The 82nd Venice International Film Festival, organized by La Biennale di Venezia, will take place from August 27 to September 6, 2025. This prestigious event will see acclaimed American director Alexander Payne presiding over the International Jury that will award the Golden Lion for Best Film and other official prizes.
Famed for masterpieces such as The Holdovers, Sideways, Nebraska, and The Descendants, Alexander Payne is known for his sharp humor, elegant storytelling, and profound character portrayals. The decision to appoint him was made by the Board of Directors of La Biennale, following the proposal of Alberto Barbera, Artistic Director of the Cinema Department.
Upon accepting the role, Payne shared his excitement: “It’s a tremendous honor and joy to serve on the Venice jury. Although it’s daunting for a director to compare films against each other, I deeply respect the almost century-long tradition of the Venice Film Festival, which loudly celebrates cinema as an art form. I couldn’t be more thrilled.”
Alberto Barbera praised Payne’s appointment, noting: “Alexander Payne belongs to the rare group of filmmaker-cinephiles, whose passion for cinema is fueled by extensive knowledge of film history and curiosity for contemporary works, without boundaries. His experience as a director and screenwriter makes him the perfect candidate to lead the Venice Jury in evaluating films from across the globe.”
The International Jury, chaired by Payne and consisting of up to nine cinema and culture personalities from different countries, will be responsible for awarding the following prestigious prizes:
- Golden Lion for Best Film
- Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize
- Silver Lion – Award for Best Director
- Volpi Cup for Best Actress
- Volpi Cup for Best Actor
- Award for Best Screenplay
- Special Jury Prize
- Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor or Actress
The awards ceremony will take place on the closing night, September 6, 2025.
About Alexander Payne
Raised in Omaha, Nebraska, Alexander Payne studied History and Spanish Literature at Stanford before earning a Master’s degree in Film Directing from UCLA. His films, predominantly comedies, have earned a total of 24 Oscar nominations, including four for Best Picture and three for Best Director. Payne has won two Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay for Sideways (2004) and The Descendants (2011). His latest film, The Holdovers (2023), earned the Best Supporting Actress award.
A lifelong cinema enthusiast and advocate for film preservation, Payne serves on the board of the Film Foundation and the Telluride Film Festival. He is currently preparing a new movie to be shot in the rural areas of Denmark, with a dream of eventually directing a Western.
