Venice [Italy], July 23 (ANI): The director of the Venice Film Festival, Alberto Barbera, presided over a lengthy press conference on Thursday during which he announced the stacked lineup for this year's Venice Film Festival, which is scheduled to run from September 2 to 12. It includes Casey Affleck's directorial 'Company' which stars Nick Nolte in the lead role, reported Deadline.

Casey Affleck's directorial was previously described as a 'gothic horror' and stars Adelaide Clemens, Ben Mendelsohn, Scoot McNairy, Emily Alyn Lind and Caylee Cowan in the prominent roles apart from Nick Nolte.

According to the outlet, South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-Dong is set to return to feature filmmaking with 'Possible Love' his first film since Burning (2018), reported Deadline. Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Koreeda lands at Venice with 'Look Back', his second festival title of 2026. The filmmaker was also at Cannes in May with Sheep in the Box.

Martin McDonagh returns to Venice with 'Wild Horse Nine', his first feature since 'The Banshees of Inisherin', which won Best Screenplay and Actor at Venice in 2022 before landing 9 Oscar nominations in the following year. Veteran Italian filmmaker Nanni Moretti returns to Venice with a film for the first time since 1989. The feature is Succedera Questa Notte and stars Louis Garrel.

In the 'Out of Competition' category, Paul Schrader will screen a new project titled 'The Basics Of Philosophy' starring Jack Huston and Sofia Boutella. According to the outlet, 'the film is said to follow a repressed philosophy professor who has been grappling with lingering guilt over a decision from his past when the victim suddenly returns to his life.'

Venice regular Luca Guadagnino will be on the Lido this year but not with his Open AI feature Artificial. The Italian filmmaker will instead screen his long-gestating Bernardo Bertolucci documentary Joie De Vivre. The film runs seven hours long. Wim Wenders is also out of competition with a doc on the Swiss architect Peter Zumthor.

Earlier, the festival already announced that this year's opening title will be Danny Boyle's Rupert Murdoch biopic titled 'Ink'. The film, starring Jack O'Connell, Guy Pearce and Claire Foy, will screen on September 2 in the Sala Grande at the Palazzo del Cinema on the Lido.

Boyle directs the feature from a screenplay written by James Graham (Dear England), based on his Tony-nominated play Ink. O'Connell stars as The Sun newspaper editor Larry Lamb with Pearce as Rupert Murdoch. Claire Foy is Jules Davies.

The festival's closing title will be Dio ride, written and directed by Giovanni Veronesi (The King's Musketeers). The film will screen out of competition. Pierfrancesco Favino, Silvio Orlando, Alma Noce, Francesco Gheghi, Maurizio Lombardi, Paolo Rossi and Carlo Cecchi star in the film, reported Deadline.

Here is the full list of the participating films.

Competition

Ink -- Director: Danny BoyleCompany -- Director: Casey AffleckA Bit Of Light -- Director: Ali AsgariRitorno A Buenos Aires -- Director: Marco BechisUn Bon Petit Soldat -- Director: Stephane BrizeIl Fuoco Che Ti Porti Dentro -- Director: Edoardo De AngelisWoman Unknown -- Director: May el-ToukhyBucking Fastard -- Director: Werner HerzogA Place To Heal -- Director: Cedric KahnDau -- Director: Ilya KhrzhanovskyLook Back -- Director: Hirokazu Kore-edaPossible Love -- Director: Lee Chang-dongWild Horse Nine -- Director: Martin McDonaghSuccedera Questa Notte -- Director: Nanni MorettiPrimetime -- Director: Lance OppenheimThe Echo Chamber -- Director: Andrea PallaoroUn Peu Avant Minuit -- Director: Nicolas PariserL'Estranea -- Director: Paolo StrippoliMr. Nelson, Did You Kill People? -- Director: Shinya TsukamotoBunker -- Director: Florian Zeller

