rganised by La Biennale di Venezia (one of the world’s most prestigious cultural institutions), the festival remains a leading cinematic event, offering a vibrant mix of creativity, global talent, and highly awaited premieres.

The artistic director for this edition is Alberto Barbera, while the main competition jury president is Alexander Payne — the acclaimed American filmmaker known for Election (1999), Sideways (2005), The Descendants (2012), and The Holdovers (2024). He is joined by international film figures including Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres, Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof, French director Stéphane Brizé, Italian director Maura Delpero, Chinese actress Zhao Tao, and Romanian director Cristian Mungiu, who will select the 2025 Golden Lion winner.

This year, the festival will honour legends of cinema with prestigious lifetime awards. The Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement will go to Werner Herzog (a German filmmaker, actor, opera director, and author) and Kim Novak (American retired actress and painter, best known for her role in Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo [1958]). The Glory to the Filmmaker Award will be presented to Julian Schnabel (American painter and director, acclaimed for Before Night Falls and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), while the Campari Passion for Film Award will go to Gus Van Sant (American filmmaker, photographer, and musician, known for Good Will Hunting and Milk).

The opening film is La Grazia, directed by Paolo Sorrentino and starring Toni Servillo and Anna Ferzetti, a poignant drama exploring themes of grace and redemption. The closing film, Dog 51, directed by Cédric Jimenez, is a geopolitical thriller that will conclude the festival on a high note.

The Venice Film Festival remains an important platform for debuts of award-season films, offering international status, A-list talent, and creative storytelling. With world premieres by visionary directors, interactive media exhibitions, and lifetime achievement awards, the 82nd iteration promises to be an unmissable event for film lovers.

Official Selection Highlights

Frankenstein

Directed by Guillermo del Toro, this gothic reinterpretation of Mary Shelley’s classic novel explores the tragic story of a scientist’s obsession with defying nature, resulting in the creation of a sentient being.

The cast includes Oscar Isaac (Dune, Ex Machina), Jacob Elordi (Euphoria, The Kissing Booth), Mia Goth (X, Pearl), and Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds, Django Unchained).

Del Toro has previously won Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture for The Shape of Water (2017), and Best Animated Feature for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022).

Bugonia

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, Bugonia is a dark sci-fi comedy about two conspiracy-obsessed men who abduct a powerful CEO whom they think is an alien planning to destroy the planet.

The cast includes Emma Stone (La La Land, Poor Things), Jesse Plemons (Breaking Bad, The Irishman), Aidan Delbis, and Alicia Silverstone (Clueless, Irish Blood).

Lanthimos won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for The Favourite (2018).

Jay Kelly

Directed by Noah Baumbach, Jay Kelly follows a renowned actor and his loyal manager on a deep journey throughout Europe, facing life decisions and personal relationships.

The cast features George Clooney (Ocean’s Eleven, Gravity), Adam Sandler (Uncut Gems, Happy Gilmore), Laura Dern (Marriage Story, Jurassic Park), and Riley Keough (Mad Max: Fury Road, The Girlfriend Experience).

The screenplay was co-written by Baumbach and Emily Mortimer, the English actress and writer best known for Match Point (2005), Shutter Island (2010), and Aaron Sorkin’s HBO series The Newsroom (2012).

Baumbach received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay for Marriage Story (2019).

After the Hunt

Directed by Luca Guadagnino, After the Hunt tells the story of a college professor caught between a sexual harassment accusation involving a student and a colleague, navigating personal and professional turmoil.

Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman, Erin Brockovich) Ayo Edebiri (Abbott Elementary), Andrew Garfield (The Amazing Spider-Man, Tick, Tick, Boom), and Michael Stuhlbarg (The Shape of Water, Call Me by Your Name) star in the film.

Guadagnino’s Call Me by Your Name (2017) received four Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.

Father Mother Sister Brother

Directed by Jim Jarmusch, the film follows estranged siblings who reunite after years apart, confronting unresolved tensions and re-evaluating strained relationships.

The cast includes Cate Blanchett (Blue Jasmine, Carol), Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread), Adam Driver (Marriage Story, Star Wars), and Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory).

Jarmusch is known for Only Lovers Left Alive (2013), nominated for the Palme d’Or at Cannes.

The Smashing Machine

Directed by Benny Safdie, The Smashing Machine is a sports drama biopic of MMA fighter Mark Kerr, detailing the physical and psychological cost of the sport.

The cast includes Dwayne Johnson (Jumanji, Black Adam), Emily Blunt (Edge of Tomorrow, Oppenheimer), Ryan Bader (professional MMA fighter), and Bas Rutten (MMA legend). Safdie is known for Good Time (2017) and Uncut Gems (2019).

A House of Dynamite

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, this political thriller follows US officials as they deal with the possibility of a nuclear missile attack, resulting in a tense process of decision-making.

The cast includes Idris Elba (Luther, Beasts of No Nation), Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Silo), Gabriel Basso (The Big Sick, Super 8), and Jared Harris (Chernobyl, The Crown).

Bigelow made history as the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director with The Hurt Locker (2008), and also won for Zero Dark Thirty (2012).

The Wizard of the Kremlin

Directed by Olivier Assayas (Carlos, Personal Shopper), The Wizard of the Kremlin is a political drama that explores the dynamics of power within Vladimir Putin’s Russia through the eyes of an imaginary Kremlin operative.

Jude Law (The Talented Mr. Ripley, The Young Pope) stars as Vladimir Putin, alongside Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood, The Batman).

The Testament of Ann Lee

Directed by Mona Fastvold, this musical historical drama follows the life and spiritual journey of Ann Lee, the founder of the Shaker movement.

Lewis Pullman (Top Gun: Maverick, Outer Range), Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia, Mank), and Tim Blake Nelson (O Brother, Where Art Thou, Watchmen) lead the cast.

Fastvold directed The World to Come (2020), and also co-wrote and produced Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist (2023), which had its world premiere in Venice and went on to win three Oscars.

The Voice of Hind Rajab

Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania, The Voice of Hind Rajab tells the shocking real-life story of a 6-year-old girl trapped in a burning car in Gaza, who phoned emergency workers in her final hours.

Ben Hania previously directed Four Daughters (2023), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, making her one of the most prominent voices in socially conscious filmmaking.

Documentaries

Ghost Elephants

Directed by Werner Herzog, the documentary explores the lives and migration patterns of elephants in remote regions, through poetic narration by Herzog combined with stunning natural imagery.

Herzog is acclaimed for Grizzly Man (2005), Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010), and Encounters at the End of the World (2007), and has received numerous awards, including a Golden Globe.

Marc

Directed by Sofia Coppola, Marc documents the life, career, and enduring influence of fashion icon Marc Jacobs. Coppola brings her intimate and observational style to explore the designer’s creative journey, personal struggles, and cultural impact. The documentary features interviews and appearances by Marc Jacobs himself.

Coppola won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Lost in Translation (2003), and is also known for The Virgin Suicides (1999) and Marie Antoinette (2006).