Venice Film Festival 2025: Hollywood and Bollywood Meets Italy
- The Communiqué
- Jul 22
- 3 min read
Venice, July 22, 2025 – The countdown has officially begun. At exactly 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 22, Alberto Barbera, Director of the Venice International Film Festival, unveiled the much-anticipated lineup for the 82nd Venice Film Festival, scheduled to run from August 27 to September 6, 2025.
The festival, renowned as the oldest cinematic event in the world, promises ten days of cinematic magic, global star power, and unforgettable red-carpet moments on the Venetian Lido.
Paolo Sorrentino Opens With La Grazia
The curtain rises with Paolo Sorrentino’s new film La Grazia, starring his long-time collaborator Toni Servillo alongside Anna Ferzetti. This love story set in Turin is expected to deliver the director’s signature mix of emotional depth and striking visuals.
Opening celebrations will also honor cinema’s past, featuring a restored screening of Queen Kelly (1929) by Erich von Stroheim and Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s environmental documentary Origin, the Venetian Lagoon.
Hollywood Stars Set to Shine
The Venice Film Festival 2025 red carpet will welcome a parade of international A-listers. Highlights include:
Julia Roberts making her Venice debut in Luca Guadagnino’s After the Hunt, presented Out of Competition.
George Clooney, Greta Gerwig, Alba Rohrwacher, and Laura Dern starring in Noah Baumbach’s highly anticipated Jay Kelly.
Emma Stone, Jessie Plemons, and Alicia Silverstone reuniting with Yorgos Lanthimos for Bugonia.
Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, and Christoph Waltz in Guillermo del Toro’s gothic spectacle Frankenstein.
Cate Blanchett and Adam Driver leading Jim Jarmusch’s family saga Father, Mother, Sister, Brother.
Also confirmed: Emily Blunt (The Smashing Machine), Amanda Seyfried, Thomasin McKenzie, Rebecca Ferguson, Paul Dano, Jude Law, Gal Gadot, and even Al Pacino in multiple projects.
Italian Cinema at the Heart of the Festival
Italy takes center stage with strong contenders in Competition. Alongside La Grazia, audiences will see:
Elisa by Leonardo Di Costanzo
Duse by Pietro Marcello, a biopic on iconic actress Eleonora Duse starring Valeria Bruni Tedeschi
A Film Made for Good by Franco Maresco, exploring the life of Carmelo Bene
Under the Clouds by Gianfranco Rosi
This powerful Italian lineup underscores the festival’s mission to balance global storytelling with homegrown masterpieces.
Lifetime Achievements & Jury Spotlight
The Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement will honor two cinematic legends: actress Kim Novak and filmmaker Werner Herzog. Meanwhile, the prestigious Competition jury will be led by Alexander Payne, joined by Italy’s own Maura Delpero, making history as the first female director to win a David di Donatello.
A Global Stage of Cinema
From Sorrentino’s Italian elegance to Del Toro’s dark fantasy, from Roberts’ long-awaited Venice debut to Clooney’s timeless charisma, the Venice Film Festival 2025 stands as the year’s cinematic event to watch. With its unique blend of Hollywood glamour, Italian artistry, and global storytelling, the festival is set to once again prove why Venice remains the beating heart of world cinema.
Indian Films at the 82nd Venice Film Festival
1. Songs of Forgotten Trees by Anuparna Roy (Orizzonti Competition)
Anuparna Roy’s poignant Hindi-language drama Songs of Forgotten Trees has earned a place in the Orizzonti section — the festival’s segment celebrating bold, innovative storytelling. Inspired by Roy’s own upbringing in rural Bengal, the film follows two female migrants in Mumbai—an aspiring actress and her friend, a sex worker—navigating life under patriarchy. The Hollong tree, a symbol of forgotten connections, is woven into the film’s emotional core. Roy’s deeply personal storytelling has drawn praise for its honesty and regional authenticity.
2. Mother – Opening the Orizzonti Programme
Another highlight is Mother, a biographical feature about Mother Teresa, directed by Teona Strugar Mitevska. This film opens the Orizzonti section and is co-produced by Faridkot-born, Kolkata-based producer Prateek Bagi. Shot across iconic Kolkata locales—including Howrah Bridge, Kumartuli, and the Loreto Convent where Mother Teresa once taught—the narrative focuses on a critical seven-day period in 1948 when she left the Loreto Convent to start the Missionaries of Charity. Noomi Rapace, a Swedish actress, leads the cast.
3. Do Bigha Zamin – 4K Restoration in Venice Classics
A cherished milestone of Indian cinema, Bimal Roy's 1953 classic Do Bigha Zamin, has been lovingly restored in 4K and selected for the Venice Classics section. The restoration effort, by the Film Heritage Foundation, Criterion Collection, and Janus Films, brings renewed life to this emotionally gripping tale of a farmer battling industrialization, timed to coincide with Roy’s 116th birth anniversary.
4. Secret of a Mountain Serpent by Nidhi Saxena (Biennale College – Cinema)
Emerging Indian talent is also represented through Secret of a Mountain Serpent, directed by Nidhi Saxena. This India–Sri Lanka co-production is part of the Biennale College – Cinema initiative — supporting micro-budget, innovative films. It’s one of four feature films in this category, and offers viewers a glimpse of new voices shaping world cinema.
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