The 2026 Venice Film Festival promises significant star power, though several high-profile projects initially rumored for the Lido will be absent. Notable omissions include Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Digger starring Tom Cruise; Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Reckoning with Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg; David Fincher’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood spin-off, The Adventures of Cliff Booth starring Brad Pitt; Tom Ford’s Cry to Heaven featuring Adele’s acting debut; and Tony Gilroy’s Pedro Pascal-led Behemoth.
Nevertheless, the 83rd edition—running September 2 to 12 with Maggie Gyllenhaal as jury president and lifetime achievement honors for George Clooney and screen legend Ellen Burstyn, 93—boasts a stellar lineup. The program features taut thrillers, ambitious narratives, and, as per tradition, several headline-grabbing documentaries. Highlights include a Laura Poitras co-directed short on ICE; Alex Gibney’s four-hour examination of Elon Musk; Luca Guadagnino’s seven-hour documentary on Bernardo Bertolucci; and a chronicle of Oasis’s reunion tour narrated by the Gallagher brothers. Here are the ten films to watch.
Wild Horse Nine
The clearest awards contender on the roster is Martin McDonagh’s pitch-black comedy. His previous two features, 2022’s The Banshees of Inisherin and 2017’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, both leveraged Venice premieres into awards success, amassing two Oscars and 16 nominations combined. This latest effort appears equally star-studded and timely. Set against the enigmatic moai of Easter Island on the eve of the 1973 Chilean coup, the plot follows two rogue CIA operatives (John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell) orchestrating a government overthrow. Their plans unravel when they cross paths with a pair of rebellious students (Mariana di Girolamo and Ailín Salas). Parker Posey, Steve Buscemi, and Tom Waits round out the supporting cast.