Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania has been selected as one of the jurors for the upcoming Venice Film Festival joining a panel of seven international figures tasked with selecting this year’s winners.
Ben Hania, who recently received critical acclaim for The Voice of Hind Rajab, will serve alongside jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal, the US actor and filmmaker whose directorial debut earned multiple Academy Award nominations and a Venice screenplay award.
Ben Hania’s latest film previously earned the Silver Lion at Venice and received a 22-minute standing ovation at its premiere marking one of the festival’s most talked-about screenings. The filmmaker is also an Oscar nominee having been shortlisted for Best International Feature Film for The Voice of Hind Rajab and previously for The Man Who Sold His Skin.
The jury lineup also includes Afghan filmmaker Shahrbanoo Sadat, known for her Berlinale project No Good Men along with British composer Daniel Blumberg, Italian scholar Francesco Casetti, French filmmaker Xavier Giannoli and Taiwanese director Johnnie To.
Together, the jury will decide awards including the Golden Lion for Best Film, Silver Lion categories for directing and jury prize acting awards, screenplay honours and the Marcello Mastroianni Award for emerging talent.
The 83rd Venice Film Festival is scheduled to take place from September 2 to 12, 2026.
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Kaouther Ben Hania Venice jury, Venice Film Festival 2026 jury, The Voice of Hind Rajab filmmaker, Maggie Gyllenhaal Venice jury president, Shahrbanoo Sadat Venice festival, Venice Film Festival awards 2026
