The Venice International Film Festival (VFI) announced on Tuesday (June 23rd) the full and legitimate composition of the international jury for the 83rd edition of the 2026 Official Competition.
The announcement confirms the features of the new edition, which is chaired by American director, actress, screenwriter and producer Maggie Gyllenhaal, whose selection for the role was revealed last April, and while the announced lineup may not be the most glamorous and Hollywood in terms of traditional star names, it offers a very diverse cinematic ensemble and is full of a background of female leadership for the world's oldest festival and jury duties
Gyllenhaal Chairs Jury
This edition places American filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal as the third woman to head the Italian festival's jury in the last five years, following in the footsteps of international stars Isabelle Aubert, who chaired the jury in 2024, Julianne Moore in 2022, and Cate Blanchett in 2020.
In an official statement following her selection, Gyllenhaal expressed her pride: "The Venice Festival has always championed honest and unique voices, and I am honored to be part of continuing this courageous and necessary tradition. I will not stand in the position of refereeing, but in the position of curiosity, admiration and enthusiasm."
Gyllenhaal and her colleagues' primary task will be to filter out the films competing for the official Grand Prizes, including the Golden Lion for Best Picture, the Silver Lion for the Grand Jury Award, the Silver Lion for Best Director, the Copa Volpe Awards for Best Actress and Best Actor, as well as the Special Jury Award, Best Screenplay, and the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor or Actress.Artistic and academic skills are varied and rich.
The committee includes Hong Kong director Johnny Tou, Tunisian director Kawthar Ben Haniyeh, Afghan director Shahr Banou Saadat, French director and writer Xavier Giannoli, British composer Daniel Bloomberg, who recently composed the soundtrack for the Oscar-winning film The Brutalist, and Francesco Cassetti, professor of humanities and film studies at Yale University.
It is noteworthy that the chairwoman of the committee, Maggie Gyllenhaal, is a prominent American director, screenwriter, and producer, born on October 16, 1977 in New York City, and belongs to a well-established film family, her father is director Steven Gyllenhaal, her mother is screenwriter Naomi Foner, and her younger brother is the well-known Hollywood star Jake Gyllenhaal, and she began her artistic career in the 1990s through small roles, but her real breakthrough and international fame began to take shape at the beginning of the millennium, and is characterized by a rich artistic career.
A Rich History and Filmmakers Return to the Lido Island
The new jury members have a long history and a close connection to Venice festival audiences and critics, with the Lido Island seeing the premieres of four of Johnny Two's most notable films: "Throw Down" (2004), "Exiled" (2006), "Mad Detective" (2007) and "Life Without Principle" (2011). France's Xavier Giannulli has competed for the Golden Lion three times in the past decade with his films "Superstar," "Marguerite" and "Lost Illusions."
The Arab participation in the committee is highlighted by Tunisian director Kawthar Ben Hania, who recorded an exceptional and resounding presence in the last edition of the festival for 2025 with her film "The Voice of Hind Rajab", which received wide critical acclaim and continuous applause in the exhibition hall that lasted for more than 20 minutes, before being crowned with the "Silver Lion" award.
The film has been described in international critical circles as a semi-documentary work that provokes anger and urgency in its content, constituting a heartbreaking elegy for an innocent girl who was robbed of her right to life and documenting the consequences of the genocidal campaigns, to be deservedly included in the list of the best international films.
The Venice Film Festival, the world's oldest film festival and held annually as part of the Venice Biennale, will run from September 2 to 12, with the festival to unveil its official film program and competitions on July 23.
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