The 83rd annual Venice International Film Festival took place from 2 to 12 September 2026, at Venice Lido in Italy. American actress and filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal served as Jury President for the main competition. Italian actors Greta Scarano and Nicolas Maupas hosted the opening and closing ceremonies.
The Golden Lion was awarded to Woman Unknown by May el-Toukhy. American actress Ellen Burstyn and American actor and filmmaker George Clooney received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement during the festival.
The festival's full line-up was announced on 23 July, but Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor's NAZA was added to the main competition only on 24 August, following safety concerns. While the selection of DAU, directed by Russian dissident filmmaker Ilya Khrzhanovsky, was condemned by Ukrainian official authorities for supposedly ties with the Kremlin. The statement was rebuffed by the festival's organization, which included a strong response from its artistic director Alberto Barbera, who called an unacceptable manipulation of reality.
Shortly before the festival's opening week, the main competition jury's press conference was cancelled without further explanation in an unprecedented decision. According to Deadline, the move came after highly charged press conferences at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, where jurors and talent were repeatedly inquired by journalists about global politics, especially the Gaza war. Ultimately, the press conference was rescheduled to 2 September, the first day of the festival. Meanwhile, Roger Waters, Annie Ernaux, Matteo Garrone, Jasmine Trinca, Saleh Bakri, Céline Sciamma, among many other industry talents, signed an open letter organized by the Venice4Palestine collective calling the festival to take concrete action in support of Palestine, in the wake of the selection of two Palestinian films (Citizen Osama and Conversation with the Sea) about the ongoing conflict.
The festival opened with the biographical-drama film Ink by Danny Boyle, and closed with the period-drama film God Laughs by Giovanni Veronesi.
Juries
Main Competition (Venezia 83) Maggie Gyllenhaal, American actress and filmmaker – Jury President Kaouther Ben Hania, Tunisian filmmaker Daniel Blumberg, English artist, musician and composer Francesco Casetti, Italian-American film theorist Xavier Giannoli, French filmmaker Shahrbanoo Sadat, Afghan filmmaker Johnnie To, Hong Kong filmmaker
Orizzonti Valérie Donzelli, French actress and filmmaker – Jury President Peter Becker, American film executive, and CEO of The Criterion Collection and Janus Films Elizabeth Lo, Hong Kong filmmaker David Pablos, Mexican filmmaker Barbara Ronchi, Italian actress
Lion of the Future (Luigi De Laurentiis Award for a Debut Film) Carolina Cavalli, Italian filmmaker – Jury President Akinola Davies Jr., British-Nigerian filmmaker and visual artist Ted Hope, American producer
Venice Classics Daniele Vicari, Italian filmmaker and producer – Jury President
Venice Immersive Paul Raphaël, Canadian artist and virtual reality creator – Jury President Négar Motevalymeidanshah, Iranian director, animator, and visual artist Kate Voet, Belgian artist and director
Giornate degli Autori Carla Simón, Spanish filmmaker – Jury President Hania Mroué, Lebanese programmer and distributor Sara Fgaier, Italian filmmaker, editor, archival researcher, and producer
Queer Lion
Daniel N. Casagrande, Italian journalist and film critic Marco Busato, Italian actor Jani Kuštrin, Italian programmer Adriano Virone, Italian programmer and activist
Official Selection
