‘All the Beauty and the Bloodshed’ Wins Venice Film Festival Golden Lion: See All the Winners
After nearly two weeks of lush red carpets, timed standing ovations, and viral “Don’t Worry Darling” drama, the 79th Venice Film Festival comes to a close on Saturday in the Sala Grande at the Palazzo del Cinema (Lido di Venezia). Julianne Moore chairs the festival’s jury alongside her fellow judges and elite film peers Mariano Cohn, Leonardo di Costanzo, Audrey Diwan, Leila Hatami, Kazuo Ishiguro, and Rodrigo Sorogoyen.
“I feel like so often the discussion around the future of cinema ends up being a discussion that’s more commercial, more business oriented,” Moore said in her opening remarks on August 31. “When we talk about the future of cinema it often degrades into what the future of the business is. That’s not the future of art.”
Established in 1932, Venice is the oldest ongoing cinematic awards celebration and is regarded among the world’s most esteemed international film festivals. 22 titles are in contention for this year’s Golden Lion — Venice’s prestigious top prize, awarded to Audrey Diwan’s searing abortion drama “Happening” in 2021 — with no clear frontrunner.
Adapted from Don DeLillo’s novel of the same name, Noah Baumbach’s “White Noise” marked Netflix’s first time opening the festival and struck IndieWire’s David Ehrlich as “equal parts inspired and exasperating.” Another adaption, one from playwright Samuel D. Hunter, Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale” garnered significant buzz thanks to star Brendan Fraser: a likely Best Actor recipient for his performance as a depressed 600-pound man.
As for the Best Actress race: Ana de Armas stars as Marilyn Monroe in “Blonde,” Andrew Dominik’s underwhelming psychological drama that still sees a strong showing from the “Knives Out” scene-stealer. Meanwhile, Cate Blanchett anchors Todd Field’s TÁR as a world-famous classical composer and conductor in what Ehrlich called “one of the most exciting new American films in years.”
Also in competition for top prizes are Alice Diop’s “Saint Omer,” Kōji Fukada’s “Love Life,” Rebecca Zlotowski’s “Other People’s Children,” Martin McDonagh’s “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Luca Guadagnino’s “Bones and All,” and more.
Venice’s field, mirrored by stiff competition at both Telluride and Toronto, spells a muddled fight to the finish for this year’s Academy Awards’ Best Picture race. Other non-documentary films screened at Venice — out of competition — include Ti West’s “Pearl,” Olivia Wilde’s “Don’t Worry Darling,” Kim Ki-duk’s “Call of God,” and “Dead for a Dollar”: a film from this year’s Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker Award honoree Walter Hill.
MAIN COMPETITION
Best Young Actor:“Bones and All,” Taylor Russell
Best Actor: Colin Farrell, “The Banshees of Inisherin”
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, “TÁR”
Best Screenplay: “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Martin McDonagh
Special Jury Prize: “No Bears,” Jafar Panahi
Silver Lion for Best Director: “Bones and All,” Luca Guadagnino
Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize:“Saint Omer,” Alice Diop
Golden Lion: “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” Laura Poitras
HORIZONS
Best Short Film: “Snow in September,” Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir
Best Screenplay: “Blanquita,” Fernando Guzzoni
Best Actor: “World War III,” Mohsen Tanabandeh
Best Actress: “Vera,” Vera Gemma
Special Jury Prize: “Bread and Salt,” Damian Kocur
Best Director: “Vera,” Tizza Covi, Rainer Frimmel
Best Film: “World War III,” Houman Seyyedi
HORIZONS EXTRA
Audience Award: “Nezouh,” Soudade Kaadan
LION OF THE FUTURE
Award for Best Debut Feature: “Saint Omer,” Alice Diop
VENICE IMMMERSIVE
Special Jury Prize: “Eggscape,” German Heller, Jorge Tereso, Federico Heller
Grand Jury Prize: “From the Main Square,” Pedro Harres
Best Immersive Experience: “The Man Who Couldn’t Leave,” Chen Singing
VENICE CLASSICS
Best Restored Film: “Branded to Kill,” Seijun Suzuki
Best Documentary of Cinema: “Fragments of Paradise,” K.D. Davison
VENICE DAYS (previously announced)
Cinema of the Future Award: “The Maiden,” Graham Foy
Director’s Award: “Wolf and Dog,” Cláudia Varejão
People’s Choice Award: “Blue Jean,” Georgia Oakley
CRITICS’ WEEK (previously announced)
Grand Prize: “Eismayer,” David Wagner
Special Mention: “Anhell69,” Theo Montoya
Audience Award: “Margini,” Niccolò Falsetti
Verona Film Club Award: “Anhell69,” Theo Montoya
Mario Serandrei – Hotel Saturnia Award for Best Technical Contribution: “Anhell69,” Theo Montoya
Best Short Film: “Puiet,” Lorenzo Fabbro and Bronte Stahl
Best Director (Short Film): “Albertine Where Are You?,” Maria Guidone
Best Technical Contribution (Short Film): “Reginetta,” Federico Russotto
