And that’s a wrap on the Venice Film Festival 2026. After nearly two weeks of hotly anticipated premieres, politics-laden press conferences, lengthy standing ovations, and glamorous red carpets, the annual showcase has ended—but not before handing out awards in its main competition category—including its coveted Golden Lion—as well as recognizing emerging talent with its Horizons awards, nodding to the past with its Venice Classics trophy, and looking to future tech with its extended reality-focused Venice Immersive category.
Making the big decisions are a jury chaired by Maggie Gyllenhaal, which includes Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania, composer Daniel Blumberg, Yale film professor Francesco Casett, French screenwriter/director Xavier Giannoli, Afghan filmmaker Shahrbanoo Sadat, and influential Hong Kong director Johnnie To.
Find all the winners from the Venice Film Festival 2026 below.
Competition
Golden Lion for Best Film: Woman Unknown, May El-Toukhy
Grand Jury Prize: Possible Love, Lee Chang-dong
Silver Lion for Best Director: Ilya Khrzhanovsky, DAU
Special Jury Prize: NAZA, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor
Best Screenplay: Un Bon Petit Soldat (A Good Little Soldier) — Stéphane Brizé, Coralie Amédéo, Olivier Gorce
Volpi Cup for Best Actress: Mathilde Arcel, Woman Unknown
Volpi Cup for Best Actor: John Malkovich, Wild Horse Nine
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor: Malou Khebizi, 15/18 (A Place to Heal)
Armani Beauty Audience Award: Eu contez (I Matter), Alina Șerban
Luigi De Laurentis Award for Debut Film: La maison du vent (House of the Wind), Auguste Bernard Kouemo Yanghu
Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement: George Clooney and Ellen Burstyn
Horizons
Best Film: Un détour par Diane (Diane in the Loop), Ann Sirot and Raphaël Balboni
Best Director: Jaqueline Lentzou, Mia Mera Sti Zoi Tis Tzo: Kefalaio Faidra (A Day in the Life of Jo: Chapter Phaedra)
Special Jury Prize: La maison du vent (House of the Wind), Auguste Bernard Kouemo Yanghu
Best Actress: Laleh Marzban, Moragheb (Falling House)
Best Actor: Riccardo Scamarcio, I figli della scimmia (The Children of the Monkey)
Best Screenplay: Tommaso Landucci and Damiano Femfert, I figli della scimmia (The Children of the Monkey)
Best Short Film: Quelques instants de bonheur (A Few Moments of Happiness), Shaden Safieddine Tazi
Venice Classics
Best Restored Film: La lunga notte del ’43 (Long Night of 1943), Florestano Vancini
Venice Immersive
Grand Prize: The Pigeon Ring, Shixin Tao and Yuqi Zhang
Special Jury Prize: Out of the Ashes, Rory Mitchell and Nonny de la Peña
Achievement Prize: Empire at Sea, Peter Flaherty