In Competition (Venezia 83) The following twenty-one films were selected to the main competition for the Golden Lion: English TitleOriginal TitleDirector(s)Production CountryBack to Buenos AiresRitorno a Buenos AiresMarco BechisItaly, BrazilA Bit of Lightکمی نورAli AsgariIran, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, TurkeyBucking FastardWerner HerzogIreland, United StatesBunkerFlorian ZellerFrance, SpainCompanyCasey AffleckUnited States, Canada, Romania, Italy, United Arab EmiratesDAUIlya KhrzhanovskyGermany, France, Sweden, RussiaThe Echo ChamberAndrea PallaoroItaly, BelgiumThe Fire Within YouIl fuoco che ti porti dentroEdoardo De AngelisItalyA Good Little SoldierUn bon petit soldatStéphane BrizéFranceInk (opening film)Danny BoyleUnited Kingdom, United StatesIt Will Happen TonightSuccederà questa notteNanni MorettiItaly, France, SpainLook BackルックバックHirokazu Kore-edaJapanMr. Nelson, Did You Kill People?ネルソンさん、あなたは人を殺しましたか？Shinya TsukamotoJapan, United States, Thailand, Vietnam NAZAYuval Abraham and Rachel SzorUnited KingdomOne Minute to Midnight Un peu avant minuitNicolas PariserFranceA Place to Heal15/18Cédric KahnFrancePossible Love가능한 사랑Lee Chang-dongSouth Korea, United StatesPrimetimeLance OppenheimUnited StatesThe SpiralL'estraneaPaolo StrippoliItaly, France, BelgiumWild Horse NineMartin McDonaghUnited Kingdom, United States, ChileWoman UnknownKvinde, ukendtMay el-ToukhyDenmark, Sweden, Latvia
Venice Open — Out of Competition The following films were selected to be screened out of competition: English TitleOriginal TitleDirector(s)Production CountryFictionArrested Memory狂忘警探SabuTaiwan, JapanThe Basics of PhilosophyPaul SchraderUnited StatesFather JoeBarthélémy GrossmannFranceGod Laughs (closing film)Dio rideGiovanni VeronesiItalyThe Good LawyerUn bon avocatTristan SéguélaFranceJupiterAlexandre SmiaFranceLet Us Through, Dear AncestorsMakikiraan poLav DiazPhilippinesNo PainNessun doloreGianni AmelioItalyNo Paradise If You Are Killed by a Womanبەهەشت نابینیت ئەگەر ژن بتکوژێتHalkawt MustafaNorway, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, SwedenPlace to BeKornél MundruczóUnited States, Australia, SingaporeTrickScherzettoMario MartoneItalyNon FictionBe BraveFrancesco CarrozziniItalyBoatbuildersLuke LorentzenUnited StatesBurgundyMichael Dweck and Gregory KershawFranceCitizen Osamaالمواطن أسامةAhmed HassounaPalestine, FranceDust微塵Tsai Ming-liangTaiwan, SpainEverest: The Other SideElizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy ChinUnited States, China, NepalFrom Inside Out – The Architecture of Peter ZumthorDas Geheimnis der OrteWim WendersGermany, SwitzerlandHoly Wood DustViktor KossakovskyItaly, Germany, SpainImperiumSergei LoznitsaFrance, Italy, Germany, LithuaniaLetters from the Silenced CountryListyAndrei KutsilaPoland, Germany, LithuaniaLife of Jorge Luis BorgesBiografía de Jorge Luis BorgesMariano LlinásArgentinaMuskAlex GibneyUnited Kingdom, United StatesMy Undesirable Friends: Part II – ExileJulia LoktevUnited StatesOasis: Don't Look Back in AngerDylan Southern and Will LovelaceUnited KingdomQueer Edward IITheo RollasonThe Road to JerichoAmos GitaiFrance, United Kingdom, IsraelShumei. The Living Legacy of Kabuki襲名Takashi MiikeJapanUnion TownBarbara KoppleUnited StatesWhat Love BuildsRussell CroweAustraliaFilms on FilmsIntermission中场休息YonfanHong KongJoie de vivreJoie de vivre. Appunti, pensieri, parole, riflessioni, volti, visioni su Bernardo Bertolucci e la cinefilia del 20° secolo che non esiste piùLuca GuadagninoItalyJuso per ferieKaren Di PortoNino – A Film About Nino RotaNino – Un film su Nino RotaWalter FasanoThe Pervert's Guide to UtopiasSophie FiennesIreland, United Kingdom, Slovenia, Netherlands, NorwayTwist and Shoot Mister SuzukiYves MontmayeurFrance, Japan, United KingdomShort FilmsFlesh ImpactMaggie GyllenhaalUnited StatesThey're HereLaura Poitras and Rachel Lauren MuellerWild AsparagusHalayonAvi MograbiPortugal, FranceSeriesPeccato (3 episodes)Valerio VestosoItalySpecial EventsDai nostri inviati. La Rai racconta la Mostra del Cinema di Venezia 2001-2012Giuseppe Giannotti, Enrico Salvatori and Nicoletta BerardiItalyHugo in VeniceIl desiderio di essere inutile - Hugo a VeneziaStefano KnuchelSwitzerland
