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The festival will run from September 2 to September 12, with Artistic Director Alberto Barbera announcing the full lineup on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Barbera praised the continued strength of cinema, pointing to the box office success of Christopher Nolan\u2019s The Odyssey<\/em> as evidence that audiences are still embracing the theatrical experience.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery year the film community worries that we are losing audiences from cinemas. Then The Odyssey<\/em> by Christopher Nolan arrives to prove that cinema is not only alive, but thriving,\u201d Barbera said during the programme presentation.<\/p>\n Star-studded competition<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Twenty films will compete for the Golden Lion, including several of the year\u2019s most anticipated releases.<\/p>\n Among them are Werner Herzog\u2019s Bucking Fastard<\/em>, based on the true story of British twins Freda and Greta Chaplin; Casey Affleck\u2019s directorial return with Company<\/em>; Hirokazu Kore-eda\u2019s Look Back<\/em>; Lee Chang-dong\u2019s Possible Love<\/em>, marking his first narrative feature since Burning<\/em> (2018); and Martin McDonagh\u2019s political black comedy Wild Horse Nine<\/em>, set before Chile\u2019s 1973 coup.<\/p>\n The competition also includes Florian Zeller\u2019s psychological thriller Bunker<\/em>, starring Pen\u00e9lope Cruz, Javier Bardemand Patrick Schwarzenegger, alongside Lance Oppenheim\u2019s Primetime<\/em>, featuring Robert Pattinson as television journalist Chris Hansen.<\/p>\n Outside the competition, Paul Schrader will premiere his philosophical drama The Basics of Philosophy<\/em>.<\/p>\n The festival will open with Danny Boyle\u2019s Ink<\/em>, which tells the story of Rupert Murdoch\u2019s acquisition of The Sun<\/em>newspaper.<\/p>\n Greek films in competition<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Greek filmmaker Jaclyn Lentzou will premiere her second feature, A Day in the Life of Jo: Chapter Phaedra<\/em>, in the Orizzonti (Horizons) competition, dedicated to innovative voices in world cinema.<\/p>\n The coming-of-age drama blends realism with dreamlike and supernatural elements, exploring adolescence, loss and transformation through Lentzou\u2019s distinctive cinematic style.<\/p>\n Also competing in Orizzonti is Stavros Markoulakis\u2019 short film Tropic of the Mourning Gecko<\/em>, 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.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Our Share of Sand<\/em>, directed by Shalini Adnani and co-produced by Giorgos Karnavas of Heretic, will screen in the International Critics\u2019 Week.<\/p>\n All three productions received support from EKKOMED\u2019s funding programmes.<\/p>\n Greece named Focus Country<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n 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\u2019s expanding audiovisual industry and encouraging international co-productions.<\/p>\n The Focus on Greece programme will showcase several film and immersive projects, including:<\/p>\n In the Venice Immersive Market, The Mysteries of Eleusis<\/em> by John Fitzgerald and Simon Critchley will be presented, while Spyros Boukas\u2019 VISITOR<\/em> has been selected for Biennale College Cinema \u2013 Immersive.<\/p>\n Jury and honorary awards<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The festival will also present Lifetime Achievement Golden Lions to George Clooney and Ellen Burstyn in recognition of their outstanding contributions to world cinema.<\/p>\n You can see the full festival programme and the complete list of participating films here: https:\/\/www.labiennale.org\/en\/cinema\/2026\/lineup<\/a><\/p>\n\n