Venice Film Festival Hacked, Attendee Data Compromised in Major Cyberattack
Venice Film Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera. ALESSANDRA BENEDETTI - CORBIS/CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES
The 2025 edition of Venice faces a serious security breach, with personal data from accredited press and guests exposed weeks before the festival’s start.
The Venice Film Festival has confirmed it was the target of a cyberattack that compromised the personal information of accredited attendees—including members of the press, industry professionals, and delegates—just weeks ahead of its 82nd edition.
In a formal notice sent to those affected, including journalists at The Hollywood Reporter, festival organizers revealed that the breach occurred on July 7, when unidentified individuals illegally accessed and copied documents stored on the festival’s internal servers. The leaked information includes full names, phone numbers, email addresses, mailing addresses, and tax identification data.
The Venice IT team reportedly acted “promptly,” isolating the impacted systems and beginning restoration operations while also notifying the relevant authorities. “The competent authorities were immediately informed, and restoration operations were initiated,” the festival said. A dedicated email address—privacy@labiennale.org—has been set up for individuals seeking support or additional information.
This marks the second notable cybersecurity incident to impact a major European film festival in recent years. In 2022, the Cannes Film Festival faced a similar disruption when bots overloaded its online ticketing system, delaying access for press and attendees during a key accreditation window.
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With the 2025 Venice Film Festival set to run August 27 to September 9, the breach raises questions about digital infrastructure readiness and data privacy measures in the film industry. The festival, which has recently confirmed high-profile premieres including Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly, will need to reassure attendees and media partners that the situation is under control as final accreditation emails roll out this month.
While there’s no indication yet of data misuse, the breach is a stark reminder of the increasing cybersecurity threats facing global cultural institutions and the need for more robust digital protections in the entertainment sector.
