The 81st annual Venice International Film Festival was held from 28 August to 7 September 2024, at Venice Lido in Italy.
French actress Isabelle Huppert served as Jury President for the main competition. Italian actress and model Sveva Alviti hosted the opening and closing ceremonies. The Golden Lion was awarded to The Room Next Door by Pedro Almodóvar.
Australian filmmaker Peter Weir and American actress Sigourney Weaver received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement during the festival.
The festival opened with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice by Tim Burton, and closed with The American Backyard by Pupi Avati.
Juries
Main Competition (Venezia 81)
Isabelle Huppert, French actress - Jury President James Gray, American filmmaker Andrew Haigh, British filmmaker Agnieszka Holland, Polish filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho, Brazilian filmmaker, producer and film critic Abderrahmane Sissako, Mauritanian filmmaker Giuseppe Tornatore, Italian filmmaker Julia von Heinz, German filmmaker Zhang Ziyi, Chinese actress
Horizons (Orizzonti)
Debra Granik, American filmmaker and cinematographer - Jury President Ali Asgari, Iranian filmmaker and producer Soudade Kaadan, Syrian filmmaker Christos Nikou, Greek filmmaker Tuva Novotny, Swedish actress and director Gábor Reisz, Hungarian filmmaker Valia Santella, Italian filmmaker
Luigi de Laurentis Award for Debut Film
Gianni Canova, Italian film critic and Rector of the IULM University of Milan - Jury President Ricky D’Ambrose, American filmmaker Bárbara Paz, Brazilian actress, filmmaker, visual artist and producer Taylor Russell, Canadian actress Jacob Wong, Hong-Kong film festival curator and project market director
Venice Classics
Renato De Maria, Italian filmmaker - Jury President
Venice Immersive
Celine Daemen, Dutch director of transdisciplinary art - Jury President Marion Burger, French production designer and director Adriaan Lokman, Dutch artist
Official Selection In Competition (Venezia 81) The following films were selected for the main competition: English TitleOriginal TitleDirector(s)Production CountryAnd Their Children After ThemLeurs enfants après eux Ludovic and Zoran BoukhermaFrance April აპრილიDea KulumbegashviliGeorgia, France, ItalyBabygirlHalina ReijnUnited StatesBattlefieldCampo di BattagliaGianni AmelioItalyThe BrutalistBrady CorbetUnited States, United Kingdom, HungaryDiva FuturaGiulia SteigerwaltItalyHarvestAthina Rachel TsangariUnited Kingdom, Germany, Greece, France, United StatesI'm Still HereAinda Estou AquiWalter SallesBrazil, FranceJoker: Folie à DeuxTodd PhillipsUnited StatesKill the JockeyEl jockeyLuis OrtegaArgentina, Mexico, Spain, Denmark, United StatesLoveKjærlighetDag Johan HaugerudNorwayMariaPablo LarraínItaly, GermanyThe OrderJustin KurzelCanadaQueerLuca GuadagninoItaly, United StatesThe Quiet SonJouer Avec le FeuDelphine and Muriel Coulin FranceThe Room Next DoorLa habitación de al ladoPedro AlmodóvarSpainSicilian LettersIdduFabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza Italy, FranceStranger Eyes默视录Yeo Siew HuaSingapore, Taiwan, France, United States Three Friends Trois AmiesEmmanuel MouretFranceVermiglio Maura DelperoItaly, France, BelgiumYouth (Homecoming)青春（归）Wang BingChina, France, Luxembourg, Netherlands
