The 2025 Venice Film Festival brought more than just red carpets and premieres—it delivered the perfect fusion of cinema, fashion, and spontaneous spectacle. As stars descended upon the floating city, Vogue photographer Francesc Planes captured the festival’s soul, from behind-the-scenes snapshots to candid encounters along the canals.
Big-name films dominated the lineup—Yorgos Lanthimos’s Bugonia, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, and Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice—but fashion also played a starring role. Louise Trotter’s Bottega Veneta appeared on the likes of Jacob Elordi and Vicky Krieps, while Dario Vitale’s debut Versace pieces turned heads on Julia Roberts and Amanda Seyfried. Meanwhile, Sofia Coppola’s documentary on Marc Jacobs blurred the line between haute couture and film in true Venice style.
Celebrities new and familiar graced the Lido: Ayo Edebiri stunned in Chanel, Chloë Sevigny brought vintage YSL glam, and Willem Dafoe remained a constant, effortlessly iconic presence. “I don’t get surprised by him anymore,” Planes quipped, recalling their casual chats on the stairs of Hotel Excelsior.
Yet beyond the stars, the unsung fashion icons were Venice’s own sciura—elegant older women in bold makeup and towering fascinators. “They may not care about the films, but they bring the looks and the energy every single year,” said Planes. One such figure wore a flower-filled headpiece so large it practically blocked the screen behind her.
The festival’s magic wasn’t limited to premieres and paparazzi. Planes recalled running into Michèle Lamy in flip-flops, watching a fan with a different stuffed animal on his head at every event, and witnessing a rare (and dramatic) booing during a poorly received premiere. “It was the first time I saw someone shout at the director,” he shared.
Ultimately, the Venice Film Festival became a story of contrasts: movie stars in black-tie crossing paths with sunburned tourists, autograph hunters alongside fashion legends, and vintage glamour set against modern-day chaos. Whether through a lens or a pair of Meta glasses—“the devil,” according to Elordi—Planes’s portraits reveal the pulse of a city momentarily transformed into a cinematic universe of its own.
From the elegance of the Gritti Palace to the madness outside the premiere fences, 2025’s Venice Film Festival was a glorious, surreal spectacle. One that—true to the city’s nature—felt like living inside a dream.
