Venice Film Festival Ditching Jury Press Conference for Cocktails

The Venice Film Festival is nixing its opening jury press conference this year. The festival, which kicks off September 2 with Danny Boyle's "Ink," told Variety the presser will "probably not" happen due to scheduling conflicts. Instead of the usual sit-down with the jury panel, they're swapping it for a welcome cocktail hour for journalists.

It's a move that signals how even the biggest festivals are reworking their playbooks. Press conferences are part of the fabric of these events—they're where filmmakers get pressed on their work, where buzz gets built, where real conversations happen. Replacing that with drinks? It changes the whole vibe.

That said, Venice's still got Danny Boyle opening the festival, which is a statement in itself. The jury lineup will matter just as much as ever. But losing that structured moment to hear from the people judging the competition is a loss for transparency and film discourse, even if the networking aspect stays intact.

We'll see if this sets a precedent or if it's just a one-year adjustment for the sake of logistics.

Read the full story at Variety → https://variety.com/2026/film/global/venice-film-festival-jury-press-conference-canceled-1236846620/