am and 6pm, at IANOS Bookstore (24 Stadiou St, 1st floor).

Admission is allowed upon display of your festival pass and ticket.
Single ticket pre-sales start on September 16.

TICKET PRICES:
Just like last year, the ticket and festival pass prices for the Athens International Film Festival - Opening Nights remain fixed, with the introduction of a junior level festival pass.

Tickets:
€4: Press screenings
€5: Matinee screenings (starting at 19:55)
€6: Regular screenings (starting at 20:00)

Festival Passes:
5-film pass: 20€
10-film pass: 35€
20-film pass: 60€
20-film pass-holders will be able to attend the Opening Gala with prior reservations.
ATTENTION: Reservations are only considered valid if pass-holders display the corresponding box office ticket, available on the point of sale.