Turin, April 28 (LaPresse) – American director Alexander Payne (The Holdovers, Sideways, Nebraska, The Descendants) will chair the International Jury of the Competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival (August 27 – September 6, 2025), which will award the Golden Lion for Best Film and other official prizes. The decision was made by the Board of Directors of the Venice Biennale, which adopted the proposal of the Artistic Director of the Cinema Department, Alberto Barbera.
Upon accepting the proposal, Alexander Payne said: "It is a great honor and a joy to be part of the Venice jury. Though I admit the embarrassment of a director having to compare films against each other, I bow before the almost century-old history of the Venice Film Festival, which loudly celebrates cinema as an art. I couldn’t be more excited."
Alberto Barbera stated: "Alexander Payne belongs to that select group of cinephile filmmakers whose passion for cinema is fueled by knowledge of past films and curiosity for contemporary cinema, with no boundaries or barriers. These qualities—along with his experience as a filmmaker, director, and screenwriter—make him the ideal candidate to chair the Venice Jury, which will evaluate films from around the world. I am grateful to Alexander for accepting my invitation, which seals a relationship that dates back to his UCLA short film days."
The Venice 82 International Jury, which will be chaired by Alexander Payne, will consist of a maximum of 9 cinema and culture personalities from different countries.
© Copyright LaPresse
