82nd Venice International Film Festival Award Winners

So, it's over. Another year another festival that ends with unremarkable winners BUT during the festival audiences, industry pundits and film critics reactions to films were undoubtedly quite interesting and highlighted films that should get our attention. I know Jarmusch is a great filmmaker and surely the award is well-deserved; but let's be clear, American cinema does not need the buzz and noise that come as consequence of winning the top award, or any other award, at any of the three main film festivals. It's the World Cinema the one that needs all the noise that could be "free" generated by winning awards as then, and only then, film could become top-of-mind of industry buyers, distributors, and more important, audiences.

Truth is that 2025 Venice fest had many films that rose to my top-of-mind and I'm looking forward to have the opportunity of watching them, I just wish some of them could have gotten some recognition, sigh.

Ci vediamo nell prossimo anno!!!

---///--- Today, September 3, 2025 the post will start as of tomorrow awards will start to be announced and yes, there are some that already had their announcement.

Post will be in progress until after the awards ceremony next Saturday.

The Award Winners

Official Selection

Competition

Golden Lion for Best Film: Father, Mother, Brother, Sister, Jim Jarmusch, USA, France and Ireland

Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize: The Voice of Hind Rajab, Kaouther Ben Hania, Tunisia and France
Special Jury Prize: Sotto le nuvole (Below The Clouds), Gianfranco Rosi, Italy (documentary)

Silver Lion for Best Director: Benny Safdie for The Smashing Machine, Benny Safdie, Canada, USA and Japan

Copa Volpi for Best Actress: Xin Zhilei in 日掛中天 Ri Gua Zhong Tian (Sun Rises on Us All), Cai Shangjun, China
Copa Volpi for Best Actor: Toni Servillo in La Grazia (Grace) by Paolo Sorrentino, Italy
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actress or Actor:  Luna Wedler in Csendes barát (Silent Friend), Ildikó Enyedi, Germany, France and Hungary

Best Screenplay: Valérie Donzelli and Gilles Marchand for À pied d'œuvre, Valérie Donzelli, France 
Lion of the Future - Luigi de Laurentiis Award for Best Debut Film: Short Summer, Nastia Korkia, Germany, France, and Serbia


Orizzonti Awards
Best Film: En El Camino, David Pablos, Mexico and France
Special Jury Prize: Harà watan (Lost Land), Akio Fujimoto, Japan, France, Malaysia, and Germany
Best Director: Anuparna Roy for Songs of Forgotten Trees, Anuparna Roy, India
Best Actress: Benedetta Porcaroli in Il Rapimento di Arabella (The Kidnapping or Arabella), Carolina Cavalli, Italy
Best Actor: Giacomo Covi in Un anno di scuola (A Year of School), Laura Samani, Italy and France
Best Screenplay: Ana Cristina Barragán for Hiedra (The Ivy), Ana Cristina Barragán, Ecuador, Mexico, France and Spain

Best Short Film: Utan Kelly (Without Kelly), Lovisa Sirén, Sweden 15'
Short Film nominee for the European Film Awards:

Venezia Spotlight
Armani Beauty Audience Award: Calle Málaga, Maryam Touzani, Morocco, France, Spain, Germany and Belgium

Venice Classics
Best Documentary on Cinema: Mata Hari, Joe Beshernkovsky and James A. Smith, USA
Best Restored Film: Bashu, Gharibeye Koochak (Bashu, The Little Stranger), Bahram Beyzale, Iran, 1985

Venice Immersive
Grand Prize: The Clouds are Two Thousand Meters Up, Singing Chen, Taiwan and Germany
Special Jury Prize: Less Than 5gr of Saffron, Négar Motevalymeidanshah, France
Achievement Prize: A Long Goodbye, Kate Voet and Victor Maes, Belgium, Luxembourg and Netherlands

To check Official Selection winners at festival site go here.

Autonomous Sections

21st Giornate degli Autori
Director's Award: درون امیر Daroon-e Amir (Inside Amir), Amir Arizi, Iran
Label Europa Cinemas Award: Arkoudotrypa (Bearcave), Stergios Dinopoulos and Krysianna B. Papadakis, Greece
People's Choice Award: (tie)
Memory, Vladlena Sandu, France and Netherland 
A Sad and Beautiful World, Cyril Aris, Lebanon, United States, Germany, Saudi Arabia and Qatar
Premio SIAE Career Award: Dario Argento
Premio SIAE Creative Talent Award: Tekla Taidelli for 6:06, Tekla Taidelli, Italy and Portugal 
Premio Le vie dell'immagine: Albert Serra

To check winners announcement at Giornate degli Autori site go here.

