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The sidebar, and its accompanying Italian cinema section Venice Nights, includes 25 world premieres, more than half of which (14) are directed by women.

My Notes on Mars from Hungarian director Lili Horvát (Preparations to Be Together for an Unknown Period of Time) will open Venice Days, screening in competition. Horvát’s English-language debut stars Mackenzie Davis and Rupert Friend in the story of a young scientist who mysteriously disappears only to show up weeks later at her own memorial service with no memory of what happened.

Kuba Dorabialski’s Agata the Writer, starring Mia Wasikowska as an Australian author in Sarajevo, will also premiere in competition, alongside Pauline Julier and Nicolas Chapoulier’s period drama The Indies; Boris Hadžija and Hoda Taheri’s hybrid fiction-documentary I Plant My Hand in the Garden; and Nicola Sorcinelli’s debut Balcanica, the only Italian title in competition, about an Afghan father and son who, after music is banned in their country, try to flee to Europe.

Other highlights include María Aparicio’s Sadness Sometimes, Other Times Revolt, a drama centered on two Argentines in Madrid; Mykyta Gibalenko’s debut Camouflage, about a young Ukrainian in Germany whose separation from home is transformed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; a Damilola Orimogunje’s family melodrama Dear Ajayi, which will be the first Nigerian movie to screen in Venice Days competition.

Léa Domenach’s Man’s Skin, a queer feminist musical comedy set in the Italian Renaissance and featuring Catherine Deneuve, will close Venice Days, screening out of competition.

An all-woman jury, headed by Spanish filmmaker Carla Simón (Alcarràs, Summer 1993) with Italian director Sara Fgaier (Weightless), and Hania Mroué, director of Beirut’s Metropolis Cinema, will pick the winner of the GdA Director’s Award, which carries a €20,000 ($23,000) cash prize to be split between the director and the film’s international distributor. The Lido audience will vote for the Audience Award, while the Europa Cinemas jury will choose the Europa Cinemas Label from the European films in the lineup.

Roberta Torre’s Scarpe rotte will open Venetian Nights, the sidebar’s Italian cinema program. The film, starring Barbara Ronchi, is freely inspired by the life of Natalia Ginzburg and is set in wartime Rome.

Miu Miu Women’s Tales, a short film anthology series created by fashion brand Miu Miu, returns to Venice Days with Discipline, a new short from Mona Fastvold (The Testament of Ann Lee) and Avec Kim, from French auteur Claire Denis (Beau Travail), the latter starring Suzanne Lindon and Kim Gordon.

The 2026 Venice Days will also include talks, industry events and public programs at the Casa degli Autori and Sala Laguna. Among them are the return of #confronti, the fourth edition of the Declaration of Filmmakers, a soundtracks event organized with ACMF, the second edition of Africa Chiama, and a new collaboration with Venezia CULT that will bring cartoonists Leo Ortolani and Dave McKean to the Lido.

The Venice Film Festival will announce its competition lineup on Thursday, July 23.

The full 2026 Venice Days lineup:

IN COMPETITION

Sadness Sometimes, Other Times Revolt, dir: María Aparicio (Argentina, Spain)

Agata the Writer, dir: Kuba Dorabialski (Australia)

Balcanica, dir: Nicola Sorcinelli (Italy, Serbia, Croatia)

Camouflage, dir: Mykyta Gibalenko (Germany)

Dear Ajayi, dir: Damilola Orimogunje (Nigeria, Germany)

I Plant My Hand in the Garden, dirs.: Boris Hadžija, Hoda Taheri (Germany, Serbia, USA)

The Indies, dirs.: Pauline Julier, Nicolas Chapoulier (Switzerland, Spain)

My Notes on Mars, dir: Lili Horvát (Hungary, Austria)

Salón de Belleza, dir: Nathalia Acevedo (Mexico, France)

A Woman Today, dir: Robert Guédiguian (France, Italy)

