Venice Film Festival Lineup Features Musk, Pattinson, Cruz and Bardem/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ A four-hour Elon Musk documentary and Martin McDonagh’s CIA comedy “Wild Horse Nine” lead the 83rd Venice Film Festival lineup. The program also features films starring Robert Pattinson, Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Rooney Mara and Kate Mara. The festival opens Sept. 2 with Danny Boyle’s “Ink,” while George Clooney and Ellen Burstyn will receive lifetime achievement awards.
Quick Look
- The 83rd Venice Film Festival begins Sept. 2.
- Danny Boyle’s “Ink” will open the festival.
- Alex Gibney’s four-hour documentary “Musk” profiles Elon Musk.
- Martin McDonagh’s “Wild Horse Nine” stars John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell.
- Robert Pattinson plays Chris Hansen in “Primetime.”
- Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem appear together in “Bunker.”
- Rooney and Kate Mara play identical twins in Werner Herzog’s “Bucking Fastard.”
- Luca Guadagnino’s Bernardo Bertolucci documentary runs seven hours.
- The Oasis documentary is scheduled for theatrical release Sept. 11.
- Maggie Gyllenhaal will lead the Golden Lion jury.
- George Clooney and Ellen Burstyn will receive lifetime achievement honors.
- The lineup includes fewer major Hollywood studio films than in previous years.
Deep Look
Venice Unveils Its 2026 Festival Lineup
The Venice Film Festival will feature a four-hour documentary about Elon Musk, a dark comedy involving CIA agents and an international collection of films starring some of the industry’s best-known actors.
Artistic director Alberto Barbera announced the program Thursday for the festival’s 83rd edition.
The event will begin Sept. 2, launching a busy fall festival season that traditionally serves as an early stage for major Hollywood awards campaigns.
Like the Cannes Film Festival earlier in 2026, Venice’s selection contains fewer Hollywood studio productions than in previous years.
Alex Gibney Presents Four-Hour Musk Documentary
Alex Gibney’s “Musk” is among the festival’s most anticipated nonfiction premieres.
The four-hour documentary offers an expansive portrait of billionaire Elon Musk, whose businesses include Tesla, SpaceX and the social media platform X.
It will be joined by Julia Loktev’s “My Undesirable Friends: Part II — Exile,” which follows independent Russian journalists after they leave their country.
Like the project’s first installment, the second film has an extended running time—355 minutes, or nearly six hours.
McDonagh’s CIA Comedy Joins Main Competition
Martin McDonagh’s “Wild Horse Nine” is among the most prominent films competing for the festival’s top prizes.
The dark comedy stars John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell as CIA agents in Chile before the country’s 1973 coup.
The film will compete alongside “Primetime,” which features Robert Pattinson as Chris Hansen, the television journalist known for hosting “To Catch a Predator.”
Cruz and Bardem Reunite for “Bunker”
Florian Zeller’s thriller “Bunker” stars Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz as a married couple.
The main competition also includes:
- Lee Chang-dong’s “Possible Love”
- Stéphane Brizé’s “A Good Little Soldier”
- Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Look Back”
- Werner Herzog’s “Bucking Fastard”
- Casey Affleck’s “Company”
“Look Back” is a coming-of-age story about two girls who want to become manga artists.
In Herzog’s film, real-life sisters Rooney Mara and Kate Mara portray identical twins.
Casey Affleck Competes for First Time
Casey Affleck will enter the Venice competition for the first time with “Company.”
The film also stars Nick Nolte and Ben Mendelsohn.
Italian filmmaker Nanni Moretti is returning to the festival for the first time since 1989.
The combination of American and international filmmakers reflects Venice’s longstanding position as both a global cinema showcase and an awards-season launchpad.
Major Documentaries Screen Outside Competition
The festival’s out-of-competition program includes several high-profile documentaries.
Among them are:
- “Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger”
- Barbara Kopple’s “Union Town”
- “Everest: The Other Side” by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin
- Luca Guadagnino’s “Joie de Vivre”
- Russell Crowe’s “What Love Builds”
- Laura Poitras’ “They’re Here”
Guadagnino’s seven-hour film examines the life and work of filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci.
Wim Wenders will present a documentary about Swiss architect Peter Zumthor, while Crowe’s project is an autobiographical musical concert film.
Poitras’ short documentary focuses on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Minneapolis.
Gallagher Brothers Expected at Oasis Premiere
The Oasis documentary was directed by Steven Knight.
Barbera said he expects Noel and Liam Gallagher to attend its Venice premiere. The film is scheduled to arrive in theaters Sept. 11, shortly after the festival.
The appearance would bring additional music-world attention to an event already expected to attract prominent actors, filmmakers and artists.
Danny Boyle’s “Ink” Will Open Festival
The festival will open with Danny Boyle’s “Ink,” an adaptation of James Graham’s stage play.
The story dramatizes the rise of media tycoon Rupert Murdoch.
“Ink” will also compete for the Golden Lion and the festival’s other major awards.
Maggie Gyllenhaal Leads Golden Lion Jury
Filmmaker and actor Maggie Gyllenhaal will lead the jury responsible for selecting the Golden Lion winner.
Other jury members include filmmakers Kaouther Ben Hania, Johnnie To and Shahrbanoo Sadat, along with composer Daniel Blumberg.
Gyllenhaal will also present a film at the festival.
Her Marilyn Monroe-inspired short, “Flesh Impact,” stars Dakota Johnson and Ellen Burstyn, who “give body and voice to the myth of Marilyn,” Barbera said.
Burstyn and Clooney Receive Career Honors
Burstyn, 93, will receive a lifetime achievement award from the festival.
George Clooney, a regular presence at Venice, will also receive a lifetime achievement honor.
The awards ensure that the festival will retain significant Hollywood star power even though its competition lineup includes fewer traditional studio productions.
Venice Remains an Awards-Season Launchpad
During the past 15 years, Venice has become an important launching point for films seeking Oscar recognition.
Festival attention does not always translate into box-office success or awards.
The 2025 lineup included high-profile films starring Julia Roberts, Clooney and Dwayne Johnson. However, “After the Hunt,” “Jay Kelly” and “The Smashing Machine” did not achieve the expected theatrical or awards-season success.
Venice nevertheless produced two eventual best picture nominees last year: “Frankenstein” and “Bugonia.”
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