Maggie Gyllenhaal has questioned the lack of female directors in the main competition at the 2026 Venice Film Festival, describing the imbalance as part of a wider 'systemic problem' in the film industry. Speaking at the festival's opening press conference, the actor and filmmaker also questioned whether stories centred on women are always given the same value as other films.
Gyllenhaal is serving as president of the international jury at the 83rd Venice Film Festival, which runs from 2 to 12 September. Her comments came as people focused on the lack of female directors in this year's competition. Only two of the 21 films competing for the Golden Lion were directed or co-directed by women.
The Gender Gap in Filmmaking
When asked about the small number of female filmmakers in the competition, Gyllenhaal responded with a pointed joke. 'I guess it's finally become clear that men make better movies than women do,' she said as she laughed.
She then turned to the broader issue, saying: 'There's a systemic problem. It's harder for women to get films financed.'
The filmmaker also raised questions about the types of stories that are considered worthy of recognition. She wondered whether subjects shaped by women's different experiences of life are sometimes less likely to be viewed as 'high art', adding questions about who gets to decide what is considered good or valuable.
Moreover, Gyllenhaal acknowledged the significance of her appointment as president of the Venice Film Festival jury.
Venice jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal questions the lack of female directors in competition:
— Variety (@Variety) September 2, 2026
“There’s a systemic problem. I do think it’s much harder for women to get their films financed. Could it be possible that the things women want to make movies about are not always… pic.twitter.com/vaZlRBe9FR
Only Two Films Have Female Directors
The representation of women in Venice's main competition has been a major talking point surrounding this year's festival.
May el-Toukhy's Woman Unknown was initially the only film directed by a woman among the 20 titles announced for the main competition. The later addition of NAZA, co-directed by Rachel Szor and Yuval Abraham, brought the number of films directed or co-directed by women to two.
Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera has defended the festival's selection process. According to Reuters, he pointed to the proportion of submissions from women directors, saying women accounted for 24% of submissions this year, compared with 30% in 2025.
Gyllenhaal's Journey to Directing
Gyllenhaal has experience of making the transition from acting to directing. She made her feature directorial debut with The Lost Daughter, which premiered at Venice in 2021 and earned her an Academy Award nomination for adapted screenplay.
She followed it with The Bride!, released earlier in 2026, and is now preparing to direct an adaptation of Rachel Kushner's novel Creation Lake. Her short film Flesh Impact is also screening out of competition at this year's Venice festival.
At the Venice press conference, Gyllenhaal reflected on her own path into directing. She stated: 'I was probably always a director. But I didn't see anyone around me that was a woman doing it.'
Inside the 2026 Venice Festival
The 83rd Venice International Film Festival is taking place on the Lido from 2 to 12 September, bringing filmmakers, actors and films from around the world to the Italian festival. Its main competition features 21 films competing for the Golden Lion, with Maggie Gyllenhaal chairing the seven-member international jury responsible for awarding the festival's top prizes.
The festival opened on 2 September with Danny Boyle's Ink, which had its world premiere in competition. The opening ceremony also saw George Clooney receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.
With the festival continuing until 12 September, the remaining competition films will compete for the major awards, including the Golden Lion for Best Film.
