Maggie Gyllenhaal will be heading up the jury judging films in competition at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, which takes place Sept. 2 – 12, 2026. As president of the jury, Gyllenhaal will lead the group that awards the Golden Lion for best film, two Silver Lions, two Volpi Cups for actors and more honors. The Board of Directors of La Biennale di Venezia confirmed the recommendation of festival director Alberto Barbera on Thursday.
“I am thrilled to accept the invitation to lead this year’s Venice Film Festival jury,” Gyllenhaal said via statement. “Venice has always supported truthful, singular voices and I am honored to play a part in continuing that brave and necessary tradition. I will not be standing in judgement, but in curiosity, admiration and excitement.”
Barbera added: “Maggie Gyllenhaal embodies an artistic path of uncommon consistency, constructed over time with intelligence and courage. An actress who is able to portray disturbing and multifaceted characters, she also reinvented herself as an author with “The Lost Daughter,” which won the Best Screenplay award here in Venice in 2021. Her perspective on cinema – both intellectual and visceral – has found further confirmation in the recent film “The Bride!” (2026), which consolidates her stature as an original filmmaker. Having her as the president of our jury means being able to rely on an authoritative and independent voice, animated by that authentic passion for arthouse cinema which has always represented the heart of the Festival.”
An actor, writer, director and producer, Gyllenhaal has been an active member of the film and television world since her breakout in the 2002 indie, “Secretary.” She earned her first Oscar nomination in 2010, for her supporting turn opposite Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart.” In 2021, she made her directorial debut with her adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s “The Lost Daughter,” for which she received the Venice fest’s award for best screenplay and an Oscar nomination for best adapted screenplay. “The Bride,” a drama set within Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” world that Gyllenhaal wrote, produced and directed, was released earlier this year.
In addition to her films, Gyllenhaal has worked in high-profile television projects, including “The Honorable Woman” and “The Deuce,” and appeared on the New York stage in “Homebody/Kabul,” “Uncle Vanya,” “The Three Sisters” and “The Real Thing.”
On Sept. 12, the final night of the Venice festival, the jury will award the Golden Lion for Best Film, the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize, the Silver Lion Award for Best Director, the Coppa Volpi for Best Actress, the Coppa Volpi for Best Actor, the Special Jury Prize, the Award for Best Screenplay and the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress.
Last year, Alexander Payne was president of the jury that awarded the Golden Lion to Jim Jarmusch’s “Father Mother Sister Brother.“