Orizzonti The section usually features a feature film competition of upcoming filmmakers, usually first or second works, with focus on global independent cinema. The Girl with the Leica, directed by Alina Marazzi, was the section's opening film on 2 September. The following films were selected: English TitleOriginal TitleDirector(s)Production CountryIn CompetitionBig Little Things谎言生活Michelle ZhouChina, Hong Kong, United StatesThe Burning Giantsยักษ์ไหม้Phuttiphong AroonphengThailand, France, Singapore, NetherlandsChildren of the MonkeyI figli della scimmiaTommaso LanducciItalyThe City of the LivingLa città dei viviEdoardo GabbrielliniItalyThe Color of the Sun太陽ぬ色Xavier TeraCanada, Italy, JapanA Common StoryUna storiaAnna FogliettaItalyA Day in the Life of Jo: Chapter PhaedraMia mera sti zoi tis tzo: kefalaio FaidraJacqueline LentzouGreece, Germany, FranceDiane in the LoopUn détour par DianeAnn Sirot and Raphaël BalboniBelgium, FranceThe Difficult BrideRubaiyat HossainBangladesh, France, Portugal, Norway, GermanyEklipseManuel WetscherAustria, ItalyFalling HouseمراقبMohsen GharaeiIran, United States, GermanyThe Girl with the Leica (opening film)La ragazza con la LeicaAlina MarazziItaly, GermanyHouse of the WindLa maison du ventBernard Auguste Kouemo YanghuCameroon, France, Belgium, Benin, Saudi Arabia, QatarLovers in the Blue NightAnuparna RoyIndia, United StatesLa MoulaJérôme PierratFranceOasisOaseJannis LenzGermany, AustriaToo Much SugarRobert GreeneUnited StatesUntil the Day EndsDo kraja danaJelena MaksimovićSerbia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Montenegro, Croatia, GermanyWhat Belongs to OthersCudze rzeczyGrzegorz DębowskiPolandShort Films CompetitionAngelo azzuroTommaso AcquaroneItalyDistant BlueBleu au loinAmir Houshang MoeinFranceA Few Moments of HappinessQuelques instants de bonheurShaden Safieddine TaziFrance, United KingdomA FortressUna fortalezaAlba GaviraghiChileHead of a CamelShannon LeeUnited StatesMan-Made Lake人工湖Annie NingUnited States, ChinaMothmamaJessica Di CostaAustraliaPaper PlaneSaoirse RonanUnited Kingdom, IrelandLos poderesSalim JallerColombia, FranceRock, Paper, ScissorsSasso, carta, forbiciVirginia MoriItaly, FranceSilenceТишаPavlo ShpegunUkraineTest TrackTesztpályaLydia CornettHungary, United Kingdom, United StatesTropic of the Mourning GeckoΤροπικός του Θρηνούτος ΓκέκοStavros MarkoulakisGreece, France, NetherlandsShort Films — Out of CompetitionThe Sense of EarthIl senso della TerraAlessandro Ingaria and Simone MassiItalySounds From HomeNathan SilverFrance, United States
Venice Spotlight Formerly called Orizzonti Extra, the section was officially renamed Venice Spotlight in the last edition. This collateral section programs independent films with commercial appeal from newcomers filmmakers or internationally established ones. It is also the only section where the audience votes to decide its winner. The following films were selected to compete for the Audience Award: English TitleOriginal TitleDirector(s)Production CountryConversation with the Seaحوار مع البحرMuayad AlayanPalestine, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, QatarFuriesغضبRami KodeihLebanon, BrazilGround FloorFöldszintGábor ReiszHungary, ItalyGuriaგურიაLevan KoguashviliGeorgia, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Turkey, Norway, Saudi ArabiaHombre al aguaGael García BernalMexicoI MatterEu contezAlina ȘerbanRomania, Germany, BelgiumSerpentiRoberto De PaolisItalySumo: Spirit Weighs NothingErik ShiraiJapan, United States, Denmark, United Kingdom
Venice Classics In a tribute to the Italian filmmaker Tinto Brass, the festival's pre-opening film was the restored 4K print of Col cuore in gola (1967), originally presented out of competition at the 28th edition. The section is curated by Alberto Barbera in collaboration of Federico Gironi, and showcases new restorations of celebrated feature films.
Italian filmmaker Daniele Vicari will serve as Jury President over 24 students recommended by professors of film studies from various Italian universities and institutions, the group will award the prize for Best Restored Film. The following films were selected to the Venice Classics section: