🇮🇹 The World's Oldest Film Festival

Venice 2026 Golden Lion Race

August 27 – September 6, 2026 · Lido di Venezia, Italy. The 83rd edition of the world's oldest film festival, where the Golden Lion is cinema's first prize of awards season.

21
In Competition
11
Days
93
Years Running
5
Oscar Winners*

Key Takeaways

Pedro Almodóvar's The Room Next Door wins the Golden Lion, his first major Venice prize for his English-language debut starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore. Brady Corbet's The Brutalist wins the Silver Lion for Best Direction and the Best Actor award for Adrien Brody's monumental performance. Joker: Folie à Deux divides critics as the most polarizing competition entry. Walter Salles returns with I'm Still Here, a powerful Brazilian political drama that earns the Best Screenplay award.

Venice 2026 Competition

Golden Lion

The Room Next Door

Pedro Almodóvar Spain 2024

Almodóvar's first English-language feature tells the story of two friends reunited by terminal illness, a meditation on death, friendship, and art.

Silver Lion

The Brutalist

Brady Corbet UK/Hungary 2024

A Hungarian-Jewish architect flees postwar Europe to rebuild his life and artistic vision in America, in this sweeping 3.5-hour epic.

Joker: Folie à Deux

Todd Phillips USA 2024

Arthur Fleck awaits trial for his crimes while falling in love with a fellow Arkham patient, Lee Quinzel, in this musical sequel.

Queer

Luca Guadagnino Italy/USA 2024

An adaptation of William S. Burroughs' novella following an American expat in 1950s Mexico City consumed by an unrequited obsession.

Maria

Pablo Larraín Italy/Germany 2024

Angelina Jolie delivers a transformative performance as Maria Callas in the final days of the legendary opera singer's life in 1970s Paris.

Babygirl

Halina Reijn USA/Netherlands 2024

A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with a much younger intern.

Special Jury

April

Dea Kulumbegashvili Georgia/France 2024

A Georgian gynecologist secretly performing abortions faces an investigation that threatens her life and practice.

Best Screenplay

I'm Still Here

Walter Salles Brazil 2024

The true story of a Rio de Janeiro family torn apart by Brazil's military dictatorship in the 1970s, told through the eyes of the matriarch.

Venice Buzz Board

The films making waves on the Lido, ranked by critical reception and awards potential.

🔥
The Brutalist
Buzz: 97 · Silver Lion · Best Actor
🔥 97
🔥
The Room Next Door
Buzz: 92 · Golden Lion Winner
🔥 92
🔥
I'm Still Here
Buzz: 90 · Best Screenplay
🔥 90
April
Buzz: 87 · Special Jury Prize
⭐ 87

Venice Film Festival FAQ

What is the Golden Lion at Venice?

The Golden Lion (Leone d'Oro) is the highest prize at the Venice Film Festival, awarded to the best film in Competition. Past winners include Nomadland, Joker, Roma, The Shape of Water, and Brokeback Mountain. The Golden Lion has become an increasingly reliable predictor of Oscar success.

When is the Venice Film Festival 2026?

The Venice Film Festival 2026 runs from August 27 to September 6, 2026, on the Lido island in Venice, Italy. It is organized by La Biennale di Venezia and takes place at the historic Palazzo del Cinema.

Can the public attend the Venice Film Festival?

Yes, unlike Cannes, the Venice Film Festival sells individual tickets to the general public. Tickets for most screenings can be purchased online or at the box office on the Lido. Gala premieres require accreditation, but the vast majority of films are accessible to any ticket buyer. Visit our Festival Guides for tips.

Why is Venice important for Oscar campaigns?

Venice sits at the very start of awards season in late August/early September, making it the first major festival where Oscar contenders are unveiled. Recent Golden Lion winners Nomadland and Poor Things both went on to dominate the Oscars. The festival's prestige and critical mass of international press make it the ideal launchpad.

What is the oldest film festival in the world?

The Venice Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the world, established in 1932 as part of the Venice Biennale. It predates Cannes (1946) and Berlin (1951). The festival has been held annually on the Lido island, with only a brief interruption during World War II.

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Weekly Freshness Signal

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