Paul Mescal’s feature film debut to premiere at Venice Film Festival

Paul Mescal’s silver screen debut, The Lost Daughter, will premiere at the Venice International Film Festival this September.

The adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s novel of the same name marks Maggie Gyllenhall's first time in the director's chair for a feature film.

Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, Gyllenhall’s partner Peter Sarsgaard, Dagmara Dominczyk, Alba Rohrwacher, and Jessie Buckley - who also starred in Normal People alongside Mescal - were all added to the star-studded main cast last year.

Paul worked with "amazing human being" and Oscar winner Olivia Colman on the film - recently commenting: "She's the greatest of the greatest. Yeah, just a lot of 'pinch yourself' moments when you're working with that kind of clientele."

The Lost Daughter is about a college professor, played by Colman, who obsesses over a mother and daughter while she is on a seaside holiday. The professor reflects on her own life choices as she spirals downwards.

Last year’s Golden Lion winner was Chloe Zhao’s Nomadland, which went on to win the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director. The 2019 Golden Lion winner was Joker, which earned 11 Oscar nominations and won Joaquin Phoenix the Academy Award for Best Actor.

Other recent Venice winners include Roma and Best Picture winner The Shape of Water.