The 83rd Venice International Film Festival announced its official program, with artistic director Alberto Barbera and Biennale di Venezia president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco presenting selections across multiple sections. The festival will open on September 2 with Danny Boyle’s biographical drama Ink, which examines Rupert Murdoch and his British tabloid operations through performances by Jack O’Connell, Guy Pearce, and Claire Foy. The event will conclude on September 12 with the Italian period drama Dio Ride, directed by Giovanni Veronesi.
The competition lineup features established and emerging filmmakers, including South Korean directors Hirokazu Koreeda and Lee Chang-dong presenting their latest features. Werner Herzog returns to the main selection with Bucking Fastard, reportedly declining an out-of-competition position at Cannes to participate in Venice. Additional competition entries include Casey Affleck’s gothic mystery Company and Iranian director Ali Asgari’s A Bit of Light. Maggie Gyllenhaal will serve as jury president, while George Clooney will receive an honorary Golden Lion lifetime achievement award.
The Venice Spotlight section emphasizes international and independent cinema, featuring Palestinian director Muayad Alayan’s Conversation With the Sea and the first Roma director submission to the section with Alina Serban’s I Matter. The Orizzonti section includes Anuparna Roy’s Lovers in the Blue Night and Robert Greene’s documentary Too Much Sugar. The newly established Venice Open Non Fiction sidebar for documentaries will premiere works by Alex Gibney on Elon Musk, Julia Loktev’s follow-up to her 2025 Russia-focused documentary, and Barbara Kopple’s Union Town.
Buttafuoco opened the presentation with remarks regarding the European Commission’s withdrawal of a €2 million grant to the Biennale di Venezia Foundation, citing the festival’s decision to permit Russian participation for the first time since 2022. The festival traditionally ranks alongside Cannes as a major international cinema venue and awards season indicator, though last year’s Venice selections experienced mixed commercial and critical outcomes at subsequent award ceremonies.
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