Cinema in Misty Canals: The Golden Lion's Journey at Venice Film Festival

By Birgül Tombul

This year's 82nd Venice Film Festival is organized by the Venice Biennale and directed by Alberto Barbera. The festival will take place from August 27 to September 6, 2025, at the Venice Lido. The festival is officially recognized and supported by FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Associations).

The festival's purpose is to promote and raise awareness of all forms of international cinema as art, entertainment, and industry in a spirit of freedom and dialogue. A section is specifically dedicated to developing restoration work of classic films to ensure better understanding of cinema history.

We at Cineshort have compiled a special selection of Venice Film Festival 2025's notable productions, star names, and themes that illuminate the industry's future for you.

The Dazzling Story of Venice Film Festival

Considered the world's first film festival, the Venice Film Festival began in 1932 as "Esposizione d'Arte Cinematografica" within Italy's Biennale, and continues to be the most prestigious gateway to the cinema world. The festival received such interest in those days that within just three years it became an annual tradition.

In 1937, the iconic Palazzo del Cinema at the Lido was completed, becoming the heart of the festival. This structure, bringing together Western stars, carried Venice to the world cinema stage. However, the festival was canceled during World War II years, but resumed in 1946 and made an unforgettable restart in 1947 by hosting thousands of filmmakers.

The Golden Lion (Leone d'Oro) award was officially introduced in 1949 and became Venice's most respected symbol. The award took its current name "Golden Lion" in 1954. The festival suspended awards from 1969-79 due to political protests and had to change its competition format. After this period, the festival regained its former glory on the modern cinema scene.

Today, the Venice Film Festival has become not just a film screening, but a thought platform with revolutionary filmmakers who shape awards through its atmosphere and historical texture, and with its artistic diversity. Even in the streaming age, the festival maintains its value as a critical stop on Oscar journeys.

Golden Lion: Cinema's Noble Symbol

One of the first things that comes to mind when mentioning Venice Film Festival is undoubtedly the Golden Lion (Leone d'Oro) award. This award is not just an indicator of success, but a cultural heritage symbol where works that will leave deep marks in cinema history are crowned.

Why "Lion"?

The Golden Lion takes its name from the winged lion, symbol of Saint Mark, Venice's patron saint. This figure symbolizes both Venice's historical identity and the festival's deep-rooted past. This golden lion statuette is considered the most prestigious award given to winning directors.

History of the Award

The Golden Lion award was officially introduced in 1949. However, the festival's first awards were given in the 1930s and changed names many times over the years, being given in various categories. It was formalized with its current name and form in 1954: Leone d'Oro per il miglior film (Golden Lion for Best Film).

Who Has Reached This Lion?

The Golden Lion has rewarded cinema's biggest names over time:

• Akira Kurosawa -- Rashomon (1951)
• Andrei Tarkovsky -- Ivan's Childhood (1962)
• Ang Lee -- Brokeback Mountain (2005)
• Sofia Coppola -- Somewhere (2010)
• Todd Phillips -- Joker (2019)
• Laura Poitras -- All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (2022)

These examples show that the Golden Lion has not only a European-centered but a global cinema vision. The festival has been particularly notable in recent years for its support of independent productions, female directors, and experimental cinema.

Cultural and Industrial Impact

The Golden Lion highlights not only artistic achievement, but also films that create political, social, and emotional impact in the cinema world. Being one of the biggest prediction platforms before the Oscars also solidifies this award's importance. The award means commercial value for distributors, prestige for directors, and discovery for cinema lovers.

The Golden Lion is not just an award; it's a cinema manifesto. It's the golden gate to the world for films full of bold, innovative, and impactful narratives.

Venice Film Festival Short Film Category Nominees: Sparkles from Orizzonti Short Film Competition

The 82nd Venice Film Festival of 2025 (August 27-September 6) will take place under Alberto Barbera's direction at the Lido. The festival's "Orizzonti" (Horizons) section focuses on innovative cinema understanding, while the short film category Orizzonti Corti will present 14 short films to the jury.

