The 82nd Venice International Film Festival has just concluded, and it's time to take stock.
Organized by the Venice Biennale and directed by Alberto Barbera, the Festival took place at the Venice Lido from August 27 to September 6, 2025, with the customary aim of promoting the dissemination of international cinema in all its forms as art, entertainment, and industry, in a spirit of freedom and dialogue.
This year's new feature was the spotlight on classic film restorations, designed to foster a better understanding of cinema history among young people. The red carpet was a succession of bold outfits and glamorous touches, with divas ready to lend a touch of glamour and elegance.
Added to this were revisited tuxedos , colorful suits, and unconventional choices that demonstrated how menswear can become as spectacular as great women's creations in a surprising mix of elegance and personality.
Guests and godmother
Actress Emanuela Fanelli, with her perfect stage presence, served as the patroness of the opening and closing ceremonies . She chose to wear a Giorgio Armani gown for both the opening and closing ceremonies, thus paying tribute to one of the greatest figures in Italian fashion who recently passed away.
Noikika recommends: If you liked Emanuela Fanelli's dress, here's the short black chiffon ruffled dress , designed for those who love the style but prefer short dresses . Its V-neck, floaty ruffled skirt, and bell sleeves give the dress an ethereal and sophisticated movement.
Alba Parietti , always an icon of femininity and strong personality, appeared proud, luminous, and full of charm on the Venetian red carpet. She walked the runway in a timeless all-black look, made unique by large, luminous sequins, a sensual side slit, a front V-neck, and a refined crossover back.
Noikika recommends: If you liked Alba Parietti's dress, here's a for the black glitter mermaid dress with lace-up fastening . The fitted cut and flared hem create a sophisticated silhouette, while the deep neckline, veiled in tulle, adds a touch of mystery.
Finally, "the most beautiful smile in cinema" couldn't be missed to celebrate Italian fashion. Julia Roberts enchanted the Venice Film Festival in a fitted navy blue crepe de chine dress featuring a checkerboard pattern hand-embroidered with black silk thread.
Noikika recommends: Julia Roberts' elegant and sober style recalls the black tulle transformer dress , in which the two bands at the waist allow for infinite styling combinations, making it a versatile and exclusive garment.
Awards, award ceremony and Golden Lion presentation
For the ninth year, the €5,000 prize is awarded to the best film in post-production. The Venice Biennale Prize Jury, composed this year of Fatih Abay (European Film Academy), Nathalie Jeung (Kinology), and Claudio Rapino (Maestro Distribution), awarded the film THE STATION (AL MAHATTAH) by Sara Ishaq (Yemen, Jordan, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Qatar), with the aim of providing concrete assistance in completing films from Africa, Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Yemen.
In the Orizzonti section, the award for best actress went to Benedetta Porcaroli (known for playing Concetta in the Netflix series Il Gattopardo), the award for best screenplay went to the film Hiedra by Ecuadorian director Ana Cristina Barragan, while the award for best restored film went to Bashù , the little stranger by Bahram Beyzaie.
Finally, the Golden Lion for best film goes to Father Mother Sister Brother.
Appendix: The sudden passing of Giorgio Armani on September 4th has thrown the entire fashion world and the Venice Biennale itself into deep mourning.
It was way back in 1975 when the future “King of Fashion” coined the term stylist, saying “I am neither a couturier nor a tailor but I consider myself someone who creates a style,” a term which has since been used to define someone who designs particular styles of clothing and accessories.
Armani was the first to understand that men's and women's bodies were no longer what they once were, even though clothes continued to be heavy and cumbersome. He emptied them, deconstructed jackets, lightened trousers, and laid the foundation for contemporary style.
This year's Venice Film Festival was the eighth consecutive year that Armani Beauty had been the main sponsor, as well as the fifth time that the Viewers' Award for best film in the Orizzonti Extra section, now known as Venice Spotlight, had been awarded.