Maggie Gyllenhaal will serve as head of the jury at the upcoming Venice Film Festival.
The Oscar-nominated actor, director, producer and screenwriter last appeared in Venice in 2021 with her directorial debut The Lost Daughter, an adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s novel of the same name starring Jesse Buckley, Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson and Peter Sarsgaard, which won the festival’s Best Original Screenplay award.
Gyllenhaal recently directed “The Bride!,” a feminist take on the “Frankenstein” myth starring Buckley, Christian Bale, Penelope Cruz, Sarsgaard, Annette Bening and Jake Gyllenhaal, which was recently released in the United States.
Gyllenhaal becomes the third woman to head the Lido jury in the past five years, following Isabelle Huppert (2024), Julianne Moore (2022) and Cate Blanchett (2020).
Director Gyllenhaal said in a statement: “I am very pleased to accept the invitation to chair this year’s Venice International Film Festival jury.” “Venice has always championed true and unique voices, and I am honored to play a part in continuing that brave and necessary tradition. I will not take a position of criticism, but one of curiosity, admiration and excitement.”
Venice Mayor Alberto Barbera said: “Maggie Gyllenhaal embodies an exceptionally consistent artistic path, forged over time with intelligence and courage. An actress capable of playing disturbing and multifaceted characters, she also reinvents herself as a director with The Lost Daughter.”
“Her perspective on film is both intellectual and visceral, further evidenced by her recent film The Bride!, which cemented her status as a seminal filmmaker. Having her as jury president means we can rely on an authoritative, independent voice driven by a true passion for arthouse cinema, which has always represented the heart of the festival.”
Gyllenhaal’s illustrious acting career saw her breakout role in Steven Sheinberg’s “The Secretary” opposite James Spader in 2002, for which she won a National Board of Review Award and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and an Independent Spirit Award. She then received her second Golden Globe nomination for her role in Laurie Collier’s Sherrybaby. In 2009, she was nominated for an Oscar for her role opposite Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart.”
Gyllenhaal’s other notable film credits include Donnie Darko, Mona Lisa Smile, Stranger Than Fiction, The Dark Knight, Nanny McPhee Returns, Frank, and The Kindergarten Teacher.
The 84th edition of Venice will be held from September 2nd to 12th, and the festival lineup will be announced on July 23rd.
