venice film festival 2026 lineup is now officially underway, with the 83rd Venice International Film Festival taking place on the Lido from September 2 through September 12, 2026. The official selection includes 21 films in the Venezia 83 Competition, alongside major titles in Venice Open, Orizzonti, Venice Spotlight, Venice Classics, Venice Immersive and other sections.
The festival opened September 2 with Danny Boyle’s Ink, a drama starring Jack O’Connell, Guy Pearce and Claire Foy. The film received its world premiere following the opening ceremony.
The 2026 edition has already become one of the most closely watched stops of the fall film season. Major filmmakers returning to Venice include Martin McDonagh, Werner Herzog, Hirokazu Kore-eda, Lee Chang-dong, Florian Zeller and Nanni Moretti.
Venice Film Festival 2026 Dates and Format
The 83rd Venice International Film Festival is running from September 2 to September 12 on the Venice Lido. The festival is directed by Alberto Barbera and organized by La Biennale di Venezia.
The official program is divided into several major sections:
- Venezia 83 Competition
- Venice Open – Out of Competition
- Orizzonti
- Venice Spotlight
- Venice Classics
- Venice Immersive
- Biennale College Cinema
- Special Screenings
The main competition can include a maximum of 21 feature films presented as world premieres. The 2026 competition reaches that full 21-film limit.
Full 2026 Venezia 83 Competition Lineup
The main competition brings together established international filmmakers and a wide range of filmmaking styles. The confirmed 21 titles are:
| Film | Director | Principal Cast |
|---|---|---|
| NAZA | Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor | — |
| Company | Casey Affleck | Nick Nolte, Ben Mendelsohn, Adelaide Clemens |
| Kami nour (A Bit of Light) | Ali Asgari | Misagh Zareh, Sadaf Asgari |
| Ritorno a Buenos Aires | Marco Bechis | Adriano Giannini, Ana Celentano |
| Ink | Danny Boyle | Jack O’Connell, Guy Pearce, Claire Foy |
| Un bon petit soldat | Stéphane Brizé | Alba Rohrwacher, Vincent Lindon |
| Il fuoco che ti porti dentro (The Fire Within You) | Edoardo De Angelis | Vanessa Scalera, Lino Musella |
| Kvinde Ukendt (Woman Unknown) | May el-Toukhy | Mathilde Arcel, Carsten Bjørnlund |
| Bucking Fastard | Werner Herzog | Kate Mara, Rooney Mara, Orlando Bloom |
| 15/18 (A Place To Heal) | Cédric Kahn | Zoé Monpart, Malou Khebizi |
| Dau | Ilya Khrzhanovsky | Teodor Currentzis, Radmila Shchogolieva |
| Look Back | Hirokazu Kore-eda | Natsuki Deguchi, Aju Makita |
| Ga-neung-han sa-rang (Possible Love) | Lee Chang-dong | Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu |
| Wild Horse Nine | Martin McDonagh | John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi |
| Succederà questa notte (It Will Happen Tonight) | Nanni Moretti | Louis Garrel, Jasmine Trinca |
| Primetime | Lance Oppenheim | Robert Pattinson, Merritt Wever, Phoebe Bridgers |
| The Echo Chamber | Andrea Pallaoro | Luca Marinelli, Alicia Vikander, Susan Sarandon |
| Un peu avant minuit | Nicolas Pariser | Melvil Poupaud, Chiara Mastroianni |
| L’estranea | Paolo Strippoli | Jasmine Trinca, Romana Maggiora Vergano |
| Nelson san, anata wa hito wo koroshimashitaka? (Mr. Nelson, Did You Kill People?) | Shinya Tsukamoto | Rodney Hicks, Geoffrey Rush, Tatyana Ali |
| Bunker | Florian Zeller | Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Stephen Graham |
The official festival listing confirms all 21 competition selections, their directors, principal casts, production countries and running times.
Danny Boyle’s Ink Opens the Festival
One of the biggest early developments has been the world premiere of Ink, directed by Danny Boyle.
The film stars Jack O’Connell, Guy Pearce and Claire Foy. It examines Rupert Murdoch’s transformation of Britain’s The Sun newspaper and the changing relationship between journalism, commercial pressure and sensationalism.
Ink opened the festival on September 2 after the official opening ceremony. Its arrival immediately put Boyle’s latest project among the most visible films of the 2026 Venice program.
For U.S. audiences, the film is also notable because its Venice debut places it at the beginning of the fall awards-season conversation. Its U.S. theatrical release is scheduled for December 11, 2026, followed by a Netflix release on January 8, 2027.
Martin McDonagh Returns With Wild Horse Nine
Martin McDonagh is among the most prominent directors represented in competition.
His new film, Wild Horse Nine, stars John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi, Mariana Di Girolamo, Ailín Salas, Tom Waits and Parker Posey. The production is listed as a United Kingdom, United States and Chile co-production.
McDonagh’s presence gives the competition another major English-language filmmaker with a strong history of dark comedy and dramatic storytelling.
Lee Chang-dong Brings Possible Love
South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong returns to Venice with Ga-neung-han sa-rang, listed in English as Possible Love.
