FACTBOX: Venice Film Festival 2026: dates, films and what to expect

The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the world. Its 83rd edition opens on Wednesday.

Below are some facts about the festival and the 2026 contenders:

WHEN IS THE FESTIVAL?

The action begins with the premiere of British director Danny Boyle's "Ink", a drama about the rise of media magnate Rupert Murdoch. It closes on September 12 with Italian costume drama "Dio ride" (God Laughs), written and directed by Giovanni Veronesi.

WHERE IS IT HELD?

The festival is held on the Venice Lido, a thin barrier island in the Venetian Lagoon, which is a short boat trip from the main city and is known as the beach of Venice. It can also be reached by car, as cars, prohibited in the rest of Venice, have access to the Lido.

WHY IS IT FOLLOWED SO CLOSELY?

The festival traditionally marks the start of the awards season and regularly throws up favourites for the Oscars.

Of the past 10 editions of the Oscars, the award for Best Actress or Best Actor has gone eight times to the protagonists of films first screened in Venice. Eight of the past 13 Best Director awards went to movies launched in Venice.

The event draws a multitude of stars. George Clooney, Robert Pattinson, John Malkovich, Penelope Cruz and Rooney Mara are expected to take to this year's red carpet. Oasis frontmen Liam and Noel Gallagher are also expected to attend.

However, the star wattage has dimmed by comparison with recent years as rising production costs and broader uncertainties have led Hollywood studios to stay away.

WHAT MOVIES HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR THE FESTIVAL?

The official selection of films shown comprises several categories led by the coveted Golden Lion award. This year's 21 contenders, in order of their screening, are:

"Ink" (GB-FR-US) Dir. Danny Boyle

"Bucking Fastard" (IRE-US) Dir. Werner Herzog

"Wild Horse Nine" (CH-UK-US) Dir. Martin McDonagh

"15/18 (A Place To Heal)" (FR) Dir. Cedric Kahn

"Mr. Nelson, Did You Kill People?" (JP-US-THA-VIE) Dir. Shinya Tsukamoto

"Primetime" (US) Dir. Lance Oppenheim

"Succedera Questa Notte" (IT-FR-SP) Dir. Nanni Moretti

"Possible Love" (SK) Dir. Lee Chang-dong

"The Echo Chamber" (IT-BE) Dir. Andrea Pallaoro

"Woman Unknown" (DE-SWE-LA) Dir. May el-Toukhy

"Look Back" (JP) Dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda

"L’Estranea" (IT-FR-BE) Dir. Paolo Strippoli

"Bunker" (FR-SP) Dir. Florian Zeller

"Company" (CA-US) Dir. Casey Affleck

"Dau" (DE-FR-SWE) Dir. Ilya Khrzhanovsky

"Un Bon Petit Soldat" (FR) Dir. Stephane Brize

"Il Fuoco Che Ti Porti Dentro" (IT) Dir. Edoardo De Angelis

"NAZA" (GB) Dir: Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor

"Un Peu Avant Minuit" (FR) Dir. Nicolas Pariser

"A Bit Of Light" (IR-CH-IT-CA-TUR) Dir. Ali Asgari

"Ritorno A Buenos Aires" (IT-BR) Dir. Marco Bechis

WHO LEADS THE COMPETITION JURY?

U.S. actor/director Maggie Gyllenhaal will chair the jury for the main competition. She will be joined by Tunisian director and screenwriter Kaouther Ben Hania, the English composer Daniel Blumberg, Italian critic Francesco Casetti, French director Xavier Giannoli, Afghan director Shahrbanoo Sadat and Hong Kong director Johnnie To.

ARE ANY BIG FILMS BEING SHOWN OUT-OF-COMPETITION?

Like other festivals, Venice reserves a number of spots for interesting movies that are shown out-of-competition.

This year, documentaries are in the spotlight. They include Alex Gibney's in-depth take on Elon Musk, "Musk" and Russell Crowe's music biopic "What Love Builds". The fiction section includes an action thriller "Father Joe" starring Kiefer Sutherland, Al Pacino and Ever Anderson.

-Reporting by Crispian Balmer; editing by Barbara Lewis/Reuters