At the Venice Film Festival, George Clooney is on hand to receive a lifetime achievement award during the opening ceremony, where he also weighs in on AI, media ownership, and the state of journalism.

Laura Dern presents Clooney with the Golden Lion, recalling their first collaboration in Grizzly 2: Revenge and praising him as a protective friend.

The festival site layout emphasizes standard news-site navigation, trending stories, and subscription management, underscoring a traditional online presentation rather than a standalone narrative.

Clooney argues that journalists, artists, filmmakers, writers, and musicians are targeted by authoritarians, and that storytelling can reveal empathy and humanity across strangers.

The festival’s talk covers notable topics from films about Elon Musk, Rupert Murdoch, Oasis, and the Gallagher brothers, to debates over Israel-Palestine and Iran, with four festival films addressing Palestinian issues and Iran.

A controversy surrounds the DAU project by Ilya Khrzhanovsky over alleged links to Russia, which he defends as an artistic statement about totalitarian evil.

Clooney reflects on past and present social upheaval, recalling 1968 as a period of upheaval, while remaining optimistic about overcoming current challenges.

He criticizes the Trump administration as cruel and lacking decency, linking this to broader political critique.

Jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal frames the festival as inherently political, highlighting films that tackle real-world crises and emphasizing empathy in the lineup.

Opening-night film Ink dramatizes Rupert Murdoch’s acquisition of The Sun, prompting questions about morality in media, journalism, and the impact of AI on reporting.

Clooney notes he no longer directs regularly due to family commitments, preferring acting which allows him to travel home more easily.

Absent are Netflix and Amazon premieres at Venice, with a notable exception: Oasis documentary Don't Look Back in Anger, produced by Disney, featuring the Gallagher brothers at the premiere.