Venice Film Festival 2026: Full list of winners
What's the story
The 83rd Venice International Film Festival concluded on Saturday (local time) with May el-Toukhy's Woman Unknown clinching the prestigious Golden Lion for Best Film. The film was the only feature by a female director in the competition lineup, which raised eyebrows when the male-dominated list was revealed earlier this summer. With this win, Woman Unknown is now eligible for Best International Feature at next year's Academy Awards. Here are the other winners.
Uncommon feat
Mathilde Arcel bagged Best Actress award
The film's lead actor, Mathilde Arcel, bagged the Volpi Cup for Best Actress. It's rare for a film to win both the Golden Lion and another award; juries need to unanimously agree on this decision.
In her acceptance speech, el-Toukhy addressed the underrepresentation of female directors in cinema, stating, "When I look at lists and we're only 4 women, and I have to compete with those 4 women, and not my male peers, that's a systemic issue."
Actor's achievement
John Malkovich won Best Actor for 'Wild Horse Nine'
John Malkovich won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his role as a CIA agent on a career-ending trip to Easter Island in Wild Horse Nine.
This win comes after he was recently awarded the Silver Medallion at the Telluride Film Festival, marking a strong start to his Best Actor campaign.
However, only one actor who has won the Volpi Cup has gone on to clinch an Oscar for Best Actor, Frederic March in 1932.
Additional honors
Other major awards of the festival
Possible Love won the Grand Jury Prize. The film, which explores the lives of two married couples, will next screen at the New York Film Festival before its Netflix premiere.
The Special Jury Prize went to NAZA, a documentary by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor that chronicles "Israel's calculated mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza."
Other awards included DAU for Best Director (Ilya Khrzhanovsky) and A Good Little Soldier for Best Screenplay (Coralie Amedeo, Stephane Brize, and Olivier Gorce).
Other winners
Take a look at winners in the Horizons section
The Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor went to Malou Khebizi for A Place to Heal.
Luigi De Laurentiis Award for Debut Film was bagged by House of the Wind.
In the Horizons section, Diane in the Loop won Best Film, and Jaqueline Lentzou clinched Best Director for A Day in the Life of Jo: Chapter Phaedra.
House of the Wind got the Special Jury Prize.
More honors
Laleh Marzban, Riccardo Scamarcio also won acting awards
Laleh Marzban snagged Best Actress for Falling House, while Best Actor went to Riccardo Scamarcio for The Children of the Monkey.
The movie also won Best Screenplay.
A Few Moments of Happiness was adjudged Best Short Film, and Long Night of 1943 got Best Restored Film.
In the Venice Immersive section, The Pigeon Ring got the Grand Prize, Out of the Ashes bagged the Special Jury Prize, and Empire at Sea was honored with the Achievement Prize.