Each late summer, the island of the Venice Lido transforms, swapping its quiet seaside charm for the international buzz of the Venice International Film Festival. As the world's oldest film festival, established in 1932, it holds a unique place in the cinematic calendar, acting as a key platform where major Oscar contenders are first revealed alongside groundbreaking works from global auteurs. The upcoming 82nd edition in 2025 continues this long-standing tradition, preparing to welcome a host of cinematic talent to the historic Palazzo del Cinema.
Venice Film Festival 2025 dates and schedule
The dates for the 82nd edition of the Venice International Film Festival have been confirmed, with the event scheduled to run from 27th August to 6th September 2025. As is tradition, the screenings and ceremonies will take place on the Venice Lido.
The festival, officially known as Biennale Cinema 2025, will open with Paolo Sorrentino's film La grazia and conclude with the screening of Dog 51 by Cédric Jimenez. Italian actress and model Emanuela Fanelli has been announced as the host for the opening and closing nights of the event.
The Official Selection: Venice Film Festival 2025 lineup
The complete official lineup for the Venice Film Festival is one of the most anticipated announcements in the cinema calendar, typically revealed in late July.
In Competition (Venezia 82): the Golden Lion contenders
This is the festival’s main section, where a selection of international films will compete for the coveted Golden Lion award. The jury responsible for awarding the prize will be led by American filmmaker Alexander Payne.
Among the most anticipated titles is Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein, starring Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi. Yorgos Lanthimos, following his previous Golden Lion win for Poor Things, re-teams with Emma Stone for Bugonia.
Noah Baumbach directs an ensemble cast that includes George Clooney and Adam Sandler in Jay Kelly, while indie icon Jim Jarmusch presents Father Mother Sister Brother, featuring a cast that includes Cate Blanchett and Adam Driver.
The lineup also includes a strong contingent of female directors, with Oscar-winner Kathryn Bigelow presenting A House of Dynamite, starring Idris Elba, and Hungarian director Ildikó Enyedi returning with Silent Friend.
Out of Competition Screenings
The Out of Competition section is often where Venice premieres some of its most star-studded and widely anticipated films. The 2025 lineup features several high-profile titles from world-renowned directors.
Luca Guadagnino returns with After the Hunt, a thriller starring Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, and Ayo Edebiri. Julian Schnabel’s In the Hand of Dante boasts an extraordinary ensemble cast that includes Oscar Isaac, Gal Gadot, Gerard Butler, Al Pacino, and Martin Scorsese.
Other notable fiction entries include Dead Man’s Wire from director Gus Van Sant and the latest animated feature from Japanese master Mamoru Hosoda, Hateshinaki Scarlet (Scarlet). The Danish creative team of director Anders Thomas Jensen and actor Mads Mikkelsen will also present their new film, Den Sidste Viking (The Last Viking).
The Non-Fiction category is equally strong, featuring new documentaries from celebrated filmmakers. Sofia Coppola will present Marc by Sofia, while the legendary Werner Herzog returns with Ghost Elephants. They are joined by Oscar-winning documentarian Laura Poitras (Cover-up) and acclaimed Argentinian director Lucrecia Martel (Nuestra Tierra).
Orizzonti (Horizons) Section
The Orizzonti section, dedicated to showcasing innovative and emerging trends in global cinema, presents a lineup featuring both established stars and rising directorial talent.
This year’s selection is particularly noteworthy for the number of recognisable actors taking roles in auteur-driven projects. Willem Dafoe appears in two separate films: Late Fame, alongside Past Lives star Greta Lee, and Gastón Solnicki's The Souffleur.
Several other prominent actors feature in the competition. British filmmaker Mark Jenkin (Bait) directs George MacKay and Callum Turner in Rose of Nevada. Noomi Rapace stars in Mother, the latest from acclaimed director Teona Strugar Mitevska.
In a notable piece of casting, Chris Pine appears in the Italian film Il rapimento di Arabella from director Carolina Cavalli. The selection also includes Spanish director Jaume Claret Muxart’s Estrany riu (Strange River) and Barrio triste, the feature debut from celebrated music video director Stillz.
