Only two women across roughly 20 Golden Lion contenders at Venice 2026

El-Toukhy's "Woman Unknown" was the sole female-directed Golden Lion entry when Venice's 83rd competition was announced in July 2026. A later addition, NAZA, co-directed by Rachel Szor, brought the total to two of roughly 20. Cannes 2026 had five of 22; Berlinale had seven of 17. El-Toukhy told The Guardian: "we're kind of returning to what it used to be."