40. Settimana Internationalle della Critica (Venice International Film Critics Week)

Grand Prize: Straight Circle, Oscar Hudson, UK and South Africa

Verona Film Club Award for Most Innovative Feature: Straight Circle, Oscar Hudson, UK and South Africa
Mario Serandrei Award for Technical Contribution: Ore di veglia (Waking Hours), Federico Cammarata and Filippo Foscarini, Italy
Audience Award: Ish, Imran Perretta, UK
Luciano Sovena Award for Best Independent Production: Agon, Giulio Bertelli, Italy, USA, and France 

SIC@SIC Italian Short Cinemas Awards
Best Short Film: Marina, Paoli De Luca, Italy 19'
Best Director: Nadir Taji for Festa in famiglia (Family Feast), Nadir Taji, Italy 19'
Special Mention: El pütì pèrs (The Lost Child), Paolo Baiguera, Italy 13' 
Best Technical Contribution: Marina, Paoli De Luca, Italy 19'
Centro Nazionale del Corto Award: The Pørnøgrapher, HARIEL, Italy (AI) 11'

To check Settimana della Critica winners announcement go here. 

Collateral Awards

FIPRESCI Awards (FIPRESCI is celebrating its 100th Anniversary)
Best Film in Venezia82: Csendes barát (Silent Friend), Ildikó Enyedi, Germany, France and Hungary
Best Film in Orizzonti/Settimana della Critica: Agon, Giulio Bertelli, Italy, USA, and France
FIPRESCI 100 Lifetime Achievement Award: Tsai Ming-liang
FIPRESCI 100 Special Award: Antonio Barbera

SIGNIS Award:  Elisa, Leonardo Di Costanzo, Italy and Switzerland

Arca CinemaGiovani Award
Best Film in Venezia82: The Voice of Hind Rajab, Kaouther Ben Hania, Tunisia and France
Best Italian Film:  La Grazia (Grace) by Paolo Sorrentino, Italy

Female Authors Under 40 Award
Best Director: Laura Samani for Un anno di scuola, Laura Samani, Italy and France
Special Mentions
Directing: Hiedra, Ana Cristina Barragán, Ecuador, Mexico, France and Spain
Screenplay: Vainilla, Mayra Hermosillo, Mexico

1964 Pop Art Award: Duse, Pietro Marcello, Italy

BookCiak Award Associazione Calipso: L’Étranger (The Stranger), François Ozon, France 

Brian Award: La Grazia (Grace) by Paolo Sorrentino, Italy

Carlo Lizzani Award: Confiteor - Come scoprii che non avrei fatto la rivoluzione (Confession – How I found out I wouldn't make the revolution), Bonifacio Angius, Italy

Cinema and Arts Award
Best Film: (tie)
Сиљан The Tale of Silyan, Tamara Kotevska, North Macedonia (documentary) 
Qui vit enconre (Who Is Still Alive), Nicolas Wadimoff, Switzerland
Best Multidisciplinary Artist: Morteza Ahmadvand and Firouzeh Khosrovani for Past Future Continuos, Morteza Ahmadvand and Firouzeh Khosrovani, Iran, Norway, Italy (documentary)

Cinema for UNICEF: The Voice of Hind Rajab, Kaouther Ben Hania, Tunisia and France

CinemaSarà Award: Csendes barát (Silent Friend), Ildikó Enyedi, Germany, France and Hungary

Croce Rossa Italiana Award: The Voice of Hind Rajab, Kaouther Ben Hania, Tunisia and France

Edipo re Award: (tie)
The Voice of Hind Rajab, Kaouther Ben Hania, Tunisia and France
Csendes barát (Silent Friend), Ildikó Enyedi, Germany, France and Hungary
Edipo Re Youth Jury Award: Straight Circle, Oscar Hudson, UK and South Africa

Enrico Fulghignoni-CICT-UNESCO Award: The Voice of Hind Rajab, Kaouther Ben Hania, Tunisia and France

Fanheart3 Awards
Graffeta d'Oro for Best Film: Frankenstein, Guillermo del Toro, USA
Nave d'Argento for Best OTP: 果てしなきスカーレット Hateshinaki Scarlet (Scarlet), Mamoru Hosoda, Japan (Anime)
Special Mention: Motor City, Potsy Ponciroli, USA
XR Fan Experience: Happy Shadow, Pei-Ying Lin and Ting-Ruei Su, Taiwan

FEDIC Awards
Premio FEDIC: La Valle dei Sorrisi, Paolo Strippoli, Italy and Slovenia
Premio FEDIC to Short Film: Arca, Lorenzo Quagliozzi, Italy 20'

Premio Speciale Film Impresa: Ferdinando Scianna - Il Fotografo dell'Ombra, Roberto Ando, Italy (documentary)

