The Venice Film Festival on Wednesday opened with a tribute to people who died from coronavirus infection as the event sought to kickstart the industry still reeling from the effects of the pandemic. It is the first major international festival to take place since the COVID-19 pandemic halted the activities around the world, including cinema halls and movie production.

The festival, rolling out on the glitzy beachfront Lido through September 12, will witness fewer A-listers stars of Hollywood due to pandemic. However, the organisers hope the movies themselves will take centre stage as the film industry makes tentative steps to regain its footing.

President of the jury Australian actor Cate Blanchett, dressed in a sparkling black gown with dramatic white trim, saluted the work of the festival’s organisers at the opening ceremony and said, “We are here and we did it.”

“Being here tonight seems like some kind of wondrous miracle,” said the Academy Award-winning actor.

Italian actress Anna Foglietta, host of the ceremony, gave an impassioned tribute to the victims of coronavirus and the doctors, nurses, and medical professionals who sought to save lives during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed over 35,000 people in Italy.

The festival held annually on the swanky Lido, which over the decades has attracted celebrity heavyweights from Sophia Loren to George Clooney, will this year award its top prize, the Golden Lion, to one of 18 films in the main competition.

Blanchett, at a news conference earlier, said, “Over the last few months… in our isolated bubbles we’ve been sustained by streaming images and stories into our living rooms, but I think there has been a vital component that’s been missing and that’s back here tonight.”

British actress Tilda Swinton garnered a standing ovation as she received a lifetime achievement award from the festival.

“Cinema is my happy place, it’s my true motherland,” said Swinton.

Strict safety measures are in place at the festival, from mask-wearing to social distancing within cinemas, to the decision to ban fans from the red carpet. The Venice Film Festival in Italy is taking place despite the rise of coronavirus cases in neighbouring countries, with the organisers saying that they can safely run the festival.