Paolo Sorrentino’s ‘La Grazia’ to open Venice Film Festival

La Grazia, written and directed by Paolo Sorrentino and starring Toni Servillo and Anna Ferzetti, is the opening film, in its world premiere and in competition, of the 82nd Venice Film Festival. The film will be presented on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, in the Sala Grande of the Palazzo del Cinema (Lido di Venezia).

“I am very happy that the 82nd Venice International Film Festival will open with Paolo Sorrentino’s new and highly anticipated film,” said festival director Alberto Barbera. “I like to remember that one of the most important and internationally acclaimed Italian filmmakers made his debut at the Venice Biennale in 2001 with his first film, One Man Up, during my early years as artistic director. His bond with the Festival has grown stronger over the years with the out-of-competition screenings of the first episodes of The Young Pope (both the first and second seasons) and especially with The Hand of God, which in 2021 earned the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize. Paolo Sorrentino’s return to competition comes with a film that is sure to leave a mark for its great originality and deep resonance with the present, which the audience will have the pleasure of discovering on opening night.”

La Grazia, written and directed by Paolo Sorrentino, is a Fremantle film produced by The Apartment, a Fremantle group company, together with Numero 10 and PiperFilm, which will distribute the film in Italy. MUBI holds the worldwide rights to the film, excluding Italy. The Match Factory is handling international sales.