The lineup for the 83rd Venice International Film Festival was announced on Thursday, July 23, coming on the heels of the first wave of announcements from the Toronto International Film Festival. That means we're officially entering fall festival season, the multi-week stretch in late August and September where many of the biggest contenders for the 99th Academy Awards will make their world premieres and begin their awards campaigns.

Acclaimed actress and filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal will serve as Jury President for this year's Main Competition. Joining her on the jury are composer Daniel Blumberg, filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, whose documentary The Voice of Hind Rajab won the Grand Jury Prize at Venice last year, Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To, Italian film theorist Francesco Casetti, and several other internationally acclaimed artists.

The reaction to this year's lineup has been somewhat mixed. Many critics and industry observers expressed disappointment that several heavily rumored titles ultimately didn't make the cut. The competition lineup has also drawn criticism for its lack of representation, featuring just one film directed by a woman, Danish filmmaker May el-Toukhy's Woman Unknown. 

We break down what this all means before our host of The Awards Tape, Paul Rai, ships off to Venice next month!