Venice Classics 2026 Lineup Features Newly Restored Films by John Cassavetes, Roman Polanski, Shinji Sōmai & More

While there’s still over two weeks to go until the Venice Film Festival unveils its official lineup on July 23, they’ve now debuted their slate of brand-new restorations premiering as part of Venice Classics. Kicking off with Tinto Brass’ Col cuore in gola (Deadly Sweet), the lineup also features John Cassavetes’ Minnie and Moskowitz, Roman Polanski’s Cul-de-sac, Shinji Sōmai’s The Catch, Ernst Lubitsch’s To Be or Not to Be, Jaromil Jireš’ Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, Roberto Rossellini’s Journey to Italy, Andrzej Wajda’s Ashes and Diamonds, and more

Festival’s Artistic Director Alberto Barbera said, “Nostalgia is not the underlying reason behind a section like Venice Classics. If the goal consists in remembering the vitality back when ‘cinema was everything’ (to borrow the words of Leonardo Sciascia), another consideration also comes to the fore: the awareness that the cinema of tomorrow can only be nourished by the lifeblood of the films of the past. A vivid imagery made of great and unforgettable masterpieces that are only waiting to be revisited, and movies that are to some extent forgotten and that, instead, need to be carefully reconsidered.”

See the lineup below.

COL CUORE IN GOLA (DEADLY SWEET) – Pre-Opening Film

Director: Tinto Brass (Italy, 1967, 105’, Colour)

Restored by: Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia

ENGLISH, AUGUST

Director: Dev Benegal (India, 1993, 118’, Colour)

Restored by: Anuradha Parikh

LA ILUSIÓN VIAJA EN TRANVÍA (ILLUSION TRAVELS BY STREETCAR)

Director: Luis Buñuel (Mexico, 1954, 83’, B/W)

Restored by: Museo Nazionale del Cinema di Torino / Fundación Televisa / Cineteca Nacional México

MINNIE AND MOSKOWITZ

Director: John Cassavetes (USA, 1971, 116’, Colour)

Restored by: Universal Pictures

LO ZIO DI BROOKLYN (THE UNCLE FROM BROOKLYN)

Director: Daniele Ciprì, Franco Maresco (Italy, 1995, 98’, B/W)

Restored by: Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna, in collaboration with Filmauro

THE WILD ANGELS

Director: Roger Corman (USA, 1966, 86’, Colour)

Restored by: Amazon MGM Studios

LOS DE LA MESA 10 (THOSE AT TABLE 10)

Director: Simón Feldman (Argentina, 1960, 83’, B/W)

Restored by: Asociación Amigos Museo del Cine de Buenos Aires

UDJU AZUL DI YONTA (THE BLUE EYES OF YONTA)

Director: Flora Gomes (Guinea-Bissau/Portugal/France/UK, 1992, 98’, Colour)

Restored by: Cinemateca Portuguesa – Museu do Cinema

WOO YUET DIK GOO SI (THE STORY OF WOO VIET)

Director: Ann Hui (Hong Kong, 1981, 92’, Colour)

Restored by: M Plus Museum Limited

VALERIE A TÝDEN DIVŮ (VALERIE AND HER WEEK OF WONDERS)

Director: Jaromil Jireš (Czech Republic, 1970, 77’, Colour)

Restored by: Národní filmový archiv

ABSCHIED VON GESTERN (YESTERDAY GIRL)

Director: Alexander Kluge (Germany, 1966, 88’, B/W)

Restored by: Kairos-Film

TO BE OR NOT TO BE

Director: Ernst Lubitsch (USA, 1942, 99’, B/W)

Restored by: Studiocanal

MINJING GUSHI (ON THE BEAT)

Director: Ning Ying (China, 1995, 101’, Colour)

Restored by: China Film Archive

CUL-DE-SAC

Director: Roman Polanski (UK, 1966, 112’, B/W)

Restored by: Fixafilm

VIAGGIO IN ITALIA (JOURNEY TO ITALY)

Director: Roberto Rossellini (Italy/France, 1953, 97’, B/W)

Restored by: Cinecittà S.p.A.

BRUTTI, SPORCHI E CATTIVI (UGLY, DIRTY AND BAD)

Director: Ettore Scola (Italy, 1976, 115’, Colour)

Restored by: Surf Film SRL / Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia / Cineteca di Bologna

GYOEI NO MURE (THE CATCH)

Director: Shinji Sōmai (Japan, 1983, 140’, Colour)

Restored by: Shochiku MediaWorX Inc.

LA LUNGA NOTTE DEL ’43 (LONG NIGHT IN ’43)

Director: Florestano Vancini (Italy, 1960, 105’, B/W)

Restored by: Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna, in collaboration with Compass Film

POPIÓŁ I DIAMENT (ASHES AND DIAMONDS)

Director: Andrzej Wajda (Poland, 1958, 104’, B/W)

Restored by: Di Factory