Attending the Venice Film Festival: tickets and accreditation
Attending the Venice Film Festival is possible for both the general public and industry professionals, though the routes for access are quite different. While film professionals can apply for accreditation for wider access, members of the public can purchase tickets and subscriptions for specific public screenings.
How to get Venice Film Festival 2025 tickets
For those wishing to attend specific screenings, tickets can be purchased exclusively online via the official La Biennale website, with sales beginning in mid-August 2025.
Rather than a single pass for all screenings, the festival offers subscriptions for specific venues and time slots. Prices for these subscriptions vary significantly depending on the cinema hall and screening time. For instance, a subscription for all screenings at the Sala Corinto costs around €50, while passes for the prime evening screenings at the prestigious Sala Grande can range from €500 to €1600.
Concession prices are available on many subscriptions for attendees under 26 or over 65, as well as for Biennale Card 2025 holders.
Press and industry accreditation
For film industry professionals, students, and journalists, access is managed through an official accreditation system. Accreditation grants entry to screenings reserved for specific pass holders, as indicated in the festival programme.
There are several types of accreditation tailored to different categories. The main typologies are Press, Industry, and Cinema for professionals and cultural operators. Additional passes include Film Delegation accreditation for those officially representing a selected film, and a digital-only Venice Immersive accreditation for those focused on the festival's XR section.
Finding accommodation for the festival in Venice
Given the festival's popularity, securing accommodation requires planning. The screenings and events are held on the Venice Lido, making it the most convenient but also the most sought-after location. A popular alternative is to stay on the main island of Venice and use the frequent vaporetto (water bus) services to travel to the Lido.
The 2025 Venice International Film Festival jury and awards
The international juries for the 82nd Venice Film Festival have been announced, bringing together a prestigious group of directors, actors, and screenwriters to award the event’s top prizes. The juries are responsible for judging the main competition, the Orizzonti section, and the award for a debut film.
The Venezia 82 main competition jury
As mentioned, the jury for the main competition will be led by American director and two-time Oscar winner Alexander Payne (The Holdovers, Sideways). He is joined by a formidable group of international filmmakers and performers, including acclaimed Romanian director and Palme d’Or winner Cristian Mungiu (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days), and Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof, who has received widespread international acclaim while facing severe restrictions in his home country.
The jury also includes celebrated Italian director Maura Delpero, whose film Vermiglio won the Silver Lion at a previous edition of the festival, French director Stéphane Brizé, Brazilian actress and writer Fernanda Torres, and Chinese actress Zhao Tao, a frequent collaborator of her husband director Jia Zhang-Ke.
The Orizzonti and debut film juries
The Orizzonti jury will be chaired by French director Julia Ducournau, who won the Palme d’Or at Cannes for her film Titane. Also on the jury will be Australian director Shannon Murphy and Argentine film critic Fernando Enrique Juan Lima.
The jury for the “Luigi De Laurentiis” Award for a Debut Film will be led by Scottish filmmaker Charlotte Wells, whose debut feature Aftersun received international acclaim and an Oscar nomination for its star, Paul Mescal.
The Golden Lion and other major festival awards
The Venezia 82 jury will award the festival's most prestigious prizes. The top honour is the Golden Lion for Best Film. Other key awards include the Silver Lion - Grand Jury Prize, the Silver Lion for Best Director, and the Coppa Volpi for Best Actress and Best Actor.
The jury also presents an award for Best Screenplay and the “Marcello Mastroianni” Award, which recognises the best new young actor or actress in the official selection. Lastly, the Lion of the Future (Luigi De Laurentiis) Award comes with a cash prize of $100,000 to be shared between the director and producer.
The significance of the Film Festival in Venice
The Venice Film Festival holds a significant place in the global film calendar, not least because it is the world's oldest. Its prestige, however, is not purely historical. The festival has a solid reputation as a crucial launching pad for the international awards season, with many films that premiere on the Lido going on to receive nominations and win at ceremonies like the BAFTAs and the Academy Awards. This status makes the Venice Film Festival a key stop for directors and studios aiming for critical acclaim.
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