Why Oscar Contenders Are Skipping Venice for Other Festivals
The line-up for the 2026 Venice Film Festival has been revealed, but several highly anticipated films are absent, such as 'Digger' by Alejandro González Iñárritu, 'The Social Reckoning' from Aaron Sorkin, and David Fincher's 'The Adventures of Cliff Booth'. Instead, the festival will showcase titles like 'Wild Horse Nine' by Martin McDonagh, 'Bunker' from Florian Zeller, 'Bucking Fastard' by Werner Herzog, and 'Primetime' by Lance Oppenheim. Some films are still in development, while others are featured at competing festivals: 'Behemoth!' in New York, 'The Debut' and 'Being Heumann' in Toronto, and 'Elsinore', 'Tender Loving Care', and 'A Long Winter' are speculated for Telluride. The changing critical landscape in Venice has influenced its selections, yet smaller films like 'The Voice of Hind Rajab' continue to receive Oscar nominations.
Key facts
- 2026 Venice Film Festival line-up lacks major Oscar contenders like 'Digger', 'The Social Reckoning', and 'The Adventures of Cliff Booth'.
- Venice will screen 'Wild Horse Nine', 'Bunker', 'Bucking Fastard', and 'Primetime'.
- Some films are not ready; others premiere at New York, Toronto, or Telluride festivals.
- 'Digger' is avoiding festivals altogether.
- Venice's European critics are more critical, leading to negative reviews and awards season damage.
- Last year's Venice debuts like 'After the Hunt' and 'The Smashing Machine' were poorly received.
- Telluride's intimate setting helped 'Hamnet' gain Oscar traction.
- Toronto's People's Choice Award has been a best-picture bellwether.
- 'Sinners' and 'One Battle After Another' skipped festivals and succeeded.
- Venice's lighter line-up has boosted smaller films like 'The Voice of Hind Rajab'.
Entities
Artists
- Alejandro González Iñárritu
- Tom Cruise
- Aaron Sorkin
- David Fincher
- Brad Pitt
- Tom Ford
- Tony Gilroy
- Fernando Meirelles
- Denzel Washington
- Jesse Eisenberg
- Julianne Moore
- Simon Stone
- Andrew Scott
- Olivia Colman
- Andrew Haigh
- Kit Connor
- Siân Heder
- Joel Coen
- Josh O'Connor
- Mike Leigh
- Martin McDonagh
- John Malkovich
- Sam Rockwell
- Florian Zeller
- Penélope Cruz
- Javier Bardem
- Werner Herzog
- Kate Mara
- Rooney Mara
- Lance Oppenheim
- Robert Pattinson
- Luca Guadagnino
- Julia Roberts
- Benny Safdie
- Dwayne Johnson
- Noah Baumbach
- George Clooney
- Kathryn Bigelow
- Ryan Coogler
- Paul Thomas Anderson
- Lady Gaga
- Joaquin Phoenix
- Todd Phillips
- Cristian Mungiu
- Andrey Zvyagintsev
- Kaouther Ben Hania
Institutions
- Venice Film Festival
- New York Film Festival
- Toronto International Film Festival
- Telluride Film Festival
- Cannes Film Festival
- Warner Brothers
- Netflix
- Academy Awards
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- New York
- United States
- Toronto
- Canada
- Telluride
- Cannes
- France