The American actress and filmmaker will serve as President of the International Jury, which will award the Golden Lions at the 2026 Venice Film Festival, taking place from September 2 to 12.
Maggie Gyllenhaal, known for challenging and unconventional roles, becomes President of the Jury at the 83rd Venice Film Festival, a choice that signals the Festival’s desire for a contemporary, questioning gaze. From her early independent films to standout performances in Secretary, Sherrybaby and even The Dark Knight, she has built a career by exploring human contradictions rather than surface polish. In recent years she has moved behind the camera: her acclaimed directorial debut The Lost Daughter premiered in Venice, followed by The Bride!, confirming her focus on complex, disobedient female figures. Artistic director Alberto Barbera praises her rare coherence and courage.
Gyllenhaal embraces the role with openness, seeing Venice as a home for authentic voices. Her presidency arrives at a moment when cinema is rethinking its forms and urgencies, and her presence embodies that tension: under her guidance, Venice 83 does not just celebrate cinema, it questions it.