Out of Competition The following films were selected to be screened out of competition: English TitleOriginal TitleDirector(s)Production CountryFictionBaby InvasionHarmony KorineUnited States Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Tim Burton United States, United KingdomBroken RageTakeshi KitanoJapanCloudクラウドKiyoshi KurosawaFinalementClaude LelouchFranceHorizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1Kevin CostnerUnited StatesHorizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 The Time It Takes Il tempo che ci vuoleFrancesca ComenciniItaly, FranceMaldororFabrice Du WelzBelgium, FranceThe American Backyard L'orto americanoPupi AvatiItalyPhantosmiaLav DiazPhilippinesWolfsJon WattsUnited StatesNon-Fiction2073 Asif Kapadia United KingdomApocalypse in the TropicsApocalipse nos TrópicosPetra CostaBrazil, United States, DenmarkBestiari, erbari, lapidariMassimo d’Anolfi and Martina ParentiItaly, SwitzerlandIsrael Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989Israel Palestina pa Svensk TV 1958-1989Göran Hugo OlssonSweden, Finland, DenmarkOne to One: John & YokoKevin Macdonald and Sam Rice-EdwardsUnited KingdomRiefenstahlAndres VeielGermanyRussians at WarAnastasia TrofimovaFrance, CanadaSeparatedErrol MorrisUnited States, MexicoSongs of Slow Burning EarthPisni Zemli, Shcho PovilnoOlha ZhurbaUkraine, Denmark, Sweden, FranceTWST / Things We Said TodayAndrei UjicăFrance, RomaniaWhy WarAmos GitaiFrance, SwitzerlandSeriesDisclaimer (7 episodes)Alfonso CuarónUnited Kingdom, United States The New Years (10 episodes) Los años nuevosRodrigo Sorogoyen, Sandra Romero and David Martín de los SantosSpainFamilies like Ours (7 episodes)Familier Som VoresThomas VinterbergDenmark, France, Sweden, Czech Republic, Belgium, Norway, GermanyM. Son of the Century (8 episodes)M. Il figlio del secoloJoe WrightItaly, FranceShort films An Urban Allegory Allégorie CitadineAlice Rohrwacher and JRFranceMay I Say? Chapter TwoSe posso permettermi: Capitolo IIMarco BellocchioItalySpecial ScreeningsBeauty Is Not a Sin (short)Nicolas Winding RefnItaly, DenmarkLeopardi. Il poeta dell'infinitoSergio RubiniItalyMaster and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)Peter WeirUnited States
Orizzonti The following films were selected to the Orizzonti main competition: English TitleOriginal TitleDirector(s)Production CountryAïchaMehdi BarsaouiTunisia, France, Italy, Saudi Arabia, QatarCarissaJason Jacobs and Delmar DevonSouth AfricaDiciannoveGiovanni TortoriciItaly, United KingdomFamiliaFrancesco CostabileItalyFamiliar TouchSarah FriedlandUnited States Feeling Better (opening film) Nonostante Valerio MastandreaItalyHappyendNeo SoraJapan, United StatesHappy Holidaysينعاد عليكوScandar CoptiPalestine, France, Germany, Italy, QatarMarco, the Invented TruthMarcoJon Garaño and Aitor ArregiSpainMistress Dispeller以爱之名Elizabeth LoChina, United StatesMy EverythingMon InséparableAnne-Sophie BaillyFranceThe New Year That Never CameAnul Nou care n-a fostBogdan MureșanuRomania, SerbiaOf Dogs and MenAl Klavim VeanashimDani RosenbergIsrael, ItalyOne of Those Days When Hemme DiesHemme’nin Öldügü Günlerden BiriMurat FıratoğluTurkeyPavementsAlex Ross PerryUnited StatesPooja, SirDeepak RauniyarNepal, United States, NorwayQuiet LifeAlexandros AvranasFrance, Germany, Sweden, Greece, Estonia, Finland The Ties That Bind Us L’AttachementCarine TardieuFrance, BelgiumWishing on a StarPeter KerekesItaly, Croatia, Austria, Slovakia, Czech Republic
Orizzonti Extra The following films were selected to the Orizzonti Extra section: English TitleOriginal TitleDirector(s)Production CountryAfter PartyVojtĕch StrakatýCzech RepublicEdge of Night Gecenin KıyısıTürker SüerGermany, TurkeyKing IvoryJohn SwabUnited StatesThe MohicanLe MohicanFrédéric FarrucciFranceSeeking Haven for Mr. RamboAl Bahs an Manfaz i Khoroug al Sayed RamboKhaled MansourEgypt, Saudi ArabiaSeptember 5 (opening film)Tim FehlbaumGermany The Story of Frank and NinaLa storia del Frank e della NinaPaola RandiItaly, SwedenVittoriaAlessandro Cassigoli and Casey KauffmanItalyThe WitnessShahedNader SaeivarGermany, Austria
