It was an exciting Venice Film Festival for rising actor Ever Anderson this year. The 18-year-old star—and daughter to Milla Jovovich—marked her first turn on the Lido this week with the premiere of her new film, Barthélemy Grossmann’s Father Joe , co-starring Kiefer Sutherland and Al Pacino.
(Not a bad way to debut, alongside two such Hollywood heavyweights.) “It was just such an incredible project to work on,” says Anderson of her buzzy role.
The action-thriller film follows a man of faith (Sutherland) engaging in a violent war against Manhattan's criminal underworld; Anderson’s Felicity becomes his unlikely sidekick. “Her empathy and non-judgmental lens toward others was what drew me toward her,” says Anderson, who instantly resonated with the character.
“She really felt like a real person when I read the script, which is rare, because normally a character doesn’t feel real on a page until a human plays them—but this wasn’t the case for Felicity. She was so well written that her spirit quite literally jumped off the page.”
While it was all movie business for Anderson this time in Venice, she did make some time to sightsee in the romantic Italian city this week. “I love Venice—I wish I could spend more time here—but in my free time, I have literally just been eating because the food at the local restaurants is beyond good,” she says.
There wasn’t much time for anything else, however. “I didn’t get to experience anything other than a late-night arrival followed by an 18-hour press day and midnight screening!”
In a vintage 1930s dress.
Given Anderson had photo calls and premieres to attend, though, there was time for some good ol’ fashioned dress-up. From vintage frocks to custom Dior, Anderson wanted to lean into classic Venice Film Festival glamour with her fashion approach.
Things kicked off earlier this week with a press day for the film, where Anderson wore a sheer, white vintage dress from the ’30s. “It’s a 1930s silk-organza dress that I found at Avalon Vintage in Highland Park in Los Angeles,” says Anderson.
She added special accessorizing touches to help make it feel fresh. “I paired it with this gorgeous 1980s Christian Dior necklace, and matching earrings also found at Avalon,” says Anderson.
“The incredible team at Dior gave me the perfect green heels to go with it, and a pearl-colored soft leather clutch, which were just the perfect accents to bring this vintage piece into this era.”
For the film’s official photo call and premiere, Anderson followed that up with two special looks by Dior’s Jonathan Anderson. (She is now an official ambassador for the French fashion house.) “Jonathan Anderson is just so wildly talented, and his love and appreciation for films and story telling is super appealing to me,” says Anderson.
In a strapless Dior dress from fall 2026.
This was a blush-pink, strapless Dior gown from the fall 2026 collection. “It was a pink flower gown with pedal-like pleating that fluttered when I moved,” says Anderson. She loved its effortless movement the most. “I felt like I was taken to another dimension of flowers and spat out as a flower human hybrid,” she says. “The dress moved when I did—it was brilliant! “
For the formal premiere, meanwhile, Anderson dialed up the glitz in a textural, embellished slip dress from Dior’s resort 2027 collection . For the star, this frock felt like a nod to the jazz age.
“It was covered in floral sequins and paillettes,” she says. “It also had the most elegant movement to it, which makes it so much fun to wear.
I really wanted something that was easy to wear, but super fun and flashy, which of course Jonathan Anderson delivered spectacularly.”
In a Dior resort 2027 dress.
It may have been Anderson’s first time doing the Venice Film Festival circuit, but clearly, you could she’s nailed her dressing approach. What did her mom, Jovovich, a fellow red carpet star and Hollywood legend, think of all the excitement? “She was so happy for me—I literally called her right after to tell her about it,” says Anderson.
Now that the excitement is over, however, Anderson can’t wait to get back to Paris (where she is based) and engage in some normal, 18-year-old things again; like getting ready for cozy season, for starters. “Honestly, I can’t wait to get home and have a cup of coffee and read on my couch or at a cafe,” says Anderson.
“I’ll be working of course, but in my spare time, I take fall very seriously: I’m gonna be Gilmore Girls -ing up my apartment, lighting candles, and getting those fun fall coffee syrups to bring the vibe.” Sounds like heaven.
Below, scroll on for a further glimpse inside Ever Anderson’s Venice Film Festival.
Hair by Jillian Halouska and makeup by Jet Choy.
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