Venice 83, only one female director among the twenty films in competition

The composition of a competition says more about a festival than its final awards, because a jury decides the awards while an artistic direction decides the selection. At the 83rd International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art, scheduled at the Lido from September 2 to 12, 2026, twenty films are competing for the Golden Lion, and only one bears a woman’s signature: “Woman Unknown” by Danish director May el-Toukhy, according to the selection published by the Biennale and covered in detail by Artribune and Venezia Eventi. The figure has reopened debate on female presence in the selections of major international festivals.

It is worth clarifying what that number does not say. The available dossier does not contain the historical series of previous editions nor comparable data from other major festivals: without those terms of comparison, one out of twenty remains a snapshot of this year, not a demonstrated trend. It is, however, a snapshot concerning access to the event’s most exposed showcase, the one that shapes distribution and critical attention for the months that follow.

The rest of the program moves along a different axis, that of established names. Artistic direction is by Alberto Barbera, confirmed at the helm of the festival through the 2027 edition. The Career Golden Lions go to George Clooney and Ellen Burstyn, on a proposal by Barbera himself approved by the Biennale’s board of directors, chaired by Pietrangelo Buttafuoco. In competition, Nanni Moretti returns after 37 years’ absence from the Venice race: his last time was in 1989 with “Palombella Rossa”, as reconstructed by the guide to the festival by Il Giornale dell’Arte.

Out of competition holds the most anomalous part of the lineup. Luca Guadagnino brings “Joie de vivre”, a project lasting 435 minutes, just over seven hours: a length that effectively rules out ordinary theatrical scheduling and shifts the issue onto the form of distribution, a question the available material does not clarify. Also out of competition are the expected “Nessun dolore” by Gianni Amelio and “Scherzetto” by Mario Martone, while the closing film is “Dio ride” by Giovanni Veronesi. The career award to Guadagnino is set for Tuesday, September 8 in Sala Casinò, before the screening of his documentary.

Taken together, the two elements point to coherent curatorial choices: a competition built around already-recognized names and an out-of-competition section used as a space for formats the ordinary market cannot absorb. The practical consequence is that generational and gender renewal, when it occurs, tends to be placed in the parallel sections rather than in the main competition — and the parallel sections carry less weight for careers.

The Biennale insists on the continuity of its work beyond the festival’s twelve days. “the Biennale works all year round, with ever-increasing systematicity,” said president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco. This is an argument about structure, not selection: continuous programming and the composition of the competition remain two distinct decisions, made by distinct bodies.

For those following the event from outside, the calendar is already set: online ticket bookings open Thursday, August 27, the festival opens on September 2 and closes on the 12th with the screening of “Dio ride”.

Sources: La Biennale di Venezia (official communications), Il Giornale dell’Arte, Artribune, Venezia Eventi.