The film stars Jeon Do-yeon, Sul Kyung-gu, Zo In-sung and Cho Yeo-jeong. Its official running time is 164 minutes, making it one of the longer narrative features in the competition.
Lee’s inclusion is one of the key Asian cinema highlights in the 2026 competition. The film joins a lineup that also features Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda and Shinya Tsukamoto.
Kore-eda Presents Look Back
Hirokazu Kore-eda is competing with Look Back, a Japanese feature starring Natsuki Deguchi, Aju Makita, Furi Nanase, Rokka Okada and Masaki Suda.
The film has an official running time of 100 minutes and represents another major Japanese entry in the Golden Lion competition.
Kore-eda’s inclusion strengthens the festival’s Asian cinema presence and adds another internationally recognized filmmaker to the 21-film race.
Werner Herzog’s Bucking Fastard
Werner Herzog brings Bucking Fastard to the competition, with Kate Mara, Rooney Mara, Orlando Bloom and Domhnall Gleeson leading the cast.
The film is listed as an Ireland-U.S. production and runs for 109 minutes.
The project is one of the notable international productions in this year’s competition, pairing Herzog’s filmmaking with a recognizable English-language cast.
Florian Zeller’s Bunker
Another major English-language competition title is Florian Zeller’s Bunker.
The film stars Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Stephen Graham, Paul Dano and Patrick Schwarzenegger. The production is listed as a France-Spain collaboration and has a 126-minute running time.
Zeller previously brought The Son to Venice, making his return particularly notable for followers of the festival’s awards-focused programming.
Robert Pattinson Leads Primetime
Robert Pattinson headlines Lance Oppenheim’s Primetime, alongside Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo and Phoebe Bridgers.
The film is a U.S. production with a 110-minute running time.
Its presence adds another major American star to the competition and gives U.S. audiences one of the more recognizable names among this year’s leading actors.
Casey Affleck’s Company Joins the Race
Casey Affleck directs Company, which features Nick Nolte, Ben Mendelsohn, Adelaide Clemens, Scoot McNairy and Emily Alyn Lind among its principal cast.
The film is listed as a Canada-U.S. production and runs for 92 minutes.
Affleck’s dual role as director places the film among the American productions competing for Venice’s top awards.
The Competition Jury Is Led by Maggie Gyllenhaal
The 2026 Venezia 83 Competition jury is chaired by American filmmaker and actress Maggie Gyllenhaal.
She is joined by Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, English composer and artist Daniel Blumberg, Italian professor Francesco Casetti, French filmmaker Xavier Giannoli, Afghan filmmaker Shahrbanoo Sadat and Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To.
The jury will decide the Golden Lion and the other official competition prizes at the festival’s closing on September 12.
The awards include:
- Golden Lion for Best Film
- Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize
- Silver Lion for Best Director
- Coppa Volpi for Best Actress
- Coppa Volpi for Best Actor
- Special Jury Prize
- Best Screenplay
- Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress
George Clooney Receives a Golden Lion
The opening ceremony also featured the presentation of the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement to George Clooney.
La Biennale di Venezia confirmed that the American actor, director and producer received the honor on September 2.
Clooney’s recognition adds another major U.S. connection to the 2026 festival. He is also part of the festival’s wider programming, including a masterclass scheduled for September 3.
Ellen Burstyn is also receiving a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement during the festival. Her award ceremony is scheduled for September 7.
Venice Immersive Expands the 2026 Program
The 2026 program extends beyond conventional feature films.
Venice Immersive, the festival’s section devoted to extended reality, includes immersive video, virtual reality, mixed reality, augmented reality and other XR works.
The completed 2026 selection features 69 works. One of the highlighted projects is David Bowie: Unseen Unheard, an immersive documentary built around previously unseen photographs and Bowie recordings.
The section demonstrates how the Venice program continues to incorporate new forms of cinematic and immersive storytelling alongside its traditional feature-film competition.
Why the 2026 Lineup Matters for U.S. Moviegoers
The Venice competition is particularly important for American moviegoers because it often provides an early look at films that will dominate the fall awards conversation.
The 2026 lineup combines established directors, international cinema and major American and British productions. Films such as Ink, Wild Horse Nine, Bunker, Primetime and Company provide a strong English-language presence.
At the same time, titles such as Possible Love, Look Back, Woman Unknown, Bucking Fastard and The Fire Within You underline the international scope of the competition.
The festival’s programming also reflects a broader interest in politically and socially relevant filmmaking. Coverage from the opening days has highlighted films addressing journalism, geopolitics, conflict, technology and other contemporary issues.
What Happens Next at Venice 2026
The festival continues through September 12, with competition screenings and programs across the remaining days.
The biggest unanswered question is which film will ultimately win the Golden Lion. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s jury will make that decision after considering the 21 films in the Venezia 83 Competition.
For U.S. audiences, the remaining days should also provide a clearer picture of which Venice premieres emerge as the festival’s critical standouts and which films gain momentum heading into the broader fall movie season.
The official festival program remains the definitive source for screening information, while the competition lineup provides the central framework for the 2026 Golden Lion race.
The 2026 Venice lineup is now in motion, and the race for the Golden Lion is only beginning—share your favorite title in the comments and stay tuned for the latest confirmed festival updates.