OUT OF COMPETITION

Man’s Skin, dir: Léa Domenach (France) Closing Film

SPECIAL EVENTS

Al Baraneya, dir: Ashgan El-Hamus (Netherlands, Egypt, Belgium, Saudi Arabia)

Carla Lonzi, A Feminist Story, dir: Francesca Archibugi (Italy)

The Phantom, dirs.: Ignacio Masllorens, David Lamelas (Argentina)

The Massacre, dir: Cosimo Messeri (Italy)

Even If Hell Came, dir: Samuele Rossi (Italy)

VENICE NIGHTS

Anatomia di un ritratto, dirs.: Francesco Clerici, Mattia Colombo (Italy, Switzerland)

Auber 89, dir: Giuseppe Schillaci (France, Italy)

Domenica capitale – Genere domenicale, dir: Giovanna Giuliani (Italy)

La leggenda del deserto, dir: Elisabetta Giannini (Italy)

Memoria del lampo, dir: Riccardo Giacconi (Italy)

Il mestiere, dir: Beppe Tufarulo (Italy, Belgium, France)

Scarpe rotte, dir: Roberta Torre (Italy) Opening Film

Si sveglia e sbadiglia, il gatto; poi l’amore, dirs.: Federico Francioni, Samuele Sestieri (Italy)

Uno si distrae al bivio, dir: Alessandra Lancellotti (Italy) %!s()

So the pair put on a concert at Berlin’s Columbia theater, and live-streamed it on YouTube.

Instead of talking about being canceled by ZDF, and the fierce debate it has sparked in the German media about freedom of speech, the band focused on raising the alarm about the rise of Germany‘s far-right.

“How should we deal with the fascists who are entering parliaments and taking to the streets?” Danger Dan asked the Berlin audience. “How do we deal with right-wing violence that is exploding and becoming increasingly brutal?”

“How do we help people [who] fear leaving their homes because Nazis are patrolling?” added Levit. “How can one alleviate their fear and show them they are not alone?”

ZDF director General Norbert Himmler defended the decision to pull the band. Their new song is “a manual for violent left-wing resistance,” Himmler told German newspaper Süddeutschen Zeitung. The lyrics to “Keine Angst” include lines suggesting activists out “nazi pigs” by doxxing far-right extremists. The song ends with a what appears to be a friendly greeting to left-wing activists who have been either convicted of, or are on trial for, violent attacks against members of the far-right.

But not everyone agrees with ZDF’s decision. The hosts of Die Anstalt called the network’s decision “cowardly,” and used their show to argue that ZDF should have let Levit and Danger Dan perform. The comedians attended Tuesday’s concert, sitting in the front row.

In an open letter on Monday, eight members of ZDF’s television council called out Himmler for pulling the song.

“ZDF missed an opportunity to spark a debate about right-wing extremism in Germany and the various ways to combat it,” the letter reads. “The cancellation of the performance by Danger Dan and Igor Levit thus demonstrates not only a lack of courage but also a lack of trust in the program’s editorial team…We fear this could have a chilling effect.”

The debate is coming against the backdrop of rising support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), a xenophobic and anti-migrant party that is currently leading national opinion polls. Many consider the AfD a threat to German democracy and have called for the party to be banned. The party is not currently in power anywhere in the country but that could change this year. The AfD is within striking distance of achieving an absolute majority in state elections in Saxony-Anhalt in September. %!s()

The authors said the problem can be better managed if governments track where mining is taking place, measure how much sand and gravel is removed, and set extraction limits based on how much sediment rivers can naturally replenish.

The review, published in the journal Reviews of Geophysics, looked at 411 peer-reviewed studies published since 1974.

It found that river sand and gravel mining is a growing global sustainability challenge linked to urbanization, infrastructure development, river degradation and the security of communities living along rivers and deltas.

Where reliable measurements exist, annual extraction of sand and gravel often exceeds natural sediment supply by several times.

This can deepen riverbeds, weaken riverbanks, lower groundwater levels, worsen water quality and push saltwater further inland in coastal and delta regions.