Short Films Reaching the Finals (Orizzonti Corti)

• Norheimsund - A Cuba/USA co-production short film directed by Ana Alpizar, 12 minutes.
• Merrimundi - A wonderful animated short film directed by Niles Atallah, a Chilean production. The film is 21 minutes.
• La Ligne de Vie (The Lifeline) - A short film directed by Hugo Becker, a French production. The film's duration is 20 minutes.
• Je crois entendre encore (I Hear It Still) - A short film directed by Constance Bonnot, a French production. The film's duration is 16 minutes.
• Kushta Mayn, My Constantinople - An Italian production short film directed by Nicolò Folin. The film's duration is 19 minutes.
• Praying Mantis - A wonderful short animated film co-directed by Joe Hsieh and Yonfan, a Taiwan/Hong Kong co-production. The animation is 18 minutes.
• You Jian Chui Yan (A Soil a Culture a River a People) - A short film directed by Viv Li, a Germany/Belgium/China co-production. The short film's duration is 15 minutes.
• El Origen del Mundo (The Origin of the World) - A short film directed by Jazmin Lopez, an Argentine production. The film's duration is 12 minutes.
• The Curfew - A short film directed by Shehrezad Maher, a US production. The short film's duration is 19 minutes.
• Lion Rock - A short film directed by Nick Mayow and Prisca Bouchet, a New Zealand production. The film's duration is 16 minutes.
• Saint Simeon - A wonderful short film directed by Olubunmi Ogunsola, a Nigerian production. The film's duration is 18 minutes.
• Utan Kelly (Without Kelly) - A short film directed by Lovisa Sirén, a Swedish production. The short film's duration is 15 minutes.
• Coyotes - A wonderful short film directed by Said Zagha, a Palestine/France/Jordan/UK co-production. The film's duration is 20 minutes.
• Nedostupni (Unavailable) - A beautiful short film directed by Kyrylo Zemlyanyi, a Ukraine/France/Belgium/Bulgaria/Netherlands co-production. The film's duration is 20 minutes.

Out of Competition Short Film

• Rukeli - A wonderful short animated film directed by Alessandro Rak, an Italy/Sweden production. The animated film's duration is 5 minutes.

These short films offer cultural diversity and cinematic innovation to audiences on a global scale while addressing the jury with narratives and experiences from their own languages. This diversity strongly reveals the festival's young and rejuvenating structure.

Let's see who will win the Venice Film Festival Short Category, which is already clearly going to be quite competitive. Whichever short film wins the Golden Lion, it will certainly be a well-deserved award winner. I wish success to all nominees in advance.

Festivals' Contribution to the Cinema Industry: The Impact Rising from Venice

Film festivals are not just places where red carpets, stars, and applause meet. They are platforms where the heart of the global cinema ecosystem beats, where stories open to the world, where careers begin, and where cinema changes direction. At this point, Venice Film Festival stands a step ahead of others.

Discovery of New Talents

Festivals are areas where independent directors, young filmmakers, or creative voices outside the mainstream are discovered. Venice Film Festival shapes cinema's future by bringing alternative, experimental, and short film directors to the stage through side sections like "Orizzonti." Many short films and directors emerging from the Orizzonti category later signed feature-length projects and gained international recognition.

Intercultural Dialogue

Festivals like Venice bring together films from different countries and cultures under the same roof. This creates not only artistic, but also political and social interaction space. While the festival addresses universal themes on one hand, it enables local stories to emerge on the global stage on the other. Over the years, Venice has highlighted directors from different geographies from Iran to Palestine, from Taiwan to Argentina.

Encouraging Artistic Courage

While mainstream cinema generally minimizes commercial risks, festivals make room for bold, innovative, and boundary-pushing films. Venice reminds us each time that cinema is an art form by rewarding political narratives or experimental productions that might create controversy. Films like "Joker" first premiered in Venice and then reached major awards like the Oscars – this shows how the festival makes room for productions considered risky.

An Industrial Meeting Point

Venice is a center not only for art but also for industry. Producers, distributors, platform representatives, and investors meet here. Film markets, collaborations, deals, and seeds of new projects are planted here. Netflix, Cineshort, and other digital platforms have recently added films that stood out in Venice to their catalogs, reaching wide audiences.

