Venice chief Alberto Barbera under fire for male-heavy lineup
Venice chief Alberto Barbera is facing sharp criticism after the Venice Film Festival competition lineup included only one film directed by a woman among 20 titles. Italian film organizations called the Italian selection “one-dimensional” and entirely male, while Barbera defended the choices as quality-driven.
Key Takeaways
- Only one woman-directed film is in Venice’s 20-title competition: May El-Toukhy’s “Woman Unknown.”
- Italian groups including Women in Film Television and Media Italia denounced an “entirely male” Italian selection.
- That share is a steep drop from about 29% (6 of 21) female-directed competition films last year.
- Barbera said fewer women-directed fiction films were submitted and argued quality—not gender—guides selection.
- The festival runs Sept. 2–12, with women chairing this year’s main juries.
Why is Venice chief Alberto Barbera under fire?
According to Variety, Barbera’s competition slate has drawn fire from several Italian film organizations for a sharp drop in female directors. Critics noted that seven male directors represent Italian cinema in competition and out of competition on the festival’s main stage.
In an appeal published Monday in La Repubblica and on social media, the groups said quality is not a “neutral, objective category.” They argued each selection reflects a gaze, culture, and editorial line—and that a heavily unbalanced outcome should not mean women directors “are not good enough.”
Signatories include Women in Film Television and Media Italia, ANAC and 100autori (behind Venice Days), directors’ guild Air3, the European Women’s Audiovisual network, and Doc/it. For more industry alerts, see our Streaming & TV Alerts hub.
How unbalanced is this year’s Venice competition?
Just one competition title is directed by a woman: Danish-Egyptian filmmaker May El-Toukhy’s drama “Woman Unknown,” competing for the Golden Lion. Last year, roughly 29% of competition films (6 of 21) were female-directed—making this year’s share a steep drop.
Other sections look different. Venice Horizons features eight of 19 films directed by women (about 42%). The independently run Venice Days sidebar, curated by Gaia Furrer, has 14 women-directed films out of 25 in its main selection, opening with Lili Horvát’s “My Notes on Mars.” Critics’ Week includes two female directors among seven competition features.
What has Alberto Barbera said in response?
Barbera told Variety he rejects bias claims, noting that since 2000 Venice has awarded top prizes to more female directors than Cannes, Berlin, or other festivals. Over the past five years, Golden Lions went to Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”), Audrey Diwan (“Happening”), and Laura Poitras (“All the Beauty and the Bloodshed”). Last year, Maura Delpero won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize for “Vermiglio.”
He also stressed that the three presidents of this year’s main juries are women: Maggie Gyllenhaal (competition), Valérie Donzelli (Horizons), and Carolina Cavalli (Luigi De Laurentiis debut award).
Barbera said the team hoped to find more female-directed films for competition but received fewer submissions: women-directed fiction films were 24% of submissions this year, versus 30% last year. He added those submitted were judged lower quality—a “great disappointment”—and said Venice opposes selecting films based on gender because it would be “humiliating” if women were thought chosen for that reason alone. If a woman-directed film was wrongly left out, he said, audiences can judge after seeing the lineup.
Will the debate shape the festival?
Variety expects Barbera’s male-dominated competition selection to be a major talking point when Venice runs Sept. 2–12. The fight over how festivals define “quality” is already framing the run-up to the Lido.