An honorary Golden Lion for actress Kim Novak and director Werner Herzog, the controversial appointment of Alexander Payne as president of the jury, and Paolo Sorrentino’s latest feature film opening the festival… As the 82nd Venice Film Festival is taking shape behind closed doors, Numéro takes a look at everything we know so far.

In a few months, the awards season will kick off across the Atlantic. But first, the is preparing to honour the crème de la crème of international cinema.

Alongside the and the , the festival has become a prestigious stepping stone to the Oscars. The banks of the Italian lagoon is welcoming exceptional premieres. As the 82nd Venice Film Festival will to take place from August 27th to September 6th, 2025, Numéro reviews the latest news about the event.

Swept-back blonde hair, crystal-clear gaze, and huge talent… Actress Kim Novak has left a lasting impression, even though her acting career was brief. After completing high school, she was discovered by the all-powerful head of Columbia Studios, Harry Cohn. While he intended to make her Marilyn Monroe’s rival, ultimately shone in her own right. She earned a BAFTA nomination for Best Foreign Actress for Picnic (1955). Then, she lit up Alfred Hitchcock’s feature film Vertigo (1958).

A rebellious at her core, refused to bend to the colossal expectations of Hollywood moguls. She demanded fair compensation for her work and negotiated her pay without ever losing sight of her first calling – visual arts. As Hollywood reached its golden age in the 1960s, the actress gradually stepped away from film sets, where she was relentlessly reduced to her sex symbol image.

The film industry has since begun to rehabilitate ’s legacy. Starting with an honorary Golden Bear at the 1977 Berlinale. A biopic recounting her romance with musician is currently in the works. The film will star Sydney Sweeney and in the lead roles. At 91, has now retired to a ranch in the heart of Oregon. The actress will receive an for her entire career at the 82nd Venice Film Festival, alongside German director .

and will receive their awards from American filmmaker (Nebraska, The Holdovers). The latter will be this year’s president of the jury. Following in the footsteps of actress Isabelle Huppert, the director is taking on this role for the first time in his career. This marks Alexander Payne’s return to the Lagoon eight years after presenting his sci-fi comedy Downsizing there.

However, his appointment has sparked controversy. In 2020, actress accused him of sexual assault, which allegedly occurred when she was just 15 years old. Although the director denied the allegations, the decision of the festival’s organizing committee to appoint him president of the has caused a stir. In particular at a time when the #MeToo movement continues (and rightly so) to shake up in the film industry…

A four-time award winner at previous editions of the Venice Film Festival, Italian director will kick off this year’s festivities. His twelfth feature film, , will be the opening feature. Last year’s opener was Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, starring and .

While his latest film, the dreamlike , somewhat disappointed us with its outdated narrative, his new work could be the big comeback of the director of The Great Beauty (2013) and The Hand of God (2021). The film will once again feature Sorrentino’s longtime collaborator , as well as actress .

While it is now confirmed that will open the festival with La Grazia, the official selection remains unknown. Speculation is running high about which films will premiere at the 2025 Venice Film Festival.

’s thriller After the Hunt, starring , , and . The Lombard director has made Venice one of his favourite playground with his recent releases (2022) and (2024) there.

’s fashion-forward film Couture would also feel right at home in the City of Canals. It stars who presented the film on the lagoon last year, Ella Rumpf, and model Anyier Anei caught up in the chaos of the Paris Fashion Week. The organizing committee of the festival might also includes past Golden Lion winners Yorgos Lanthimos (Bugonia) and (Hamnet).

According to American media Variety, and Jim Jarmusch could be part of the shortlist with Father Mother Sister Brother. Other strong contenders in the Golden Lion race include Park Chan-Wook (No Other Choice), Romain Gavras (Sacrifice), David Lowery (Mother Mary), and Gregg Araki (I Want Your Sex). Stay tuned for the closing day of the ceremony on September 6th, 2025, to find out the names of the winners.

The 82nd edition of the Venice Film Festival will take place from August 27th to September 6th, 2025.