These changes can damage bridges, roads and buildings; harm river habitats; and affect farms, fisheries and livelihoods.

The paper was written by 26 international authors who are leading researchers in river sand mining, sediment transport, deltas, ecology and sustainability.

The team brought together evidence from Southeast Asia, South Asia, China, Africa, Europe and South America.

The NTU team was led by associate professor Edward Park from the National Institute of Education (NIE) and a principal investigator at the Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS).

Other senior NTU researchers involved include professor Adam Switzer from the Asian School of the Environment and EOS, and professor Chu Jian, chair of the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

As the corresponding author, Park said the team not only showed that river sand mining is a serious global problem but also set out practical ways to manage it.

"Sand is essential to the growth of cities, including in Singapore and Southeast Asia, but its extraction can place pressure on rivers and the communities that depend on them," said Park.

"Our review shows that governments can better manage this by treating sand mining as a river-basin issue, using satellite monitoring, field surveys and sediment-budget analysis to decide where extraction can take place, how much can be removed, and which areas should be protected."

A data gap in sand mining

Sand is one of the world's most widely used natural resources, forming a key ingredient in concrete, roads, land reclamation and other infrastructure.

Demand has grown as cities expand and countries build more housing, transportation networks and coastal protection.

Yet the review found that many countries still lack the basic data needed to manage river sand mining. Only 27% of the studies reviewed quantified the extent of extraction, while 24% analyzed what drives demand. In contrast, 69% focused on impacts.

"You cannot solve a problem you cannot see. When sand mining is poorly tracked, governments are often left responding after rivers have already changed and communities have already been affected," said Park, whose team demonstrated a satellite-based method for tracking sand mining in the Mekong River in 2024.

Using the Mekong River as an example, the team estimated that more than 50 million metric tonnes of sand had been extracted, compared with a permitted amount of about 20 million metric tonnes.

This was more than 150% above the permitted limit, with about 60% of the total amount extracted illegally.

"Better data would help regulators act earlier, from setting extraction limits and enforcing permits to identifying illegal or unsustainable mining before the damage spreads," he added.

Managing sand mining at river-basin scale

To organize the evidence, the researchers developed a new driver-to-management pathway for a sustainable sand and gravel mining framework.

It links the demand for sand to where extraction takes place, how rivers and surrounding ecosystems are affected, and what governments can do in response.

The review found a scale mismatch: Demand is often driven by regional and global construction markets, while the impacts are usually felt by local rivers and communities. In some cases, these effects move downstream and spread beyond the mining site.

The authors said this means sand mining should be managed at the scale of river basins, with extraction limits based on sediment budgets, which estimate how much sand and gravel a river can naturally supply and replace over time.

Satellites, drones and river surveys can help manage sand mining

The authors said monitoring systems should combine satellite imagery, drone surveys, sonar mapping, field surveys and river modeling.

Satellite imagery can help identify dredging vessels, sediment plumes and active mining areas across large and remote river networks, while drone surveys and high-resolution aerial images can help map smaller or harder-to-detect mining sites.

Bathymetric mapping, which measures the shape and depth of riverbeds, can show the scars left by dredging, including pits and deepened channels.

Repeated sonar surveys can help governments measure how much sediment has been removed and how riverbeds are changing over time.

These data can be combined with river models to estimate how rivers may respond to different extraction levels.

Having such a combination of technologies can help regulators identify areas where controlled extraction may be less harmful and exclusion zones where mining should be restricted to protect erosion-prone or environmentally sensitive stretches.

Why it matters for Southeast Asia

The findings are especially relevant to Southeast Asia, where rapid urban development continues to drive demand for construction materials.

For cities such as Singapore, the issue is not only local construction demand but also the wider regional supply chains that provide sand and other building materials.

As alternative materials will take time to scale up, sand is expected to remain a major construction material.

The authors, including senior research fellow Dr. Dung Duc Tran, research associates Kai Wan Yuen and Sonu Kumar, said more transparent sourcing and more responsible use of sand will therefore be important as countries continue to build housing, transportation networks and coastal protection.

