Nanni Moretti's new romantic drama It Will Happen Tonight received a nine-minute standing ovation at its Venice Film Festival premiere, marking the veteran Italian director's first world premiere at the festival in 37 years. The screening is notable because Moretti has historically favoured the Cannes Film Festival, where he has premiered nine competition films, winning best director in 1994 and the Palme d'Or in 2004; his return to Venice competition, only his second Golden Lion bid, therefore carries symbolic weight, especially as it comes after he suffered a heart attack in spring 2025.

The film, starring Louis Garrel and Jasmine Trinca as a bookseller and actress drawn to one another despite other relationships, is loosely based on a short story by Israeli writer Eshkol Nevo. Moretti explained at the press conference that his long absence from Venice was down to production scheduling rather than any snub, noting his films are typically shot in summer and ready for Cannes rather than the autumn Venice slot. He was warmly received throughout the day, with lengthy applause at the press conference and a sold-out gala screening.