It's time for renewals and confirmations at the Venice Film Festival, beginning with its top leadership. The Venice Biennale's Board of Directors, chaired by Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, has decided that Alberto Barbera will continue to serve as its artistic director. Alberto Barbera, whose current term ends after the 83rd Venice International Film Festival (September 2-12, 2026), has been confirmed for two more years, 2027 and 2028, according to a statement, "in consideration of the results achieved in the recognized quality of the selection process, the discovery and international launch of new talent, the dissemination and growth of film culture, and the expansion of audiences". Barbera and the Biennale have a long history: the cinema critic served as artistic director of the Venice Biennale's Cinema Section from 2012 to the present, and before that from 1998 to 2001. In 2022, the Gotham Awards in New York presented him with the Special Tribute Award. In 2021, he was awarded the International Achievement in Film Award by the historic magazine Variety. Both awards were given out simultaneously at the Venice Biennale. From 2020, he has been a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which presents the Oscars. Since 2019, Variety has included him among the 500 most influential people in the global entertainment industry.