With the 80th Venice Film Festival slated to begin on Wednesday, the festival’s artistic director Alberto Barbera is opening up about some emotional moments he witnessed from stars Lady Gaga and Scarlett Johansson.

The annual festival is not only the oldest film festival in the world, but it is considered one of the most important, serving as a barometer of sorts when it comes to gauging Oscar buzz for some of the year’s most anticipated films.

The festival always attracts A-listers – with George and Amal Clooney spotted earlier on Wednesday in Venice ahead of the festival.

Before this year’s festivities kick off, Barbera opened up to The Guardian about everything from the current strikes in Hollywood and this year’s lineup.

He also reflected on Gaga’s festival debut in 2018 for A Star Is Born and Johansson’s emotional response to the Under the Skin premiere in 2013… which Barbera said was one of the ‘worst screenings’ he’s ever attended.

Barbera said both Gaga and Cooper were on the red carpet for A Star Is Born in the rain, but Gaga refused to come inside the theater… for a rather benevolent reason.

‘Lady Gaga refused to get into the theatre because she wanted to keep signing autographs for her fans,’ Barbera said.

‘When she came to my office to dry and redo her makeup, she was shaking. I said, “But you must be used to it, you have huge concerts with thousands of people,”‘ Barbera said.

He added that Gaga replied, ‘Yes, but this is my first time as an actress, and I feel like a debutante,’ since A Star Is Born was her first film as an actress.

‘I put my arm around her shoulders and took her into the theatre. At the end of the film, she was crying,’ Barbera added.

As for Johansson, her premiere screening of Under the Skin earned a surprising reaction from the audience, revealing, ‘it was the only time the audience booed a film.’

‘Scarlett was almost in tears. I tried to say to her: ‘Don’t worry, in time the film will be recognized.’ And that’s exactly what happened. It’s now a cult movie,’ Barbera said.

The film – which followed Johansson as an alien creature who seduces lonely men in Scotland – only made $6 million worldwide from a $13 million budget.

However, it did in fact become a cult classic with fans after its original theatrical release.

In fact, it was voted the best British film of the 21st Century in a 2022 poll of British film critics. 

A Star Is Born was both a critical (90% on Rotten Tomatoes) and a commercial hit ($436 million worldwide from a $36 million budget). 

Johansson is coming off director Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City and she’ll next be seen in North Star, in theaters September 7.