Cinema Takes on Tech Giants at the Venice Film Festival

Artificial intelligence, Silicon Valley, billionaires and the political power of technology companies occupy a central place in this year’s selection. Among the most closely watched films is Musk, Alex Gibney’s epic documentary about Elon Musk. Running for nearly four hours, the film seeks to move beyond the familiar narrative of the visionary genius and instead examine the construction of the entrepreneur’s public image and the extent of his power. Gibney looks in particular at Musk’s career at the helm of Tesla, SpaceX and X, as well as his political influence and his growing role in public debate.

The director has chosen to confront Musk’s official narrative with a range of testimonies, including those of his former wife Justine Musk, journalist Kara Swisher, Tesla cofounder Martin Eberhard and artificial intelligence researcher Geoffrey Hinton. The film’s release was delayed to incorporate new developments, notably Musk’s support for Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign. It therefore promises a particularly critical portrait of a man whose influence now extends far beyond the world of technology.

Another film was expected to embody this confrontation between Hollywood and Silicon Valley: Artificial, directed by Luca Guadagnino and centered on Sam Altman and the crisis that rocked OpenAI in 2023. But the film will ultimately not be shown at the Venice Film Festival.

Almost finished, the project had initially been backed and was due to be distributed by Amazon MGM. In June, however, the studio decided to withdraw from the project, just months after announcing a major partnership with OpenAI that included a $50 billion investment. Amazon said the film would be “better served” by another studio, without acknowledging that its agreement with OpenAI had played a role in the decision.

The coincidence immediately fueled suspicions of a conflict of interest, particularly because Guadagnino’s film offers an unflattering portrayal of Sam Altman, played by Andrew Garfield. The film revisits his dramatic removal from OpenAI, followed just days later by his return to the company’s leadership. After Amazon pulled out, several studios screened the film before ultimately deciding not to acquire it. It was eventually picked up by the independent American distributor Neon.

Yet it was precisely this new distributor that decided not to present Artificial in Venice. Alberto Barbera, director of the Venice Film Festival, says he has seen the film and considers it particularly successful. Neon, however, wants more time to sell the film internationally ahead of its release. The distributor therefore plans a limited US release in December, followed by a wider launch in 2027.

Although the film will ultimately not be part of the Venice lineup, the festival will this year offer a privileged vantage point from which to observe the cultural response to artificial intelligence. The key question will not simply be whether filmmakers are using AI, but how they are portraying its consequences: power, labor, creativity, surveillance, truth and control.

As every year, the red carpet is expected to attract an impressive constellation of international stars. George Clooney will be among the most eagerly anticipated faces of the 83rd edition. The American actor, director and producer will receive a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.

Robert Pattinson will be another major attraction at the festival, appearing in Primetime, in which he plays Chris Hansen, the famous host of To Catch a Predator. Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem will appear together on screen in the psychological thriller Bunker, while Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich are expected in Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine.

The presence of these stars is a reminder that, despite the technological and economic upheavals reshaping the industry, the Venice Film Festival remains, above all, a stage for glamour.