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Maggie Gyllenhaal Calls Out Gender Gap as Venice Film Festival Opens
Maggie Gyllenhaal, now the president of the main‑competition jury, launched the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on 2 September with a pointed critique of the sparse representation of female directors in the Golden Lion lineup. The festival, which will run until 12 September on the island of the Lido, is showcasing 21 feature‑length titles in competition.
Only two of those 21 films were helmed by women. The original lone female‑directed entry, Danish‑Egyptian filmmaker May El‑Toukhy’s Woman Unknown, was joined later by NAZA, co‑directed by Israeli Oscar‑winner Rachel Szor, bringing the total to two.
Gyllenhaal described the imbalance as a “systemic problem” and pointed out that women “have a harder time getting their films financed.” She asked whether stories that reflect women’s experiences are always judged as high art and questioned who decides what is valuable. The actress‑filmmaker, who debuted with The Lost Daughter in 2021, added that she had never seen a woman working behind the camera while growing up.
Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera defended the selection process, insisting it was carried out “without prejudice.” He noted that 24 % of the 2026 submissions came from women, down from 30 % the previous year. Barbera’s July comment that the quality of women’s submissions had not been enough to secure more competition slots drew criticism from Italian film groups, including Women in Film Television and Media Italia.
Acknowledging the disparity, Gyllenhaal emphasized the significance of her own appointment as jury president. She said, “I am walking in with a question as to why there’s so few women in the main competition as filmmakers this year,” and added that being chosen to lead the jury after directing two films was an important moment.
During the press conference she also addressed the relationship between cinema and politics. Gyllenhaal declared that films that honestly reflect people’s lives are “fundamentally, unavoidably political,” and that no subject or filmmaker should be excluded from being heard.
The 83rd edition of the festival, organized by La Biennale di Venezia, is the world’s oldest film festival and one of the “Big Five” international festivals. It has become a key launchpad for films that later compete for Academy Awards. The competition slate includes 20 titles, with Woman Unknown premiering on 6 September. NAZA was added to the lineup after the opening ceremony.
The festival’s official statement reiterated that the selection committee evaluates all submissions on artistic merit, and that the number of female‑directed films in competition is a reflection of the overall pool of entries.
As the festival continues, industry observers will watch whether the gender disparity in the competition changes in future editions and whether the discussions sparked by Gyllenhaal’s remarks influence selection practices. The festival’s closing ceremony is scheduled for 12 September, after which the winners of the Golden Lion and other awards will be announced.
Only two of those 21 films were helmed by women. The original lone female‑directed entry, Danish‑Egyptian filmmaker May El‑Toukhy’s Woman Unknown, was joined later by NAZA, co‑directed by Israeli Oscar‑winner Rachel Szor, bringing the total to two.
Gyllenhaal described the imbalance as a “systemic problem” and pointed out that women “have a harder time getting their films financed.” She asked whether stories that reflect women’s experiences are always judged as high art and questioned who decides what is valuable. The actress‑filmmaker, who debuted with The Lost Daughter in 2021, added that she had never seen a woman working behind the camera while growing up.
Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera defended the selection process, insisting it was carried out “without prejudice.” He noted that 24 % of the 2026 submissions came from women, down from 30 % the previous year. Barbera’s July comment that the quality of women’s submissions had not been enough to secure more competition slots drew criticism from Italian film groups, including Women in Film Television and Media Italia.
Acknowledging the disparity, Gyllenhaal emphasized the significance of her own appointment as jury president. She said, “I am walking in with a question as to why there’s so few women in the main competition as filmmakers this year,” and added that being chosen to lead the jury after directing two films was an important moment.
During the press conference she also addressed the relationship between cinema and politics. Gyllenhaal declared that films that honestly reflect people’s lives are “fundamentally, unavoidably political,” and that no subject or filmmaker should be excluded from being heard.
The 83rd edition of the festival, organized by La Biennale di Venezia, is the world’s oldest film festival and one of the “Big Five” international festivals. It has become a key launchpad for films that later compete for Academy Awards. The competition slate includes 20 titles, with Woman Unknown premiering on 6 September. NAZA was added to the lineup after the opening ceremony.
The festival’s official statement reiterated that the selection committee evaluates all submissions on artistic merit, and that the number of female‑directed films in competition is a reflection of the overall pool of entries.
As the festival continues, industry observers will watch whether the gender disparity in the competition changes in future editions and whether the discussions sparked by Gyllenhaal’s remarks influence selection practices. The festival’s closing ceremony is scheduled for 12 September, after which the winners of the Golden Lion and other awards will be announced.
