The 83rd Venice International Film Festival, held annually on the Lido, has confirmed its main jury roster for the 2026 edition, with US filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal serving as president. The announcement, made in April, now adds seven jurors from across the globe, reflecting the festival's longstanding commitment to diverse cinematic voices.
Gyllenhaal, known for her work as an actress, director, screenwriter, and producer, becomes the third woman to lead the competition jury in the past five years, following Isabelle Huppert in 2024, Julianne Moore in 2022, and Cate Blanchett in 2020. In a statement, she said: “Venice has always supported truthful, singular voices, and I am honored to play a part in continuing that brave and necessary tradition. I will not be standing in judgement, but in curiosity, admiration and excitement.”
An Eclectic Jury with Familiar Faces
The jury includes Hong Kong director Johnnie To, whose films Throw Down (2004), Exiled (2006), Mad Detective (2007), and Life Without Principle (2011) all premiered on the Lido. Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania returns after her 2025 documentary The Voice of Hind Rajab won the Silver Lion and received over 20 minutes of applause at its premiere. Afghan filmmaker Shahrbanoo Sadat, French director Xavier Giannoli, and British composer Daniel Blumberg—who scored the Oscar-winning The Brutalist—round out the creative contingent. Yale's Sterling Professor of Humanities and Film Studies, Francesco Casetti, adds academic depth.
Giannoli has competed for the Golden Lion three times in the past decade with Superstar (2012), Marguerite (2015), and Lost Illusions (2021). Ben Hania's The Voice of Hind Rajab was praised by Euronews Culture as “enraging and urgent both in substance and form,” a docudrama that “stands as a devastating elegy to an innocent girl who was robbed of her right to live.”
The jury will award the Golden Lion for Best Film, the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize, the Silver Lion for Best Director, the Coppa Volpi for Best Actress and Best Actor, the Special Jury Prize, Best Screenplay, and the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor or Actress.
This year's festival also coincides with the Venice Biennale 2026, which has drawn attention for its avant-garde installations. Meanwhile, protests by groups like Pussy Riot and FEMEN have highlighted geopolitical tensions, as seen in their demonstration against Russia's return to the Biennale amid the Ukraine war.
The 83rd Venice Film Festival is scheduled to take place from late August to early September 2026 on the Lido, continuing its tradition as a key platform for global cinema.