Orizzonti

La Ragazza Con La Leica -- Director: Alina MarazziThe Burning Giants -- Director: Phuttiphong AroonphengWhat Belongs To Others -- Director: Grzegorz DebowskiUna Storia -- Director: Anna FogliettaLa Citta Dei Vivi -- Director: Edoardo GabbrielliniMoragheb -- Director: Mohsen GharaeiToo Much Sugar -- Director: Robert GreeneThe Difficult Bride -- Director: Rubaiyat HossainLa Maison Du Vent -- Director: Auguste Bernard Kouemo YanghuI Figli Della Scimmia -- Director: Tommaso LanducciA Day In The Life Of Jo: Chapter Phaedra -- Director: Jacqueline LentzouOasis -- Director: Jannis LenzUntil The Day Ends -- Director: Jelena MaksimovicLa Moula -- Director: Jerome PierratLovers In The Blue Night -- Director: Anuparna RoyUn Detour Par Diane -- Directors: Ann Sirot, Raphal BalboniThe Color Of The Sun -- Director: Xavier TeraEklipse -- Director: Manuel WetscherBig Little Things -- Director: Michelle ZhouVenice Open -- Out Of Competition, FictionDio Ride -- Director: Giovanni VeronesiNessum Dolore -- Director: Gianni AmelioLet Us Through, Dear Ancestors -- Director: Lav DiazFather Joe -- Director: Barthelemy GrossmannScherzetto -- Director: Mario MartonePlace To Be -- Director: Kornel MundruczoNo Paradise If You Are Killed By A Woman -- Director: Halkawt MustafaArrested Memory -- Director: SabuThe Basics Of Philosophy -- Director: Paul SchraderUn Bon Avocat -- Director: Tristan SeguelaJupiter -- Director: Alexandre Smia

Venice Open -- Out Of Competition, Film on Films

Juso Per Ferie -- Director: Karen Di PortoNino -- Un Film Su Nino Rota -- Director: Walter FasanoThe Pervert's Guide To Utopias -- Director: Sophie FiennesJoie De Vivre -- Director: Luca GuadagninoTwist And Shoot Mister Suzuki -- Director: Yves MontmayeurIntermission -- Director: Yonfan

Venice Open -- Out Of Competition, Non-Fiction

Be Brave -- Director: Francesco CarrozziniWhat Love Builds -- Director: Russell CroweBurgundy -- Directors: Michael Dweck, Gregory KershawMusk -- Director: Alex GibneyThe Road To Jericho -- Director: Amos GitaiCitizen Osama -- Director: Ahmed HassounaUnion Town -- Director: Barbara KoppleHoly Wood Dust -- Director: Victor KossakovskyLetters From The Silenced Country -- Director: Andrei KutsilaBiografia De Jorge Luis Borges -- Director: Mariano LlinasMy Undesirable Friends: Part 1 -- Exile -- Director: Julia LoktevBoatbuilders -- Director: Luke LorentzenImperium -- Director: Sergei LoznitsaShumei -- The Living Legacy Of Kabuki -- Director: Takashi MiikeQueer Edward II -- Director: Theo RollasonOasis: Don't Look Back In Anger -- Directors: Dylan Southern, Will LovelaceDust -- Director: Tsai Ming-liangEverest: The Other Side -- Directors: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy ChinFrom Inside Out -- The Architecture Of Peter Zumthor -- Director: Wim Wenders

Venice Open -- Out Of Competition, Series

Peccato -- Director: Valerio Vestoso

Venice Open -- Out Of Competition, Short Films

Flesh Impact -- Director: Maggie GyllenhaalWild Asparagus -- Director: Avi MograbiThey're Here -- Directors: Laura Poitras, Rachel Mueller

Special Screening

Dai Nostri Inviati -- Directors: Giuseppe Giannotti, Enrico Salvatori, Nicoletta Berardi

Venice Spotlight

Sumo: Spirit Weighs Nothing -- Director: Erik ShiraiConversations With The Sea -- Director: Muayad AlayanHombre Al Agua -- Director: Gael Garcia BernalSerpenti -- Director: Roberto De Paolis MainoFuries -- Director: Rami KodeihGuria -- Director: Levan KoguashviliGround Floor -- Director: Gabor ReiszEu Contez -- Director: Alina SerbanCompetition

According to the outlet, George Clooney and Ellen Burstyn will be the recipients of the Venice Film Festival's Golden Lion for lifetime achievement this year. Maggie Gyllenhaal will serve as the competition jury president. She will be joined by Kaouther Ben Hania, Daniel Blumberg, Francesco Casetti, Xavier Giannoli, Shahrbanoo Sadat, and Johnnie To. (ANI)