The Venice Film Festival is already assembling a cinematic buffet so lavish that movie lovers may need a second appetite. The 83rd edition, running from September 2 to 12, 2026, will feature Danny Boyle’s Ink, Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine, and Casey Affleck’s Company, with Maggie Gyllenhaal presiding over the main competition jury. Among the festival’s many conversation starters is Big Little Things, an upcoming Chinese lesbian drama that has viewers all the more curious.

The upcoming Chinese lesbian drama has viewers especially curious, with Big Little Things promising to add another intriguing title to Venice’s already conversation-packed lineup.

Big Little Things follows Lei, a young woman who returns to her hometown of Harbin, China, after years in the United States. With the Lunar New Year bringing her traditional middle-class family together, Lei hires a man to pose as her perfect fiancé, hoping to dodge the questions, criticism, and pressure surrounding her personal life.

That carefully staged family performance begins to unravel when Lei’s actual girlfriend unexpectedly arrives at the family home. Suddenly caught between her romantic truth and the expectations inherited from her family and culture, Lei must confront questions of identity, intimacy, displacement, and the painful compromises that can emerge when personal freedom collides with tradition. Naturally, the intriguing setup has viewers eager to know when Big Little Things will finally be released.

Big Little Things began as an original short-film concept developed by its director before expanding into a Hong Kong–United States co-production. The feature earned the Activator Market Potential Award at the 2025 Golden Horse Film Project Promotion in Taipei and is now preparing for its international festival debut at Venice.

Venice Film Festival 2026 Dates, Venue, Schedule & Everything Else You Need to Know

As for a wider release, viewers will have to remain patient. Big Little Things currently has no confirmed theatrical or streaming premiere date, with Moebius Entertainment handling worldwide sales and international festival representation while potential global distribution deals are expected to follow its Venice reception, where George Clooney will receive his lifetime achievement award. And while the film’s release plans remain under wraps, the intriguing cast of Big Little Things gives viewers yet another reason to keep the drama on their radar.

The cast of Big Little Things brings together a compelling ensemble rooted in independent Chinese cinema. Leading the film is Ling Hu as Lei, alongside Cuishan Liang, Jialing Sun, and Wu Chunli, with Bin Yu, Xiao Lei, and Li Bei rounding out the supporting cast. The film is written and directed by Michelle Tong Zhou, whose work has earned recognition from the Sundance Film Festival Screenwriters' Lab and the Shanghai International Film Festival.

Behind the camera, Chunwei Xie serves as co-producer, while Shuxuan Mei handles cinematography, Yang Yang and Aijing Xu share editing duties, and Zheng Liu composes the original score. With its intriguing premise, independent cinema pedigree, and international festival debut, Big Little Things is shaping up to be one of the more curious titles to watch when the 2026 Venice Film Festival gets underway.

Elon Musk Banks on Mads Mikkelsen and Nikolaj Arcel’s 2023 Venice Film Festival Moment to Continue His Takedown of Christopher Nolan

Are you excited to watch Big Little Things? Let us know in the comments!