Ben Young’s debut feature film Hounds of Love has been selected to screen at the Venice International Film Festival. The film received funding through Screenwest’s West Coast Visions program, and will have its World Premiere at Venice Days – the equivalent to the Cannes Director’s Fortnight. Produced by Melissa Kelly (Factor 30 Films) and featuring Emma Booth, Ashleigh Cummings and Stephen Curry, the film is one of the first feature films to be developed, filmed and post-produced entirely in WA.

It attracted international recognition when it was pitched at the European Film Market in Berlin last year, and its selection for Venice Days is a coup for the local film industry, and a testament to the talent development programs implemented by Screenwest.

The project participated in the Screenwest script and talent development initiatives Feature Navigator and eQuinoxe. Screen Australia also provided funding for the film. It’s set for release in early 2017 with Urban Distribution International (UDI) handling sales and Label managing Australian distribution.

Venice International Film Festival runs from August 31 to September 10, 2016 and is the oldest film festival in the world.  Regarded as one of the top three feature film festivals in the world (alongside Cannes and Berlin), Venice prides itself on having discovered a balance between a festival committed to showing films for the market, and one dedicated to showing films that reveal truly independent visions. Hounds of Love is the second WA film to be accepted at Venice, with Looking for Grace in the Official Selection in 2015.