The Venice Film Festival 2025 lineup is here—and it’s nothing short of cinematic thunder. The world’s oldest film festival, held annually on the glamour-soaked Lido, is poised to set the tone for awards season with a lineup blending Oscar contenders, arthouse auteurs, and global prestige.
Festival director Alberto Barbera revealed a roster that includes Kathryn Bigelow, Guillermo del Toro, Noah Baumbach, Benny Safdie, Sofia Coppola, and more—turning Venice into the de facto launching pad for the next cinematic wave.
With star-studded premieres like After the Hunt (Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield), Frankenstein (Jacob Elordi, Oscar Isaac), and the long-awaited A House of Dynamite by Bigelow, the 2025 edition promises to leave audiences and critics breathless.
From the red carpets of Manhattan and Los Angeles to the cinephile circles of Berlin, Aspen, and Hong Kong, here’s why this year’s Venice lineup is the one everyone will be talking about.
Star-Driven Premieres Promise Awards Buzz
Venice is no stranger to Oscar gold, and this year’s Venice Film Festival lineup leans into that legacy.
Luca Guadagnino brings After the Hunt to the Lido, featuring a powerhouse ensemble of Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri, Andrew Garfield, and Chloë Sevigny. The film, exploring the moral tensions of academic life and long-buried secrets, was requested to screen Out of Competition by Guadagnino and Amazon MGM Studios. Still, it’s already positioned as a major contender in the awards conversation.
Barbera described the lineup as “stacked,” and that’s an understatement. Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly, starring George Clooney and Adam Sandler, will premiere In Competition before hitting theaters in November and Netflix in December. Baumbach, collaborating with Emily Mortimer, continues his creative streak with the streamer, delivering his fourth feature for Netflix.
Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein and Kathryn Bigelow’s Return
Few films carry as much anticipation as Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein. Featuring a seductive cast of Jacob Elordi and Oscar Isaac, the gothic reimagining will screen In Competition, stoking excitement from Venice to Miami Beach.
Also making waves is the long-awaited return of Kathryn Bigelow with A House of Dynamite. The film marks her first feature since Detroit (2017) and signals a return to the visceral, politically charged storytelling she’s known for. Though few details have emerged, the inclusion in Competition suggests confidence in its cinematic firepower.
“We’ve curated a selection that challenges, dazzles, and confronts,” said Barbera during the Tuesday morning press conference.
Jim Jarmusch, Julian Schnabel, and Other Auteur Additions
In a major surprise, Jim Jarmusch returns to the Venice Competition for the first time in decades with Father Mother Sister Brother. Known for his offbeat narratives and genre-defying style, Jarmusch’s reappearance has cinephiles buzzing from San Francisco to Washington D.C.
Meanwhile, Julian Schnabel’s long-awaited In the Hand of Dante will screen Out of Competition and boasts a cast including Oscar Isaac, Martin Scorsese, Gerard Butler, and Gal Gadot. Barbera noted the film’s delay due to disputes with funders—an inside-Hollywood wrinkle that only adds intrigue.
Also appearing Out of Competition are new projects by Werner Herzog, Sofia Coppola, Laura Poitras, and Lucrecia Martel—a who’s who of documentary and narrative brilliance.
Docs, Shorts, and Prestige TV: Expanding the Format
The Venice Film Festival 2025 isn’t just about marquee features. In its documentary sidebar, Mike Figgis’s Megadoc will explore the making of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis, turning the lens back on one of cinema’s most legendary figures.
Shorts and serialized work are also getting prime treatment. Charlie Kaufman presents How to Shoot a Ghost, while Hagai Levi (best known for HBO’s Scenes From a Marriage) debuts Etty, a new limited series.
And opening the entire affair? Paolo Sorrentino’s La Grazia, starring Toni Servillo and Anna Ferzetti, will unspool on August 27 in the Sala Grande, with a plot shrouded in mystery but rumored to center on the twilight days of a fictional Italian presidency.
Legends and Juries: Golden Lions and Judging Giants
Hollywood icon Kim Novak will be honored with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, continuing Venice’s tradition of celebrating cinematic legends. The Competition jury will be presided over by Alexander Payne and include heavyweights like Cristian Mungiu, Mohammad Rasoulof, and Zhao Tao.
It’s a globally diverse panel, one that mirrors the cosmopolitan appeal of the festival itself—attracting filmmakers, cinephiles, and press from Chicago to Hong Kong, Atlanta to Aspen.
Why the Venice Film Festival Lineup 2025 Matters
Whether you’re an awards-season junkie, an arthouse obsessive, or simply intrigued by the intersections of power, performance, and politics, this Venice Film Festival lineup is a cultural temperature check for what’s to come in cinema. With premieres designed to make headlines and surprises set to ignite discourse, Venice 2025 isn’t just a film festival—it’s the main event.
Plan your watchlist, book your flight, or simply bookmark the lineup. The cinematic tide is turning.
