20th Queer Lion Award Lineup - In Progress

Today, August 19, organizers announced the feature films in Competition for the Queer Award. Still pending are Short Films in Competition as well as Out of Competition features and shorts. As soon as announces are made post will be updated with available info.

As we all know, the lineup of titles competing for the 2025 Queer Lion Award is compiled with the collaboration of Alberto Barbera, Angela Savoldi, and Paolo Bertolin for all the sections of the official selection, and in particular Venezia 83 Competition, Out of Competition, and Orizzonti); Michel Reilhac for Venice Immersive and Biennale College Cinema; Federico Gironi for Venice Classics; Gaia Furrer and Francesco Bonerba for Giornate degli Autori; and, Beatrice Fiorentino from Venice International Film Critics’vWeek.

They, along with award organizers, chose among the films with LGBT stories and characters dealing with civil rights issues related to different sexual orientations, equal opportunities, and fight against homotransphobia.

As always let's start taking a look at the official graphic image of the award and the reasons why this year the image is as seen here.

Official Image

The 2026 official image by Joey Guidone renderes the theme of discovery and visibility of queer identities through the eye of cinematic language. The Rialto Bridge crosses the scene, its lower arch transfigured into a vivid rainbow that emerges from the muted tonal ground and reflects upon the waters of the Grand Canal.

From a gondola, a human figure records the scene, evoking the role of cinema as an instrument of observation and revelation. The composition is structured around the three fundamental elements of Venice, sky, bridge and water, which become a visual metaphor for the balance between environment, memory and identity.

2026 Lineup

There are 12 titles in Competition for the 20th Queer Award

Venice Open
Queer Edward II, Theo Rollason, UK (documentary)
The Basics of Philosophy, Paul Schrader, USA (G)

Orizzonti
La città dei vivi (The City of the Living), Edoardo Gabbriellini, Italy (G)
谎言生活 Huǎngyán Shēnghuó (Big Little Things), Michelle Zhou, Hong Kong and USA (L)
Lovers in the Blue Night, Anuparna Roy, India and USA (G)
太陽ぬ色 The Color of the Sun, Xavier Tera, Canada, Italy and Japan (G)

Biennale College Cinema
Tijuana, Todavía (Still, Tijuana), Gabriel Gutierrez Morales, Mexico (G)

Giornate degli Autori
Camouflage, Mykyta Gibalenko, Germany and Lithuania (G)
دستهایم را در باغچه می‌کارم Dasthayam ra dar baghche mikaram (I Plant My Hand in the Garden), Boris Hadžija and Hoda Taheri, Germany, USA and Serbia (G)
Peau d'homme (Man's Skin), Léa Domenach, France
Salón de Belleza, Nathalia Acevedo, Mexico and France (G)

Settimana Internazionale della Critica
London, Victor Di Marco and Márcio Picoli, Brazil (G)

The Jury
Daniel N. Casagrande, film critic, journalist and creator/founder of the award, Italy
Marco Busato, actor, Italy
Jani Kuštrin, cultural operator, jury member of the Ljubljana LGBT Film Festival, the oldest queer-themed film festival in Europe, Slovenia
Adriano Virone, cultural promotor, Italy

To check announcement at official site go here.