Payne, 64, who himself has never won any prize in Venice, made his feature film debut with "Citizen Ruth" in 1996 and is best known for films such as "Sideways", "The Descendants", "About Schmidt" and most recently "The Holdovers" – several of them Oscar-awarded.
According to the Venice Biennale's board, the American is the perfect candidate for the role.
Alexander Payne belongs to the smaller circle of filmmakers/cineasts whose passion for film is driven by knowledge of films from the past and curiosity about contemporary film, without borders or barriers of any kind, says the film festival's artistic director Alberto Barbera in a statement.
The 82nd film festival in Venice, where the prestigious Golden Lion will be awarded, among other things, takes place between August 27 and September 6.
