The 80th Venice Film Festival came to a close with the announcement of the main awards, including the prestigious Golden Lion. It has been an eventful 10 days filled with talented filmmakers and striking writers and actors.
Despite the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the festival showcased a lineup of exceptional films. Some of the competition films that received high praise were Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things,” which received a standing ovation during its world premiere, Agnieszka Holland’s “Green Border,” Matteo Garrone’s “I am Captain,” Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Evil Does Not Exist,” David Fincher’s “The Killer,” Nicolaj Arcel’s “The Promised Land,” and Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro.”
The anticipation was high as the jury, led by Damien Chazelle, prepared to cast their votes. The winners were announced during the closing ceremony. Here is the list of the main award winners:
– Golden Lion: To be announced
– Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize: To be announced
– Silver Lion Best Director: To be announced
– Special Jury Prize: To be announced
– Best Screenplay: To be announced
– Best Actress: To be announced
– Best Actor: Peter Sarsgaard for “Memory”
– Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress: Seydou Sarr for “I Captain”
In the Horizons section, the winners were:
– Best Film: “Explanation For Everything” by Gábor Reisz
– Best Director: Mika Gustafson for “Paradise Is Burning”
– Special Jury Prize: “An Endless Sunday” by Alain Parroni
– Best Actress: Pink Daisy of Francisco for “Paradise”
– Best Actor: Tergel Bold-Erdene for “City of Wind”
– Best Screenplay: “El Paraiso” by Enrico Maria Artale
– Best Short Film: “A Short Trip” by Erenik Beqiri
The Lion of the Future award for a debut film went to Lee Hong-Chi for “Love Is A Gun.” The Horizons Extra Audience Award was given to “HAPPINESS” by Micaela Ramazzotti.
In the Venice Classics section, the winners were:
– Best Documentary: “Thank You Very Much” by Alex Braverman
– Best Restored Film: “OHIKKOSHI (MOVING)” by Shinji Somai
Finally, in the Venice Immersive section, the winners were:
– Grand Jury Prize: “Songs For A Passerby” by Celine Daemen
– Special Jury Prize: “Flow” by Adriaan Lokman
– Immersive Achievement Prize: “Emperor” by Marion Burger and Ilan Cohen
The 80th Venice Film Festival was a celebration of outstanding cinema and the resilience of the film industry amidst strikes and challenges. The festival showcased incredible talent from around the world and left audiences eagerly anticipating the next year’s edition.