Fondazione Fai Persona Lavoro Ambiente Award: Human Resource, Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, Thailand
Special Mention Ambiente: Ghost Elephants, Werner Herzog, USA (documentary)
Special Mention Lavoro: À pied d'œuvre, Valérie Donzelli, France 
Special Mention Ambiente Sociale: Sotto le nuvole (Below The Clouds), Gianfranco Rosi, Italy (documentary)

Fondazione Mimmo Rotella Award: La Grazia (Grace) by Paolo Sorrentino, Italy 
Fondazione Casa Wabi - Mantarraya Award: winner of Luigi De Laurentiis debut film award

Francesco Pasinetti Awards
Best Italian Film: La Grazia (Grace) by Paolo Sorrentino, Italy 
Best Actress: Valeria Bruni Tedeschi in Duse, Pietro Marcello, Italy
Best Actor: Toni Servillo in La Grazia (Grace) by Paolo Sorrentino, Italy 
Special Award: Anna Ferzetti in La Grazia (Grace) by Paolo Sorrentino, Italy 

FRED Film Radio Award: Dag Johan Haugerud

Green Drop Award: (tie)
Bugonia, Yorgos Lanthimos, UK 
Csendes barát (Silent Friend), Ildikó Enyedi, Germany, France and Hungary

Impact Golden Globes Documentary Award: Remake, Ross McElwee, USA (documentary)
Interfilm Award: Csendes barát (Silent Friend), Ildikó Enyedi, Germany, France and Hungary

La Pellicola d'Oro Awards
Best Production Manager: Elda Baldi for La Grazia (Grace) by Paolo Sorrentino, Italy
Best Chief Electrician: Diana Maria Hernandez Giralo for Elisa, Leonardo Di Costanzo, Italy and Switzerland
Best Prop Maker: Michael Ceracchini for Duse, Pietro Marcello, Italy

Lanterna Magica Award: Un anno di scuola (A Year of School), Laura Samani, Italy and France
Leoncino d'Oro Agiscoula Award: The Voice of Hind Rajab, Kaouther Ben Hania, Tunisia and France

NETPAC Award: هجرة Hijra, Shahad Ameen, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt, and UK
Special Mention: Harà watan (Lost Land), Akio Fujimoto, Japan, France, Malaysia, and Germany  

Nuovoimaeie Talent Award: Giacomo Covi, Pietro Giustolisi and Samuel Volturno in Un anno di scuola, Laura Samani, Italy and France

Premi Film Impresa Special Award: Ferdinando Scianna - Il Fotografo dell'Ombra, Roberto Andò, Italy (documentary)
Queer Lion Award: En El Camino, David Pablos, Mexico and France
RB Casting Award: Tiziano Menichelli in Il Maestro, Andrea di Stefano, Italy

Sorriso Diverso Award
Best Italian Film: Elisa, Leonardo Di Costanzo, Italy and Switzerland
Best Foreign Film: The Voice of Hind Rajab, Kaouther Ben Hania, Tunisia and France 

Soundtrack Stars Award
Best Soundtrack in Venezia82: Duse, Pietro Marcello, Italy
Special Mention: La Grazia (Grace) by Paolo Sorrentino, Italy

UNIMED Award: The Voice of Hind Rajab, Kaouther Ben Hania, Tunisia and France

32th Final Cut in Venice (post production awards)
9th Biennale di Venezia Prize: Al Mahattah (The Station), Sara Ishaq, Yemen, Jordan, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, and Qatar
13th Final Cut in Venice Awards
Meu Semba (My Semba), Hugo Salvaterra, Angola
Al Mahattah (The Station), Sara Ishaq, Yemen, Jordan, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, and Qatar
La Maison du vent (House of the Wind), Auguste Kouemo Yanghu, Cameroon, Benin, France, and Belgium
Let's Play Soldiers, Mariam Al-Dhubhani, Yemen, Qatar, Norway, and France
La Cour des Grands (Out of School), Hind Bensari, Morocco and Denmark
Yesterday the Eye Didn't Sleep, Rakan Mayasi, Belgium, Lebanon and Palestine
Al woqoof ala el atlal (Standing at the Ruins), Saeed Taji Farouky, Egypt and UK
Soleil, lune, étoiles (Legacy), Mamadou Dia, Senegal and France

To check awards each of above films in Final Cut received go to official site here.

Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement: Kim Novak
Golden Lion for Life time Achievement: Wegner Herzog
Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker: Julian Schnabel
Campari Passion For Film Award: Gus Van Sant Premio Robert Besson: Stéphane Brizé
Premio Bianchi: Antonio Capuano

To check autonomous and collateral award winners go official site here.