[3] Italian actress and model Sveva Alviti hosted the opening and closing ceremonies.

[5] Australian filmmaker Peter Weir and American actress Sigourney Weaver received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement during the festival.

The following films were selected to the Venice Classics section:[11][21] The Venice Immersive is entirely devoted to immersive media and includes all XR means of creative expression, from 360° videos to XR works of any length, including installations and virtual worlds.

[22] Final Cut in Venice is the festival program that has been providing since 2013 support in the completion of films from African and Middle East countries.

The following films were selected to the International Critics’ Week sections:[29] The following official awards were presented at the 81st Edition:[30]