Venice Film Festival 2026 lineup announced

The 2026 Venice International Film Festival is scheduled to take place from September 2 to 12. Maggie Gyllenhaal will serve as the Jury President for the competition, while George Clooney and Ellen Burstyn are set to receive Golden Lions for Lifetime Achievement. The opening film in competition will be Danny Boyle’s ‘Ink’.

The official competition features 20 titles, including five Italian films: ‘Ritorno a Buenos Aires’ by Marco Bechis, ‘Il fuoco che ti porti dentro’ by Edoardo De Angelis, ‘Succederà questa notte’ by Nanni Moretti, ‘The Echo Chamber’ by Andrea Pallaoro, and ‘L’estranea’ by Paolo Strippoli.

However, the selection has drawn criticism regarding gender representation. Only one of the 20 competing films is directed by a woman, May El-Toukhy’s ‘Woman Unknown’. This marks a significant decline from previous years, prompting discussions about the gender gap in the film industry and the challenges female directors face regarding funding and opportunities.