Venice International Film Festival (September 2–12, 2026), Venice Lido, Italy
From September 2 to 12, 2026, the Venice Lido will once again become the epicenter of world cinema for the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, directed by Alberto Barbera. Maggie Gyllenhaal will preside over the international jury, joined by director Kaouther Ben Hania, composer Daniel Blumberg, and Francesco Casetti, Sterling Professor of Humanities and Film and Media Studies at Yale and one of the world’s leading film theory scholars.
Kicking off this edition, however, is the news of the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, which will be awarded to George Clooney. The honor celebrates his three decade relationship with the festival, where he has premiered films such as Good Night, and Good Luck and, most recently, Jay Kelly. Alberto Barbera described him as a complete artist who moves seamlessly between acting, directing, and producing, while Clooney himself has called Venice his favorite festival of all.
The official lineup has not yet been unveiled, but weeks of buzz already offer a glimpse of possible titles. Among the most talked about is Florian Zeller’s psychological thriller Bunker, starring Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz, and Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine, set on the eve of the 1973 Chilean coup and led by John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell. Werner Herzog’s Bucking Fastard, starring sisters Rooney Mara and Kate Mara as two women searching for an imaginary land, is also generating strong anticipation. On the Italian front, rumors point to Nanni Moretti returning to directing with It Will Happen Tonight, based on a story by Israeli author Eshkol Nevo, while speculation also includes Andrea Pallaoro’s The Echo Chamber, built from an unfinished Bernardo Bertolucci screenplay and starring Alicia Vikander, Susan Sarandon, and Luca Marinelli. Also circulating are the names of Aaron Sorkin, with The Social Reckoning, and Fernando Meirelles, with Here Comes the Flood, reportedly featuring Denzel Washington.
Among the most talked about possibilities is Alejandro G. Iñárritu, who may bring Digger to the Lido, a black comedy starring Tom Cruise as Digger Rockwell, an American energy tycoon whose company triggers a disaster of near biblical proportions. Billed as “a comedy of catastrophic proportions,” the film follows its protagonist on an increasingly absurd mission to prove himself humanity’s savior after nearly bringing about its end. The ensemble cast includes Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, Jesse Plemons, and Riz Ahmed. Iñárritu’s first English language feature since The Revenant, the film is set to open in theaters on October 2, 2026, timing that has fueled speculation about a Venice premiere, given the Mexican director’s long history with the festival, where he won the Golden Lion with Birdman and competed with Bardo.
Alongside the main film program, the festival will also host Venice Immersive, the section dedicated to virtual reality and immersive experiences, curated by Liz Rosenthal and Michel Reilhac since its launch in 2017 and staged on the Isola del Lazzaretto Vecchio. The competition, which honors the year’s best VR and virtual world projects, will be announced together with the official selection in late July, following the close of submissions this past May.
Source: La Biennale
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Locarno Film Festival 2026: The Magic of Cinema Returns to Piazza GrandeRelated Posts
From September 2 to 12, 2026, the Venice Lido will once again become the epicenter of world cinema for the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, directed by Alberto Barbera. Maggie Gyllenhaal will preside over the international jury, joined by director Kaouther Ben Hania, composer Daniel Blumberg, and Francesco Casetti, Sterling Professor of Humanities and Film and Media Studies at Yale and one of the world’s leading film theory scholars.
Kicking off this edition, however, is the news of the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, which will be awarded to George Clooney. The honor celebrates his three decade relationship with the festival, where he has premiered films such as Good Night, and Good Luck and, most recently, Jay Kelly. Alberto Barbera described him as a complete artist who moves seamlessly between acting, directing, and producing, while Clooney himself has called Venice his favorite festival of all.
The official lineup has not yet been unveiled, but weeks of buzz already offer a glimpse of possible titles. Among the most talked about is Florian Zeller’s psychological thriller Bunker, starring Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz, and Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine, set on the eve of the 1973 Chilean coup and led by John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell. Werner Herzog’s Bucking Fastard, starring sisters Rooney Mara and Kate Mara as two women searching for an imaginary land, is also generating strong anticipation. On the Italian front, rumors point to Nanni Moretti returning to directing with It Will Happen Tonight, based on a story by Israeli author Eshkol Nevo, while speculation also includes Andrea Pallaoro’s The Echo Chamber, built from an unfinished Bernardo Bertolucci screenplay and starring Alicia Vikander, Susan Sarandon, and Luca Marinelli. Also circulating are the names of Aaron Sorkin, with The Social Reckoning, and Fernando Meirelles, with Here Comes the Flood, reportedly featuring Denzel Washington.
Among the most talked about possibilities is Alejandro G. Iñárritu, who may bring Digger to the Lido, a black comedy starring Tom Cruise as Digger Rockwell, an American energy tycoon whose company triggers a disaster of near biblical proportions. Billed as “a comedy of catastrophic proportions,” the film follows its protagonist on an increasingly absurd mission to prove himself humanity’s savior after nearly bringing about its end. The ensemble cast includes Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, Jesse Plemons, and Riz Ahmed. Iñárritu’s first English language feature since The Revenant, the film is set to open in theaters on October 2, 2026, timing that has fueled speculation about a Venice premiere, given the Mexican director’s long history with the festival, where he won the Golden Lion with Birdman and competed with Bardo.
Alongside the main film program, the festival will also host Venice Immersive, the section dedicated to virtual reality and immersive experiences, curated by Liz Rosenthal and Michel Reilhac since its launch in 2017 and staged on the Isola del Lazzaretto Vecchio. The competition, which honors the year’s best VR and virtual world projects, will be announced together with the official selection in late July, following the close of submissions this past May.
Source: La Biennale
Share:
Locarno Film Festival 2026: The Magic of Cinema Returns to Piazza Grande