Critical Step for Oscars and Other Major Awards

Venice is as glamorous as Cannes, as political as Berlin, but perhaps the most "predictive" festival. Because films that resonate here often succeed during Oscar season. For example: Nomadland, The Shape of Water, Roma – all these films embarked on their Oscar journey after winning major awards in Venice.

Not Just a Festival, but Building a Future

Venice Film Festival, beyond being a cinema celebration, is a center where ideas circulate freely, where those who cannot make their voices heard find a stage, and where cinema undergoes transformation. It nourishes art. It launches careers. It directs industry. And every year, in Venice's misty streets, another film changes the fate of world cinema.

Cinema's Heart Beats in Venice

The jury presidency of the 2025 edition is undertaken by Alexander Payne, known for works like Sideways and The Holdovers. The festival's opening film will be "La Grazia" signed by Susanna Nicchiarelli. Italian actress and model Emanuela Fanelli will host the opening and closing ceremonies.

Among the films that will have their world premiere in Venice, some have already become subject to Oscar rumors. Here are some of the eagerly awaited productions:

• Guillermo del Toro's dark fairy tale: Frankenstein
• An experimental science fiction from Yorgos Lanthimos: Bugonia
• Jim Jarmusch's hypnotic new work: Jay Kelly
• Kathryn Bigelow's eagerly awaited political thriller: After the Hunt

These films are talked about not only for their powerful stories but also for the innovative perspectives they bring to cinema art.

Respect for Masters: Lifetime Achievement Awards

As every year, this year too, two legends of the cinema world are receiving the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement:

• Werner Herzog -- The genius director of German cinema, etched in memory with works like Fitzcarraldo and Grizzly Man.
• Kim Novak -- A star who left her mark in cinema history especially with Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo film.

According to festival art director Alberto Barbera, "These two names both redefined cinema and made it timeless." These awards are given as official decisions of the festival upon the recommendation of art director Alberto Barbera and with the approval of the Biennale board of directors.

Venice: In the Triangle of Cinema, Fashion, and Travel

Venice Film Festival is not just an event where awards are distributed. It's also a unique experience space that brings together cinema art with the fashion world, travel passion with cultural discovery. This festival, where cinema's magic, red carpet's sparkle, and travel passion unite, leaves its mark on thousands of people's lives every year.

Set-Jetting: Taking a Journey Inspired by Films

Many films this year attract attention not only with their cinematic aspects but also with the impressive locations where they were shot. Especially for travel enthusiasts, the trend of set-jetting, meaning "visiting film locations," is back on the agenda.

• After the Hunt -- Academic campuses of Toronto and Vancouver
• Bugonia -- A futuristic atmosphere shot on Greek islands
• Jay Kelly -- A story taking place in San Francisco's dark side streets
• Frankenstein -- A gothic science fiction set in Vienna

These productions appeal to traveling spirits as much as cinema. Venice offers a festival experience where you won't just watch; you'll also get inspiration with travel routes.

Fashion and Meaning on the Red Carpet

Venice's red carpet interests the fashion world as much as cinema's stars. This year's most talked-about looks are expected to be signed by Dior, Valentino, and Saint Laurent.

In previous years:

• Zendaya's Versace dress (2023)
• Lady Gaga's dramatic entrance on a gondola (2018)
• Timothée Chalamet's style challenging gender norms

Such moments transform Venice into not just a film festival, but a stage where fashion accompanies cinema.

Ultimately, Venice Film Festival in 2025 is not just about film screenings. It offers a rich experience to its audience by bringing together many themes such as fashion, travel, history, and collective memory.

In Conclusion: The Magic of Short Films in Venice

The shining aspect of Venice Film Festival is how it blends the festival's historical magnificence with short films. Venice has positioned itself at the center of cinema history since 1932, and is a legend with its glorious past and innovative present. Today, sections like "Orizzonti Corti" add new breath to the festival's spirit by making new voices, stories from different geographies, and original perspectives visible.

The festival's magic lies in how the glorious past, fragile political transitions, and innovation combine to open doors to new stories in every short film, in a deep-rooted cultural journey.

Let's see which actors and which productions will take the Golden Lion this year? We too await the result with excitement and curiosity. Whichever wins this prestigious award will open the door to bigger awards. Thank goodness we have short films and festivals in our lives.