Orizzonti Short Films International Competition The following films were selected to compete for the Orizzonti Award for Best Short Film, assigned by the Jury of the Orizzonti section: English Title Original Title Director(s) Production CountryAjarNime Baz, Nime BastehAtefeh JalaliIran Almost Certainly FalseNeredeyse Kesínlíkle Yanlis Cansu Baydar TurkeyIl Burattino e la BalenaRoberto CataniFrance, ItalyJamesAndres RodríguezGuatemala, MexicoMarion Joe Weiland and Finn Constantine France, United KingdomMoon LakeJeannie Sui WondersUnited StatesMy Mother is a CowMinha Mãe é uma VacaMoara PassoniBrazilORúnar RúnarssonIcelend, SwedenThe Poison Cat毒药猫Tian GuanChinaRené Va Alla GuerraMariachiara Pernisa, Luca Ferri and Morgan MenegazzoItaly, SloveniaShadowsRand BeirutyFrance, JordanThree KeeningsOliver McGoldrickUnited Kingdom, Ireland, United StatesWho Loves the SunArshia ShakibaCanadaOut of CompetitionF II - Lo Stupore del MondoAlessandro RakItaly
Venice Classics Venice Classics is the section that since 2012 has presented world premiere screenings at the Venice Film Festival of restorations of film classics carried out over the past year by film archives, cultural institutions and production companies around the world. The section usually also presents a selection of documentaries about cinema. Director and screenwriter Renato De Maria will chair the Jury of Film Students which – for the eleventh year – will award the Venice Classics prizes for the respective competitions for Best Restored Film and for the Best Documentary About Cinema. The Jury chaired will be composed of 24 students. The following films were selected to the Venice Classics section: English TitleOriginal TitleDirector(s)Production CountryRestored ByRestored FilmsThe Big Heat (1953)Fritz LangUnited StatesSony Pictures EntertainmentBend of the River (1952)Anthony MannUniversal Pictures / The Film FoundationBlood and Sand (1941)Rouben MamoulianWalt Disney Studios / The Film FoundationEcce Bombo (1978)Nanni MorettiItalyCentro Sperimentale di CinematografiaForbidden Games (1952)Jeux InterditsRené ClémentFranceStudioCanalGhatashraddha (1977)Girish KasaravalliIndiaThe Film FoundationGoldflakes (1976)Les Flocons d'orWerner SchroeterWest Germany, FranceFilmmuseum Düsseldorf / Filmmuseum MünchenThe Gold of Naples (1954)L'Oro di NapoliVittorio de SicaItalyCinecittà / FilmauroHis Girl Friday (1940)Howard HawksUnited StatesSony Pictures EntertainmentThe Hour and Turn of Augusto Matraga (1965)A Hora e a Vez de Augusto MatragaRoberto SantosBrazilLC Barreto Produções Cinematográficas Manji (1964)卍Yasuzô MasumuraJapanKadokawa CorporationThe Man Who Left His Will on Film (1970)東京戦争戦後秘話Nagisa ÔshimaOshima Productions LTDModel (1980)Frederick WisemanUnited StatesZipporah FilmsLa Notte (1961)Michelangelo AntonioniItaly, FranceCentro Sperimentale di CinematografiaThe Mahabharata (1989)Peter BrookFrance, United Kingdom, United StatesBrook ProductionsThe Soft Skin (1964)La Peau DouceFrançois TruffautFrancemk2 FilmsSwept Away... by an Unusual Destiny in the Blue Sea of August (1974)Travolti da un Insolito Destino Nell'azzurro Mare d'AgostoLina WertmüllerItalyFondazione Cineteca di Bologna / Minerva PicturesPusher (1996)Nicolas Winding RefnDenmarkbyNWRDocumentaries about CinemaCarlo Mazzacurati - Una Certa Idea di CinemaEnzo Monteleone and Mario CanaleItalyChain ReactionsAlexander PhilippeUnited StatesConstel·Lació PortabellaClaudio ZulianSpainLe Cinéma de Jean-Pierre LéaudCyril LeuthyFranceFrom Darkness to LightMichael Lurie and Eric FriedlerUnited States, Germany“I Will Revenge This World with Love” Sergej ParadjanovZara JianArmenia, FranceMaroun Returns to BeirutWa Ada Maroun Ila BeirutFeyrouz SerhalQatar, Lebanon Miyazaki, Spirit of NatureMiyazaki, L'Esprit de la NatureLéo FavierFranceVolonté - L’Uomo dai Mille VoltiFrancesco ZippelItaly
Venice Immersive The Venice Immersive is entirely devoted to immersive media and includes all XR means of creative expression, from 360° videos to XR works of any length, including installations and virtual worlds. The following projects were selected for the XR - Extended Reality section of La Biennale di Venezia:
In Competition