They added that demand-side measures may also help ease pressure on rivers, such as using sand more efficiently in construction and developing suitable alternatives, like processed construction waste, recycled glass and treated bottom ash from waste incineration.

At NTU, researchers from the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering have been studying ways to turn waste materials into construction resources, including treated incineration bottom ash and other recycled materials.

As part of the solution, Park's team has developed a sustainable sand-harvesting technology that can help identify where sand and gravel may be extracted, and in what quantities, while reducing environmental and social impacts.

More information

Edward Park et al, River Sand and Gravel Mining: Global Drivers, Impacts, and Pathways for Sustainable Management, Reviews of Geophysics (2026). DOI: 10.1029/2024rg000868

Who's behind this story?

Swati Mestri

Swati Mestri holds a bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering and has worked as a content editor since 2019. She has experience editing research documents across technology, health care, and materials science, and has a particular interest in technology and space. Full profile →

Robert Egan

Bachelor's in mathematical biology, Master's in creative writing. Well-traveled with unique perspectives on science and language. Full profile →

Citation: Study finds river sand mining is outstripping nature's supply (2026, July 21) retrieved 22 July 2026 from https://phys.org/news/2026-07-river-sand-outstripping-nature.html

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The following titles will disappear from the PS Plus Extra and Premium catalog on August 18 (the first five were supposed to be removed in July):

PS Plus Extra and Premium subscribers have until August 18 to get all they can out of these games, or just buy them outright. Well, as much as you can buy any game in a digital landscape driven by DRM and overt corporate control, that is. 

Starting July 21, the PS Plus Extra and Premium digital catalog is getting Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Rise of the Ronin, Firefighting Simulator: Ignite, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind, Dying Light, Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector and Snow Bros. Wonderland, while Premium subscribers also receive access to Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy and Indigo Prophecy.

There are a few bangers on both the leaving and arriving catalog lists, and we can heartily recommend checking out Dead Island 2, Harold Halibut, Dying Light and Citizen Sleeper 2.

Note that this is a separate drop from the monthly games that PS Plus Essential, Extra and Premium subscribers can download from the PlayStation Store and keep for as long as their membership remains active. That current batch, available from July 7 to August 3, is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, For the King II and CrossCode.

If all of these subscription tiers and digital catalog restrictions make your head hurt, be sure to stock up on pain relievers before the next console generation. Sony announced this summer that it will stop producing disc-based games in 2028, all but confirming that its next console, the PS6, won't support physical media at all. Meanwhile, Xbox is similarly building out its online and cloud marketplace, and even Nintendo is pushing digital purchases with comparatively cheaper pricing and game-key cards that require an internet connection for the initial download. Valve has entered the living room market with a SteamOS PC, and the digital-first handheld market is strong. Subscriptions and licensing agreements are the present and future of video games, for better or worse. %!s()

This year, they included Chris Stapleton, Cody Jinks, and Zach Top, alongside support acts like Greensky Bluegrass, Stephen Wilson Jr., Charles Wesley Godwin, Marcus King Band, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Kaitlin Butts. Here’s the best of what we saw at the July tradition.

Ryan Bingham and Duane Betts summon the Allmans.

Hot on the heels on his latest album, They Call Us the Lucky Ones, Bingham and his raucous outfit tore apart the Great Northern stage with their brand of honky-tonk and nitty-gritty alt-country. The pinnacle of the set, however, and maybe even the entire weekend, was when guitarist Duane Betts made a surprise appearance for a rendition of the Allman Brothers’ “Whipping Post, playing his father Dickey Betts’ Gibson Les Paul.

Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of Bingham’s debut record, Mescalito. “I was a whole different person back then, being a young guy playing the guitar. I really got into it as a means of therapy, writing songs and getting stuff off my chest,” Bingham says. “I never intended on performing for anybody or thought I had the ability to. I just thought, ‘Maybe I’ll write some songs and maybe one day somebody would record one, and I’d make a little money and get me out of the trailer park.’”

