Overview
- Festival organizers announced a seven-person main competition jury that confirms Maggie Gyllenhaal as president and includes Johnnie To, Kaouther Ben Hania and Shahrbanoo Sadat.
- Johnnie To returns to Venice after previously serving on a Venice jury and premiering four films on the Lido, signaling continued ties between the festival and established international auteurs.
- Kaouther Ben Hania joins after winning last year’s Silver Lion for The Voice of Hind Rajab, and Shahrbanoo Sadat arrives with recent recognition for opening this year’s Berlin Film Festival.
- The roster also names French director Xavier Giannoli, British composer and artist Daniel Blumberg, and film scholar Francesco Casetti of Yale, mixing creative and academic perspectives.
- The jury will award the Golden Lion and other major prizes, and its choices will help shape awards-season momentum as the full competition lineup is revealed on July 23 and the festival runs Sept. 2–12.