Venice Film Festival confirms cyberattack that exposes personal data of accredited participants

The Venice Film Festival has confirmed a cyberattack that compromised the personal information of accredited participants, including journalists, ahead of its 82nd edition later this month. According to a notification sent to those affected, the breach occurred on July 7, 2025, when unauthorized individuals accessed and copied files from the festival’s servers.

The exposed data includes names, email addresses, phone numbers, mailing addresses, and tax codes for attendees eligible to reclaim VAT on their accreditation fees. The breach came to light after journalists from The Hollywood Reporter received notification letters from the festival.

Festival organizers stated that the IT team responded swiftly by isolating the affected systems and securing them to prevent further unauthorized access. "The competent authorities were immediately informed, and restoration operations were initiated," the organizers noted.

Officials emphasized that the compromised database did not include core operational data for the 2025 festival. Accreditation payments, booking systems, and ticketing platforms remain unaffected.

Participants concerned about the breach or seeking additional information have been advised to contact the festival’s data protection officer at privacy@labiennale.org.

This is not the first time a major European film event has faced cybersecurity challenges. In 2022, the Cannes Film Festival reported a disruption to its online ticketing system caused by a bot-driven overload.

The Venice Film Festival, the world’s oldest and one of the most prestigious cinematic events, is scheduled to run from August 27 to September 9, 2025. Despite the breach, organizers are moving forward with preparations for the upcoming edition.