Maggie Gyllenhaal has been named as the jury president of this year's Venice Film Festival.
The actress-turned-director and her fellow jurors will watch all of the films selected for the main competition and decide which one should win the Golden Lion for Best Film, among other prizes.
Gyllenhaal follows in the footsteps of recent Venice jury presidents Alexander Payne, Isabelle Huppert, Damien Chazelle, Julianne Moore, Bong Joon-ho and Cate Blanchett.
"I am thrilled to accept the invitation to lead this year's Venice Film Festival jury," The Bride! filmmaker said in a statement. "Venice has always supported truthful, singular voices and I am honoured to play a part in continuing that brave and necessary tradition. I will not be standing in judgement, but in curiosity, admiration and excitement."
Gyllenhaal premiered her feature directorial debut, The Lost Daughter, at the prestigious Italian film festival in 2021, and she walked away with the Best Screenplay prize.
"An actress who is able to portray disturbing and multifaceted characters, she also reinvented herself as an author with The Lost Daughter, which won the Best Screenplay award here in Venice in 2021," added Venice Film Festival Director Alberto Barbera. "Her perspective on cinema - both intellectual and visceral - has found further confirmation in the recent film The Bride! (2026), which consolidates her stature as an original filmmaker.
"Having her as the president of our jury means being able to rely on an authoritative and independent voice, animated by that authentic passion for arthouse cinema which has always represented the heart of the Festival."
The news comes weeks after Gyllenhaal released her second directorial feature The Bride! in early March. The Gothic romance, starring Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale, received mixed reviews and flopped at the box office.
Gyllenhaal's fellow jurors will be announced in the coming weeks. This year's official selection will be unveiled on 23 July.
The 83rd Venice Film Festival will run from 2 to 12 September.
