This is not hyperbole. The Venice Film Festival have unveiled perhaps the most stacked Out-of-Competition Non-Fiction line-up in decades. It’s a who’s who list of some of the best working docu filmmakers in the business – they’re all shoring up in 2026 and some with punishing (in the context of a film festival) runtimes. Oscar winning legend Barbara Kopple brings us Union Town – we don’t even need to put a synopsis here to understand her focus. The Truffle Hunters pairing of Gregory Kershaw and Michael Dweck go to the vineyards of Burgundy, a community bound by earth and ritual passes down its greatest inheritance, the art of pleasure. Alex Gibney‘s Musk needs no introduction – but what we learned today is that the very complete docu clocks in at over four hours. Also clocking in with some serious runtime is Julia Loktev‘s My Undesirable Friends: Part II – Exile. He helped co-write last year’s Pin de Fartie, Argentina’s Mariano Llinás goes into overtime with a lengthy discourse in Biografía De Jorge Luis Borges. Midnight Family director Luke Lorentzen looks at some folks who like setting sail in life with Boatbuilders – the artistry and pleasures in these type of workspaces. Victor Kossakovsky gives is an intense look at the life of trees with Holy Wood Dust. Sergei Loznitsa digs into Russia’s past with Imperium. Shut Up and Play the Hits‘ Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace focus on brotherly love in Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger. Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin look to be headed to Telluride and Toronto as well with Everest: The Other Side – if you are afraid of height and skiing don’t watch it. Wim Wenders looks at someone unknown by the general in From Inside Out — The Architecture of Peter Zumthor. We even have a Russell Crowe docu fifteen years in the making. Here are the docus and newly created sub-section:
OUT OF COMPETITION — NON-FICTION
Be Brave Francesco Carrozzini
What Love Builds Russell Crowe
Burgundy Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw
Musk Alex Gibney
The Road to Jericho Amos Gitai
Citizen Osama Ahmed Hassaouna
Union Town Barbara Kopple
Holy Wood Dust Victor Kossakovsky
Listy (Letters From the Silenced Country) Andrei Kutsila
Biografía De Jorge Luis Borges Mariano Llinás
My Undesirable Friends: Part II – Exile Julia Loktev
Boatbuilders Luke Lorentzen
Imperium Sergei Loznitsa
Shumei – The Living Legacy of Kabuki Takashi Miike
Queer Edward II Theo Rollason
Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger Dylan Southern, Will Lovelace
Dust Tsai Ming-Liang
Everest: The Other Side Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin
“From Inside Out — The Architecture of Peter Zumthor Wim Wenders
FILM ON FILMS
Juso Per Ferie Karen Di Porto
Nino – Un Film Su Nino Rota Walter Fasano
The Pervert’s Guide to Utopias Sophie Fiennes
Joie De Vivre Luca Guadagnino
Twist and Shoot Mister Suzuki Yves Montmayeur
Intermission Yonfan
