Cyberattack at Venice Film Festival

The Venice International Film Festival, which is now in its 82nd year, has confirmed that it was the target of a serious cyberattack, which compromised the personal data of numerous accredited participants. The incident took place in July, just weeks before the official opening of the prestigious event, scheduled between August 27 and September 9, 2025.

• What data was stolen

According to The Hollywood Reporter, which obtained a copy of the notification sent to the victims, the hackers managed to access and copy sensitive documents stored on the festival's servers. The stolen information includes: participants' names, their email addresses,

phone numbers, tax codes, postal addresses. These are most likely journalists, members of the film industry and VIP guests, all officially accredited.

• Organizers' reaction: rapid intervention and informing the authorities

The festival organizers said that the IT team reacted "promptly", isolating and securing the affected systems to prevent further damage. In parallel, the competent authorities have been notified, and restoration and investigation procedures are already underway. "The systems were immediately isolated and the security of our platforms reviewed. We are working with the authorities to determine the exact extent of the breach," the festival representatives said in a statement.

• A worrying precedent in the world of European festivals

This is not the first case in which a major film event in Europe is the target of cyber attacks. In 2022, the Cannes Film Festival faced a wave of automated requests generated by "bots" that affected its online ticketing system. Although no personal data was compromised at the time, the incident raised alarm bells about the vulnerability of the digital infrastructure of major festivals.

• Digital security - a new challenge for event organizers

The Venice incident reminds us how important cybersecurity measures are for international event organizers. In a context in which more and more procedures - from accreditations to reservations and live broadcasts - are carried out digitally, cyber attacks can have a serious impact not only on logistics but also on reputation. For now, there is no information about possible claims of the attack or about the publication of stolen data on illegal platforms. However, affected participants are advised to remain vigilant and monitor for possible unauthorized uses of their data.