Venice Film Festival cancels main jury press conference ahead of opening next week

The Venice International Film Festival has taken the unusual step of scrapping its main jury press conference for this year, a move first reported Monday by Deadline.

Deadline said the festival has not issued a public statement confirming the departure from its usual protocol, but confirmed the change to the outlet after multiple requests about whether the press conference would go ahead. The report does not attribute the decision to a specific cause or identify an alternative format for jury remarks.

The festival, which is scheduled to begin next week, typically uses the jury press conference as a central moment for accredited media to hear from the jury and to ask questions in a structured setting. With the press conference removed, media organizations and participating filmmakers are expected to rely on whatever substitute access the festival provides, if any, during the opening days of the program.

The change has immediate implications for the working rhythm of the festival’s press coverage. Press conferences are often used to translate the festival’s institutional announcements into quotable lines, clarify jury-related logistics, and provide a predictable access point for journalists traveling specifically for the event.

Deadline’s reporting also suggests the decision was not widely communicated through a formal notice prior to the outlet’s inquiries. That can affect the way credentials holders plan staffing and coverage, particularly when schedules are finalized on short timelines around major international festivals.

As organizers prepare the opening period, the next question for accreditation holders is whether the festival will replace the canceled jury press conference with another event, such as a different on-stage session, written briefing, or revised timing for jury appearances. Until such details are published through festival communications, the practical impact remains tied to what access is available to journalists during the early days of the Venice slate.