Venice Film Festival Opens With Clooney’s Golden Lion and Political Speeches

Maggie Gyllenhaal says film industry has a ‘systemic problem’ with sexism

Speaking at the opening of the Venice film festival, the actor-director addressed why the jury of which she is chair will only be shown two films made by female film-makers Maggie Gyllenhaal said there is a “systemic problem” that explains why only two female directors are in the running for the Golden Lion at the Venice film festival this year. “It’s harder for women to get films financed,” said the actor-director, who is heading up the jury of the world’s oldest cinema showcase this year. ...

By Philip Oltermann in Venice

George Clooney, Robert Pattinson expected on the red carpet at Venice Film Festival

Our film critic Emma Jones takes us through the highlights as the 83rd Venice International Film Festival kicks off this Wednesday.

By Dheepthika LAURENT

George Clooney Calls Out ‘Authoritarians’ and ‘People Who Peddle in Fear’ in Moving Venice Golden Lion Speech: They’re ‘Never the Heroes in History’ 

George Clooney delivered a moving speech about the power of art in times of political turmoil at Venice Film Festival as he accepted the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. “We’re living through a moment in time where the people in charge and people with the most money are telling us to fear one another,” Clooney […]

By Ellise Shafer

George Clooney Challenges Authoritarians in Powerful Speech in Venice: “Stories Are Always Dangerous to People Who Peddle in Fear”

Laura Dern presented the Hollywood star with Venice’s career honor during Wednesday’s opening ceremony with a little help from his famous friends like Brad Pitt, Adam Sandler and Steven Soderbergh.

By Patrick Brzeski

Venice Film Festival 2026: Read All Of Deadline’s Reviews

The 2026 Venice Film Festival got underway on Wednesday, September 2, with Oscar-winning English director Danny Boyle’s Ink — starring Jack O’Connell, Guy Pearce and Claire Foy — kicking off an 83rd edition that includes films starring the likes of Robert Pattinson, Penelope Cruz & Javier Bardem, Jack Huston & Sofia Boutella, Dakota Johnson, John […]

By Erik Pedersen

Clooney kicks off Venice as festival wades into war, Gaza and AI

Venice rolls out the red carpet Wednesday, with George Clooney set to collect a lifetime achievement award as the film festival opens a starry two-week run heavy on biopics, war-zone dramas from Gaza and Iran, and a fresh reckoning with artificial intelligence.

By RFI

Gyllenhaal: Women directors face 'systemic' barriers

Maggie Gyllenhaal has said women continue to face "systemic" barriers in the film industry, as she questioned why so few female directors feature in the main competition at this year's Venice Film Festival.

Scarcity of women directors at Venice due to 'systemic issue' says Gyllenhaal

(ANSA) - ROME, SEP 2 - The under-representation of female directors in Venice and at other international film festivals is due to a "systemic issue", jury chair Maggie Gyllenhaal told a press conference before the 83rd edition of the world's oldest film fest Wednesday, noting that only two women are up for the Golden Lion this year compared to six last year. "I think it's finally become clear that men make better films than women," Gyllenhaal initially responded with a quip that got the audie...

By ANSA

Everything you need to know about the 2026 Venice Film Festival

Ink Trailer

The first trailer for Ink has been released, revealing what to expect from Danny Boyle's upcoming biopic drama about newspaper editor Larry Lamb.

By Nick Bythrow