The Venice Film Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera has revealed a dynamic and eclectic slate of films vying for the Golden Lion at the upcoming 82nd edition, running from August 27 to September 6, 2025. The selection spans high-profile premieres and awards-season hopefuls, alongside smaller, daring cinematic works.
Competition Highlights
The competition features celebrated filmmakers and rising talents, including:
- “La Grazia,” directed by Paolo Sorrentino (Opening Film)
- “The Wizard of the Kremlin,” Olivier Assayas
- “Jay Kelly,” Noah Baumbach, starring George Clooney
- “Bugonia,” Yorgos Lanthimos, featuring Emma Stone
- “Frankenstein,” Guillermo del Toro, starring Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi
- “The Smashing Machine,” Benny Safdie, starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt
- “A House of Dynamite,” Kathryn Bigelow, starring Idris Elba and Rebecca Ferguson
- “Father Mother Sister Brother,” Jim Jarmusch, starring Cate Blanchett and Adam Driver
- Additional works include films by Park Chan-wook, Luca Guadagnino, Mona Fastvold, László Nemes, François Ozon, Ildikó Enyedi, Franco Maresco, Gianfranco Rosi, Cai Shangjun, Valérie Donzelli, Pietro Marcello, and Kaouther Ben Hania.
Out of Competition – Fiction
- “Chien 51,” directed by Cédric Jimenez (Closing Film)
- “After the Hunt,” Luca Guadagnino, starring Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, and Ayo Edebiri—Roberts’ debut at Venice
- “In the Hand of Dante,” Julian Schnabel, featuring Oscar Isaac, Gal Gadot, Al Pacino, and Martin Scorsese
- “Dead Man’s Wire,” Gus Van Sant, starring Bill Skarsgård, Colman Domingo, and Al Pacino
- Other titles include Mamoru Hosoda’s “Hateshinaki Scarlet,” Anders Thomas Jensen’s “The Last Viking,” Andrea Di Stefano’s “Il Maestro,” Paolo Strippoli’s “La Valle Dei Sorrisi,” Antonio Capuano’s “L’Isola di Andrea,” and Virgilio Villoresi’s “Orfeo.”
Out of Competition – Non-Fiction
Featured documentaries include:
- “Marc by Sofia,” Sofia Coppola
- “Ghost Elephants,” Werner Herzog
- “Cover-Up,” Laura Poitras and Mark Obenhaus
- “Kim Novak’s Vertigo,” Alexandre Philippe
- Additional entries: “Kabul, Between Prayers,” “Baba Wa Al-Qadhafi,” “Ferdinando Scianna – Il Fotografo Dell’Ombra,” “The Tale of Sylian,” “Nuestra Tierra,” “Remake,” “Broken English,” “Notes of a True Criminal,” “I Diari di Angela,” and “Director’s Diary.”
Out of Competition – Series
Four TV series set for premieres:
- “Portobello,” Marco Bellocchio
- “Un Prophète,” Enrico Maria Artale
- “Il Mostro,” Stefano Sollima (Netflix)
- “Etty,” directed by Hagai Levi, based on the diaries of Etty Hillesum
Horizons & Venice Spotlight Sections
Horizons (Orizzonti) section films include: “Mother,” “Divine Comedy,” “Strange River,” “Il Rapimento di Arabella,” “Lost Land,” “Rose of Nevada,” “Late Fame,” “Milk Teeth,” “Pin de Fartie,” “Father,” “En el Camino,” “Songs of Forgotten Trees,” “Un Anno di Scuola,” and “The Souffleur.”
Venice Spotlight includes “Hijra,” “Un Cabo Suelto,” “Made in EU,” “Motor City,” “La Hija de la Española,” “À Bras-Le-Corps,” “Calle Málaga,” and “Ammazzare Stanca.”
Jury, Honors & Dates
- Jury President: Alexander Payne, joined by Fernanda Torres, Cristian Mungiu, Mohammad Rasoulof, and Maura Delpero
- Lifetime Achievement Golden Lions will honor Werner Herzog and Kim Novak
- Festival Dates: August 27 – September 6, 2025
The 82nd Venice Film Festival promises an engaging mix of acclaimed filmmakers, international stars, and groundbreaking cinema from around the world.