From today until September 12, the Lido of Venice will host the 83rd edition of the Venice International Film Festival. For eleven intense days, world premieres, renowned filmmakers and emerging talents will again animate the Palazzo del Cinema and dazzle on the red carpets. This year will shine especially Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem, who present together in competition with the film Bunker. Robert Pattinson, Pamela Anderson or Noel and Liam Gallagher of Oasis will be some of the stars also shining at the Mostra.
The film starring the couple of actors will compete for the Golden Lion along with nineteen other features, all of them world premieres. Among the most anticipated directors are Danny Boyle, Florian Zeller, Werner Herzog or Casey Affleck. The only woman among the directors in the official section is the Danish-born Egyptian May el-Toukhy, who will compete with Woman Unknown. The international jury that will decide the festival’s prize is chaired by American actress and director Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Spain’s representation in the Official Section is completed by the co-production Sucederá esta noche, which marks the return of acclaimed Italian director Nanni Moretti. Catalan director Carla Simón holds a prominent role in this edition by presiding over the jury of the independent competition Giornate degli Autori, and Carmen Maura will also be present at the festival to present the project Calle Málaga.
Another highlight of the festival will be the presentation of the honorary Golden Lions. The first will go to George Clooney, who according to the festival has stood out as “a complete and charismatic artist, passionate and original, who has transformed a profound vocation into one of the brightest trajectories in contemporary cinema.” And the second will go to Ellen Burstyn, described as “an actress of rare intensity and truth, capable of bringing great complexity to unforgettable female characters.”
Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem’s Bunker
What would you do if you were offered a once-in-a-lifetime job that, at the same time, announced that the end of the world as we know it is imminent? That is the question the film Bunker, by Florian Zeller, attempts to answer. And Javier Bardem is the man who finds himself caught in the middle of that complicated ethical dilemma. The Spanish actor plays an architect who accepts a secret assignment, only to discover that he must build a survival bunker for a tech industry billionaire.
Penélope Cruz in a scene from the film Bunker.
This psychological thriller explores the emotional and psychological questions that arise between the billionaire, the architect and his wife, played by the Spanish actress. Its director, the French filmmaker Florian Zeller, stated to Deadline that “I wanted to tell the story of a marriage and I felt deeply drawn to working with a real couple. Immediately I was attracted by the idea of filming with Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz, two of the most talented actors today, who also form one of the most iconic couples.”
The couple returns to a festival that brings back good memories for them. In 2021, Penélope Cruz became the first Spanish actress to win the Coppa Volpi for her role in Madres Paralelas, by Pedro Almodóvar. And Javier Bardem has been named best actor at the Mostra twice: for Before Night Falls (Antes que anochezca) (2000) by Julian Schnabel, and for The Sea Inside (Mar adentro) (2004) by Alejandro Amenábar.
The Favorites at the Venice Film Festival 2026
There is no clear favorite among the twenty or so titles competing for the Golden Lion in Venice, which will open with Ink, by Danny Boyle. Among the most anticipated films are Company, Casey Affleck’s fourth feature as director, which opens the festival with a disturbing story starring Nick Nolte. There is also great anticipation to see Wild Horse Nine, a dark comedy by Martin McDonagh with a cast led by Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich, in the roles of two CIA agents on Easter Island.
Kate and Rooney Mara in the film Bucking Fastard.
The veteran German director Werner Herzog will premiere Bucking Fastard, the first joint project of Kate and Rooney Mara together with Orlando Bloom, and Nanni Moretti will compete at home with Sucederá esta noche, with Louis Garrel in the lead role and which features Spanish co-production. Another eagerly awaited return to the Venice cinemas is the Korean maestro Lee Chang-dong, who will premiere A Possible Love, inspired by the Krzysztof Kieślowski miniseries Decalogue.
