Overview
- Organizers initially told Deadline they would cancel the traditional opening press conference but reversed course after public and press backlash, a change Variety reported before the festival opened.
- The 83rd Mostra is being framed less as a star‑driven red carpet event and more as a showcase for long-form documentary work and films by established auteurs.
- Program highlights include Werner Herzog’s narrative entry Bucking Fastard and several very long documentaries, such as multi‑hour projects by Mariano Llinás and Julia Loktev.
- The lineup will put politically charged nonfiction on the agenda, notably Naza by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, which uses IDF interviews to examine collateral damage in the Israel–Gaza war.
- Festival director Alberto Barbera’s note that only one woman director qualified for competition has revived concerns about selection practices and gender imbalance, a debate that could shape coverage through the awards on September 12.