Noella Jung — Award-Winning Talent and Renowned Violinist — Stars in Alchemy in Venice as Festival Run Begins October 16
The artistic pulse of Venice Beach takes center stage in Alchemy in Venice, an independent film that brings together music, romance, visual art, sustainability, and the unpredictable paths of artists searching for their place in the world. The film launches its upcoming festival run at the Newport Beach Film Festival on Friday, October 16 at 5:00 PM, followed by a screening at the Awareness Film Festival on Sunday, October 18 at 7:30 PM.
Leading the story is Noella Jung, an award-winning Korean violinist, actress, and writer, who portrays Sua, a classically trained musician whose life begins to shift when an unexpected encounter in Venice opens the door to new artistic and personal possibilities.
When Music Brings Two Outsiders Together
Sua has built a life around her violin, taking her music beyond traditional concert halls and onto the streets of Venice. Busking allows her to perform, experiment, connect with strangers, and experience the city through the language she knows best: music.
That world changes when Jacques, a French photographer working for a local magazine, notices her and photographs her performance. Neither is completely comfortable with English, creating an unusual beginning to their relationship. Before words can fully bridge the gap between them, their shared appreciation for art becomes the connection.
Meanwhile, another artist is navigating an entirely different reality. Evan, a sketch artist living in the back of his secondhand shop, spends his days drawing portraits of people he encounters around Venice. Recently displaced from his apartment, he is trying to earn enough money to get by while pursuing a much larger ambition: securing a gallery where he can finally show his work.
His personal circumstances add another layer to his artistic struggle, particularly his fractured relationship with his teenage daughter.
As these lives intersect, Venice becomes an active part of the story — a place where street performers, photographers, visual artists, musicians, and outsiders cross paths and influence one another.
A Violinist Discovers Another Side of Her Art
Jacques sees a future for Sua on the traditional concert stage and encourages her to pursue the philharmonic path. For Sua, however, the expectations surrounding a classical career begin to compete with an increasingly independent artistic identity.
When she accepts an opportunity to perform with a local orchestra, the decision brings an intense period of preparation. At the same time, Jacques’ photography assignments keep him moving, creating both opportunities and emotional distance within their relationship.
Away from the expectations of the concert stage, Sua begins exploring other forms of creativity. Her growing interest in recycled art ultimately brings her into collaboration with Evan, opening up a different dimension of her artistic life.
That creative thread also extends into the film’s production design.
Filmmaker and artist Jon Fitzgerald created original artwork for Alchemy in Venice using reclaimed materials and discarded media. The collection includes mixed-media mosaics incorporating found objects, artworks constructed from recycled VHS materials, portraits created from cassette ribbon, and charcoal drawings made on reclaimed surfaces.
The production art echoes the film’s larger interest in reinvention: materials once considered obsolete or disposable become vehicles for new stories.
From Venice Beach to the Festival Screen
At the heart of Alchemy in Venice is the idea that transformation can come from unexpected places. Music leads to visual art. A chance meeting becomes a relationship. A difficult chapter can open the way to a new creative direction.
The film also expands its focus toward themes of human rights and sustainability, connecting the personal journeys of its characters with broader questions about how artists engage with the world around them.
For Noella Jung, the role of Sua brings together two important sides of her creative career. An accomplished violinist as well as an actress and writer, she holds both a B.M. and M.M. in violin performance from the New England Conservatory of Music, along with a D.M.A. in violin performance from Florida State University.
Her musical background gives Sua’s journey an authentic foundation as the character moves between classical performance and the freedom of discovering new artistic forms.
With Venice Beach serving as its creative backdrop, Alchemy in Venice arrives on the festival circuit as a story where music, cinema, visual art, sustainability, and human connection meet.
Festival Run 2026 & Official Links
Newport Beach Film Festival
Friday, October 16 — 5:00 PM
Get Tickets
Awareness Film Festival
Sunday, October 18 — 7:30 PM
Follow Alchemy in Venice on social media and visit the film’s official website for festival news, screening information, and updates.
https://www.alchemyinvenice.com
https://www.instagram.com/alchemyinvenice
https://www.facebook.com/violinoellart
https://www.instagram.com/koreanviolinist_actress_noella
Star Talent Link Team – Based in LA – 10+ Years of Press