The 2026 Venice International Film Festival will screen newly restored works by John Cassavetes, Luis Buñuel, Roberto Rossellini, Andrzej Wojda and Roger Corman in its Venice Classics section.
The 19 restored features in this year’s Venice Classics collection, curated by Artistic Director Alberto Barbera with Federico Girone, were unveiled on Friday. The department presents world premieres of restorations completed over the past year by film archives, cultural institutions and production companies from around the world.
Highlights of 2026 include a book by John Cassavetes Minnie and Moskovich (1971), Roger Corman Wild Angels (1966), Luis Buñuel La Ilusión Viaja en Tranvía (Illusion trips by tram) (1954), Roberto Rossellini Viaggio in Italy (Trip to Italy) (1954), Andrej Wajda Popiół i Diament (Ash and Diamond) (1958), Roman Polanski impasse (1966) and Ernst Lubitsch To be or not to be (1942).
The selection will open with a pre-festival screening of Tinto Brass’ soft-core thriller Kul Kor in Jeola (Deadly Sweet) (1967).
Italian cinema is also represented by Ettore Scola Brutti, Sporchi e Cattivi (Ugly, dirty, bad) (1976), Daniele Sipri and Franco Maresco Le Zieu de Brooklyn (Uncle from Brooklyn) (1995) and Florestano Fanchini La Lunga Notte del ’43 (The Long Night in ’43) (1960).
The lineup also includes Dev Benegal English, August (1993), An Hui Wu Yuet Dik Ju Si (The Story of Wu Viet) (1981), Ning Ying Mingjing Joshi (percussion) (1995), Jaromil Girish. Valerie à Tiden Defoe (Valerie and Her Week of Wonders) (1970), Alexander Kluge Epsicheid von Gestern (Yesterday’s Girl) (1966), Shinji Sumai Giwi no more (hunting) (1983), Simon Feldman Los de la Mesa 10 (those at table 10) (1960) and Flora Gomez Odjo Azul de Yunta (Unta Blue Eyes) (1992).
Director Daniele Vicari will chair the Venice Classics jury, which includes 24 film students nominated by professors from Italian universities, DAMS programs and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. The jury will award the Venice Classics Prize for the best restored film.
The 84th Venice Film Festival will be held from September 2 to 12. The festival will reveal the official lineup on July 23.
