The 82nd Venice Film Festival set the Lido abuzz as it officially kicked off on August 27, 2025, drawing a constellation of Hollywood stars, celebrated auteurs, and impassioned activists to Italy’s storied shores. Over the next ten days, the world’s eyes will be on Venice, as filmmakers, actors, and cinephiles gather for a festival that blends cinematic artistry, red carpet glamour, and urgent real-world conversations.
Opening night belonged to Paolo Sorrentino’s much-anticipated "La Grazia," which had its world premiere as the festival’s curtain-raiser. The film, starring Sorrentino’s frequent collaborator Toni Servillo, plunges viewers into the moral quandaries of a fictional Italian president. Servillo’s character, paralyzed by indecision near the end of his term, faces the harrowing task of signing a bill permitting euthanasia while mourning his late wife—a story inspired by a real-life Italian president who pardoned a man who had killed his wife suffering from Alzheimer’s. “This was a moral dilemma that was interesting to tell,” Sorrentino shared, as quoted by the Associated Press. “I have thought for years that moral dilemmas are very interesting for storytelling.”
This year’s festival is not just about the films on screen. The opening ceremony was marked by cinematic royalty: Francis Ford Coppola took the stage to present the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement to legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog, a moment that had the audience on its feet. As director Alexander Payne, president of this year’s international jury, put it, “I’m in heaven.” He recounted sitting next to Coppola for a restoration of a 1920s silent film and feeling the magic of the moment.
But Venice is as much about spectacle as it is about substance. The Lido was a parade of stars, with George and Amal Clooney making a splashy arrival by water taxi before the first red carpet was even unfurled. Clooney, who stars in Noah Baumbach’s "Jay Kelly," was joined by co-stars Adam Sandler and Laura Dern, as well as a host of other A-listers. Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Jacob Elordi, and Oscar Isaac were all spotted making their way to the festival, ensuring that the glamour quotient remained sky-high.
Red carpet arrivals on opening night were a fashion show in their own right. Heidi Klum and her daughter Leni, Fernanda Torres, Tilda Swinton, Paola Turani, Julia Ducournau, Cate Blanchett, Rose Villain, and others stopped photographers in their tracks as they made their way into the gala premiere of "La Grazia." The festival’s opening night was a whirlwind of flashbulbs, with images capturing the likes of Lena Herzog, Francis Ford Coppola, and Werner Herzog together on the red carpet, and director Paolo Sorrentino flanked by stars Toni Servillo and Anna Ferzetti.
Yet, beneath the glitz, the world’s troubles were never far from mind. Just steps from the festival’s main headquarters, anti-war protesters gathered to draw attention to the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Martina Vergnano, an activist with the Social Centers of the Northeast, stood alongside demonstrators waving Palestinian flags and holding a banner that read: “Free Palestine, Stop the Genocide,” as reported by the Associated Press. Hundreds of associations, social centers, and festival participants had signed a petition to join a larger march planned for August 30. The festival’s director, Alberto Barbera, acknowledged the charged atmosphere but maintained that the festival does not boycott artists or make political statements, even as calls circulated to disinvite certain actors based on their political views.
Paolo Sorrentino himself did not shy away from the issue. When asked about the Gaza conflict, he referred to the situation as a "genocide," lending his voice to an increasingly vocal chorus within the film community. However, when questions turned to Mubi, the distributor of his film, and its connections to Israeli military funding, Sorrentino redirected the discussion to a Mubi representative, who declined to comment, and the moderator steered the conversation back to the movie. Jury president Alexander Payne was also pressed about Hollywood’s responsibility to address the conflict, but demurred: “I feel a little bit unprepared for that question. I’m here to judge and talk about cinema.”
While politics and protest swirled outside, inside the festival, the competition for the coveted Golden Lion prize was heating up. Alongside "La Grazia," twenty other films are vying for the festival’s top honor. Notable entries include Guillermo del Toro’s "Frankenstein," Kathryn Bigelow’s "A House of Dynamite," Yorgos Lanthimos’s "Bugonia" (with Emma Stone returning after last year’s triumph in "Poor Things"), Benny Safdie’s "The Smashing Machine," and Kaouther Ben Hania’s "The Voice of Hind Rajab." The selection, as Barbera told the Associated Press, is both bold and unexpected: “It’s a different Sorrentino from what we are used to. Far less baroque and formalistic than the previous films he made. It’s a very unexpected story.”
The international jury, a diverse group of cinematic heavyweights, will decide the fate of the main competition entries. In addition to Alexander Payne, the panel includes director-screenwriter Stéphane Brizé, Italian director Maura Delpero, Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu, Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof, Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres, and Chinese actress Zhao Tao. Their task is formidable, with films from established masters and rising talents alike.
Venice has long been a launchpad for films that go on to claim Oscar glory. Sorrentino himself is no stranger to the festival’s accolades, having made his debut here 24 years ago with "One Man Up" and winning the Silver Lion in 2021 for "The Hand of God," which later earned an Oscar nomination. As the festival unfolds, industry watchers will be keeping a close eye on which films capture the imagination of both the jury and the global audience.
Even as the festival’s grand tradition plays out, the mood is one of anticipation and reflection. With its mix of artistry, activism, and star power, the 82nd Venice Film Festival is shaping up to be an event that not only celebrates cinema but also grapples with the pressing questions of our time. The festival runs through September 6, 2025, when the winners will be announced and the Lido will, for a moment, return to its usual quiet—until next year’s curtain rises again.
