Venice Unveils 2026 Lineup With 18 Competition Films as Boyle’s Ink Opens and Clooney, Burstyn Win Lions
Updated
Updated · Deadline · Jul 23
Venice Unveils 2026 Lineup With 18 Competition Films as Boyle’s Ink Opens and Clooney, Burstyn Win Lions
3 articles · Updated · Deadline · Jul 23
Summary
18 competition films will anchor Venice’s Sept. 2-12 edition, with Danny Boyle’s Ink opening on Sept. 2 and Giovanni Veronesi’s Dio ride closing out of competition.
Alberto Barbera’s lineup leans heavily on auteur returns—Lee Chang-Dong’s first feature since 2018, Martin McDonagh’s first since The Banshees of Inisherin, and Nanni Moretti’s first Venice film since 1989.
Maggie Gyllenhaal will head the competition jury, joined by Kaouther Ben Hania, Daniel Blumberg, Francesco Casetti, Xavier Giannoli, Shahrbanoo Sadat and Johnnie To; she also screens Monroe tribute short Flesh Impact.
George Clooney and Ellen Burstyn will receive Golden Lion lifetime achievement awards as the festival also spotlights major out-of-competition titles, including Luca Guadagnino’s 7-hour Bertolucci documentary and Alex Gibney’s Musk.
Studio films are notably absent again, extending a Cannes-era pattern and leaving Venice’s 83rd edition dominated by international auteur cinema and documentaries.