Stephen Wilson Jr. brings the holler to the mountains.

Wilson is on a rocket-ship ride, outgrowing small clubs for arenas and festivals within the matter of a few years. At UTBS, the singer-songwriter (and now eyeglass line designer) hypnotized the audience with his rhythmic acoustic guitar playing and songs like “Gary” and “Billy”: “You can call me Billy/but the hills come with me.” “I haven’t looked in the rear-view mirror much,” he says of his fast-paced ascent. “It’s all happening at an alarming rate. My dreams out-dreamt me a long time ago.”

Editor’s picks

Kaitlin Butts charms the ranch with Oklahoma swagger.

Butts was given a big Montana welcome when she stepped onto the Great Northern Stage to a swath of folks eager to see the self-professed “theater kid” perform live. The Oklahoma native put in the work and is finally breaking on a national level with songs like new single “Never Really Mine.” “I used to kind of wonder when it was going to pick up,” Butts says. “Now I realize it was because I wasn’t ready, and now I feel fully ready for anything.”

Cole Chaney takes the party downtown.

A little after midnight on Saturday, Cole Chaney took the stage at the Great Northern Bar & Grill in downtown Whitefish to mix alt-country and folk with Nineties hard rock. It worked: The Kentucky troubadour mesmerized with songs off his In the Shadow of the Mountain album, like the fiery “Alone.” “I’m not interested in overnight sensation,” Chaney says. “I’m trying my best to take inventory, pay attention and have a good time.”

Benjamin Tod taps into his untethered past.

A freight train sitting on the railroad tracks behind the stage as Tod delivered songs like “Wyoming” was a fitting image: The songwriter is an unrepentant train-hopper. “Right now? I’d get right on it,” Tod says. “[Train hopping] is a feeling of accomplishment, a feeling that you keep moving forward in life. For me, I still long for this. There’s a deep connection that I have with the railroad and traveling.”

Mountain Grass Unit are the fest’s MVPs.

Pulling triple-duty at UTBS on Saturday, Alabama jamgrass group Mountain Grass Unit ended up playing both stages at the ranch (they covered Waylon Wyatt’s set due to illness), plus a late-night gig at the nearby Remington Bar. No matter, the acoustic outfit is used to the hustle. They have a new album on the way, along with a Grand Ole Opry debut, and a stacked tour itinerary. Their bluegrass-heavy set lived up to the hype.

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“It’s so big now,” MGU guitarist Luke Black says of bluegrass’s popularity. “Part of the reason why is this boom in AI, [where] everything is so predictable and generated. Bluegrass is the opposite — it’s so raw and broken down, just strict playing and improvising.”

Old Crow Medicine Show connect the circle.

Under a shady pine grove on a small ridge, Old Crow Medicine Show held court for an intimate “Gospel Sunday” set. The current lineup for the Nashville band’s summer tour includes founding member Willie Watson, who left the group in 2011. For Old Crow frontman Ketch Secor, who led Old Crow through staples like “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” it was a joyful reunion.

“It’s like if the [Oakland] A’s got Rickey Henderson back and weren’t moving to fuckin’ Vegas,” Secor says of Watson’s return. “This is a family, and this band has experienced all these years and multiple generations within the band. Getting him back on our team, it’s just putting such spirit and pep in our step.”

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Leftover Salmon shut it down.

Another year at UTBS came to a close with Leftover Salmon turning in a late-night showcase at the Great Northern Bar & Grill that went into the wee hours of Monday morning. With bodies packed into the sardine-can venue, the Colorado jamgrass kings rolled through an hour-and-a-half straight set, including odes to Tom Petty (“Runnin’ Down a Dream”) and Dave Dudley (“Six Days on the Road”).

“Everybody’s at their best at a festival,” Salmon guitarist Vince Herman says. “We have an incredibly skewed view of the world because we get to see people at festivals all the time — I like that skewed view of the universe.” %!s()