Alexander Payne to Head Venice Jury

by

This year, the esteemed filmmaker Alexander Payne, who has won two Oscars (for “The Descendants” and “Nebraska”), will lead the international jury of the prestigious Venice Film Festival. This announcement was made by Venice officials on Monday.

Payne will be responsible for managing the panel of movie experts who select the Golden Lion award for the best film at the 82nd Venice Film Festival, which takes place from August 27th to September 6th.

Payne expressed great delight and pride in being part of the jury at the Venice Film Festival. Despite a filmmaker’s usual reservations about judging films side by side, he respects the festival’s long-standing tradition of championing cinema as an art form for almost a century. He is thrilled about this opportunity.

Alberto Barbera, director of the Venice Festival, stated that Payne is part of a select group of filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts whose love for cinema stems from a deep understanding of classic films and an insatiable interest in modern cinema, without any limitations or restrictions. His qualities, combined with his screenwriting experience, make him an excellent fit to lead the Venice Jury, a role that involves assessing films from around the world. I am thankful for Alexander’s agreement to my invitation, which solidifies a relationship that dates back to his graduation short film at UCLA.

Alex Payne’s films have amassed a grand total of 24 Oscar nominations, with notable nods in the Best Picture category (four times) and the Best Director category (three times). However, his two Oscar victories were both in the Best Adapted Screenplay category, for the movies “Sideways” (2004) and “The Descendants” (2011). In a recent development, his latest film, “The Holdovers” (2023), earned Da’Vine Joy Randolph an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

Payne showcased a movie just one time in the Venice competition, as ‘Downsizing’ premiered at the Lido in 2017.

Read More

2025-04-28 12:24