As the 83rd Venice International Film Festival prepares to convene at the Venice Lido from September 2 to 12, 2026, the event's influence resonates across the Mediterranean cultural axis, drawing keen attention from Monaco’s vibrant artistic community. Historically intertwined through shared patrons, international arts diplomacy, and proximity along the Italian Riviera, the connection between the Principality and Venice remains a vital bridge for global cinema.
This year’s Out of Competition - Short Films section offers a compelling triptych of short works that intersect at the boundaries of historical memory, identity, and political investigation.
Leading the showcase is FLESH IMPACT, directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, who also serves as President of the festival's International Competition Jury. Created in tribute to the centennial of Marilyn Monroe’s birth, the film features performances by Dakota Johnson and screen icon Ellen Burstyn - who will be honored at this year's festival with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement - as they jointly evoke Monroe's lasting legacy.
The selection turns toward historical displacement with Avi Mograbi’s WILD ASPARAGUS, which chronicles two men retracing the path to the destroyed village of Saffuriya, a site one was forced to abandon during the 1948 Palestinian Nakba. Concluding the trio, THEY’RE HERE, co-directed by Oscar winner Laura Poitras and Rachel Lauren Mueller, brings forward newly revealed archival footage and reporting on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid conducted in Minnesota in early 2026.
For Riviera audiences and Monaco’s cultural observers, the curated lineup underscores the short film format as an indispensable vehicle for high-caliber storytelling on the European festival stage.
Photo credits: La Biennale di Venezia Instagram