Venice's Barbera: Hollywood's Retreat, Gender & AI

It’s a busy time to be running one of the world’s most glamorous film festivals. Venice chief Alberto Barbera is gearing up for the 2026 edition, but he’s not just stacking the lineup - he’s calling out some uncomfortable truths about the state of the movie industry. In a wide-ranging conversation that hit the wires today, Barbera tackled three hot-button issues that have the film world buzzing: Hollywood’s noticeable absence from major festivals, a frustrating backslide in gender parity, and the looming question mark that is artificial intelligence. Grab your popcorn, because this is the kind of candid talk that makes September in Lido feel like the Super Bowl of cinema politics.

Hollywood’s Festival Retreat

Let’s be real: for a while, it felt like every A-list star and studio blockbuster wanted a red-carpet moment at Venice, Toronto, or Cannes. But that party might be winding down. Barbera didn’t mince words when he pointed out that major Hollywood studios are pulling back from the festival circuit. He suggested that the streaming wars, ongoing labor fallout, and a simpler calculation of marketing costs have convinced some executives that a splashy premiere doesn’t always translate into box office gold - or awards glory.

According to Barbera, the retreat is real, and it’s a challenge for festivals that have historically relied on star power to draw global attention. He noted that while independent and international films still flock to Venice, the absence of big studio titles changes the energy. “It’s not that Hollywood doesn’t care,” he paraphrased, “but they’re asking harder questions about what they get in return.” That’s a polite way of saying some studios would rather drop a movie straight onto a streaming platform than navigate the unpredictable hype machine of a live festival. For Barbera, the solution isn’t to chase them harder - it’s to double down on curation and remind everyone that discovery, not just celebrity, is what makes a festival magical.

The Gender Parity Backslide

If you thought the industry had turned a corner on representation, Barbera has a sobering update. He expressed disappointment that after several years of visible progress - more female directors in competition, more women in key roles - the numbers are sliding backward. He didn’t cite exact stats (festival officials rarely do before the official announcement), but he made it clear that the pipeline of female-driven projects submitted to Venice hasn’t kept pace with earlier hopes.

Barbera framed this as a collective failure, not just of festivals but of the entire ecosystem behind film financing, development, and greenlighting. He argued that the recent backslide is a reminder that equality isn’t a one-and-done goal - it requires continuous pressure. The Venice chief didn’t point fingers at any single studio, but he hinted that the industry’s post-strike caution has led to safer, more conservative choices, and safe usually means sticking with the same old demos. Expect Barbera’s programming team to make a deliberate push this year, even if it means taking risks on lesser-known directors. He’s not ready to accept the backslide as permanent.

The AI Question

And now for the conversation everyone’s dreading: artificial intelligence. Barbera didn’t wave a digital wand and pretend AI isn’t coming for the movies. Instead, he gave a nuanced take that will probably frustrate both the techno-optimists and the luddites. He acknowledged that AI tools are already reshaping post-production, visual effects, and even script development, and that pretending otherwise is pointless. But he also warned that the festival’s role is to champion human creativity - something algorithms, no matter how clever, can’t replicate.

Barbera raised a practical question that cuts through the hype: how do we judge a film when we don’t know how much of it was made by a machine? He didn’t call for a ban, but he suggested that transparency might become a new requirement for entries. If a director used an AI tool to generate dialogue or composite actors, audiences deserve to know. He also flagged the legal and ethical mess around training data and copyright, predicting that court battles will shape the next decade of filmmaking. For now, the Venice chief is watching closely, ready to adapt the festival’s rules as needed.

Looking ahead to the 2026 edition, Barbera seems determined to keep Venice relevant by leaning into what a festival does best: sparking debates, championing unsung voices, and reminding everyone that movies are made by people, not just by algorithms and marketing budgets. Whether Hollywood shows up or not, the Lido will have plenty to talk about.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter