Politics, Oscar Buzz, Stormy Weather

Finally, Venice Film Festival attendees can rest their hands. That’s after days of clapping and hollering at premieres, resulting in standing ovations that lasted into the double digits.

But lengthy rounds of applause don’t necessarily translate to gold statues. After warm receptions in Italy, which films on the 2025 lineup will find their way into the awards race? Venice has more and more been able to position itself as a major launchpad for the Oscars — and this year’s slate offered such hopefuls as Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone’s latest collaboration “Bugonia” (six-minute ovation), Bennie Safdie’s wrestling drama “The Smashing Machine,” starring Dwayne Johnson (15-minute ovation) and director Mona Fastvold’s musical epic “The Testament of Ann Lee” with Amanda Seyfried as a singing and dancing Shaker (15-minute ovation).

Movies weren’t the only subject of chatter on the Lido. Politics often took center stage, with a sprawling protest against the war in Gaza as well as several films that tackle hot-button issues like post-Soviet Russia (the Olivier Assayas drama “The Wizard of the Kremlin,” starring Jude Law as Vladimir Putin) and nuclear armageddon (Kathryn Bigelow’s political thriller “A House of Dynamite”) each feeling more topical by the hour.

As Venice wraps up and festival-goers take the final sips of their spritzes, here are five takeaways from the floating city. 

Politics take center stage on the Lido

While Venice has largely been one of the most apolitical of major global film events, that was not the case in 2025. This year all eyes were on the ongoing war in Gaza, which dominated proceedings in and out of the premieres and press conferences. “The Voice of Hind Rajab” — Kaouther Ben Hania’s devastating docudrama about the efforts to save a 5-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed by the IDF — provoked tears and a festival-best 22-minute standing ovation as Palestinian flags were waved and chants of “Free Palestine” erupted around the room. Days earlier, thousands gathered for a Gaza rally across the Lido while numerous filmmakers wore Palestine pins on the red carpet.

But it wasn’t only the topic of political discussion; other competition films such as “The Wizard of the Kremlin” and “House of Dynamite” tapped into the geopolitical sensitivities. Naturally, most filmmakers came to Venice with prepared political statements — even if they had no connection to the subject matters. But not for jury head Alexander Payne, who when asked about his viewpoint on the war in Gaza said he was “unprepared for that question.”

U.S. talent on display

Hollywood stars dominated the chatter on the Lido, bolstered by Netflix which was out in force with three movies in competition: Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein” starring Jacob Elordi and Oscar Isaac; “A House of Dynamite” with Idris Elba and Rebecca Ferguson, and Noah Baumbach’s dramedy “Jay Kelly” featuring George Clooney (who braved a sinus infection to show up at the premiere), Adam Sandler and Laura Dern. “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” which doesn’t have U.S. distribution, was one of the most talked-about films, while Paolo Sorrentino’s Italian drama “La Grazia” opened the festival on a warm note. However, as Cannes and Venice have emerged in recent years as the go-to festivals for movies courting awards recognition, Oscar hopefuls like “Bugonia,” “The Smashing Machine” and director Luca Guadagnino’s “After the Hunt,” which boast actors like Emma Stone, Dwayne Johnson and Julia Roberts, managed to dominate the headlines. That’s star power at its finest.

Oscar launching pad?

It’s always a gamble to launch a film at a festival like Venice. Of course, the dream is that audiences embrace the movie with 10 minutes of cheers and applause. But there’s always a possibility of critical rejection, which can squander buzz and goodwill before awards voters and general audiences can get in on the action. (“Joker: Folie a Deux,” anyone?) None of this year’s premieres were roundly rejected on the scale of “Joker 2,” but nothing garnered unanimous praise, either. Inevitably, though, several of these titles will find themselves in the awards race. Get ready to talk about Dwayne Johnson’s shocking transformation into wrestler Mark Kerr in “The Smashing Machine” and Jesse Plemons’ gonzo turn as a conspiracy theorist with a vengeance in “Bugonia” a lot over the next few months.

Venice chief Alberto Barbera staying put

Prior to Venice, rumors began to swirl about who might replace artistic director Alberto Barbera, whose current mandate expires after the 2026 edition. Barbera, 75, is the festival’s longest serving artistic director, having been at the helm since the 2012 edition. Yet when Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, a respected right-wing journalist who heads the Venice Biennale (which oversees the film festival) was appointed president in 2023, there were widespread fears in that he would feel compelled to replace Barbera with someone politically closer to Italy’s current right-wing government. However, Pietrangelo has since quashed the chatter that’s been swirling in the Italian press, saying “when they excel, they stay on.” That seems to indicate that Barbera will remain as the lord of the Lido for years to come. 

Apocalyptic weather… and then a respite

Our thoughts are with the the brave souls who endured a biblical thunderstorm after the premiere of “Jay Kelly.” Although there were a few apocalyptic downpours early in the festival, attendees this year were treated to cooler temps that rarely tipped over 80 degrees. That meant ladies could smile and wave with their makeup intact and gentlemen were comfortable in their suit jackets. It was a huge relief after last year’s brutal heatwave, which left A-list stars dripping in sweat and dreading the red carpet. (Seriously, who let Angelina Jolie wear fur to the “Maria” premiere…) For whatever reason, the weather gods were certainly smiling on Venice this year.