The 83rd Venice International Film Festival has unveiled its official 2026 programme, featuring highly anticipated premieres from acclaimed filmmakers, emerging international talent and a major spotlight on Greece as this year’s Focus Country at the Venice Production Bridge.
The festival will run from September 2 to September 12, with Artistic Director Alberto Barbera announcing the full lineup on Wednesday.
Barbera praised the continued strength of cinema, pointing to the box office success of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey as evidence that audiences are still embracing the theatrical experience.
“Every year the film community worries that we are losing audiences from cinemas. Then The Odyssey by Christopher Nolan arrives to prove that cinema is not only alive, but thriving,” Barbera said during the programme presentation.
Star-studded competition
Twenty films will compete for the Golden Lion, including several of the year’s most anticipated releases.
Among them are Werner Herzog’s Bucking Fastard, based on the true story of British twins Freda and Greta Chaplin; Casey Affleck’s directorial return with Company; Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Look Back; Lee Chang-dong’s Possible Love, marking his first narrative feature since Burning (2018); and Martin McDonagh’s political black comedy Wild Horse Nine, set before Chile’s 1973 coup.
The competition also includes Florian Zeller’s psychological thriller Bunker, starring Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardemand Patrick Schwarzenegger, alongside Lance Oppenheim’s Primetime, featuring Robert Pattinson as television journalist Chris Hansen.
Outside the competition, Paul Schrader will premiere his philosophical drama The Basics of Philosophy.
The festival will open with Danny Boyle’s Ink, which tells the story of Rupert Murdoch’s acquisition of The Sunnewspaper.
Greek films in competition
Greek filmmaker Jaclyn Lentzou will premiere her second feature, A Day in the Life of Jo: Chapter Phaedra, in the Orizzonti (Horizons) competition, dedicated to innovative voices in world cinema.
The coming-of-age drama blends realism with dreamlike and supernatural elements, exploring adolescence, loss and transformation through Lentzou’s distinctive cinematic style.
Also competing in Orizzonti is Stavros Markoulakis’ short film Tropic of the Mourning Gecko, which will receive its world premiere. Shot in Crete, the Greek-French-Dutch co-production explores sexual awakening, love and the painful transition into adulthood.
Meanwhile, Our Share of Sand, directed by Shalini Adnani and co-produced by Giorgos Karnavas of Heretic, will screen in the International Critics’ Week.
All three productions received support from EKKOMED’s funding programmes.
Greece named Focus Country
Greece will play a prominent role beyond the official selection after being named the Focus Country of the Venice Production Bridge 2026, highlighting the country’s expanding audiovisual industry and encouraging international co-productions.
The Focus on Greece programme will showcase several film and immersive projects, including:
- African Grey – Giorgos Gousis
- Lionfish – Thanasis Trouboukis
- Patrimonial Fears and Other Illusions – Elina Psykou
- The Smuggler – Kaveh Bakhtiari
- Wake – Thelyia Petraki
In the Venice Immersive Market, The Mysteries of Eleusis by John Fitzgerald and Simon Critchley will be presented, while Spyros Boukas’ VISITOR has been selected for Biennale College Cinema – Immersive.
Jury and honorary awards
Academy Award-nominated actress Maggie Gyllenhaal will serve as jury president. She will be joined by Johnnie To, Shahrbanoo Sadat, Xavier Giannoli, Oscar-winning composer Daniel Blumberg, film scholar Francesco Casetti, and Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania.
The festival will also present Lifetime Achievement Golden Lions to George Clooney and Ellen Burstyn in recognition of their outstanding contributions to world cinema.
You can see the full festival programme and the complete list of participating films here: https://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/2026/lineup