Alberto Barbera to Remain Venice Film Festival Artistic Director Through 2028

Alberto Barbera is set to remain artistic director of the Venice Film Festival through 2028 and possibly longer.

On Tuesday, the board of directors of the fest’s parent organization, the Venice Biennale — chaired by president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco — announced that they have approved Barbera’s appointment “for the years 2027 and 2028.”

In a statement the Biennale said that Barbera’s renewal had been agreed “in consideration of the results he has achieved in the recognized quality of the selections, in discovering and launching new talents on the international stage, in spreading and advancing the culture of cinema and in expanding audiences.”

The Biennale is basically extending Barbera’s current mandate, which was set to expire after the upcoming 2026 edition, for two more years. This does not rule out the possibility that Barbera could subsequently get another full-fledged mandate and stay on board even longer.

Barbera, who is the festival’s longest serving artistic director, has been at the Lido’s helm consecutively since the 2012 edition and previously held the same position between 1998 and 2001.

Under Barbera’s watch, Venice has turned into the most systematically effective springboard for awards hopefuls on the international festival circuit. The list of pics from the fall fest that have reached the awards circle in recent years include current contenders “Frankenstein” and “Bugonia” as well as “Gravity,” “Birdman,” “Spotlight,” “La La Land,” “The Shape of Water,” “Roma,” “Joker,” “Nomadland” and “The Power of the Dog,” to name a few.

The fest is also a major platform for emerging filmmakers from all over the world and actively helps develop and produce micro-budget feature-length films through it’s unique Biennale College workshop.
Barbera’s career as a fest boss started in 1989 when, having first worked as a film critic, he became artistic director of the Torino Film Festival, dedicated to young directors, and scoured the planet seeking fresh cinematic fare.

In 2022, Barbera was awarded a special tribute by the Gotham Awards in New York, while in 2021 Variety awarded him its International Achievement in Film Award. Since 2020, Barbera has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 2000, Barbera was honored with the title of Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, the cultural acknowledgment of the French Republic.