Venice Film Festival 2026 Winners Announced
May el-Toukhy's 'Woman Unknown' won the Golden Lion at the 83rd Venice Film Festival. John Malkovich and Mathilde Arcel took the Volpi Cups for acting.
May el-Toukhy's Woman Unknown has won the Golden Lion for Best Film at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. The festival's top prize was awarded by a jury led by American actress and filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal on September 12, 2026.
Woman Unknown was the only feature film in the main competition directed by a woman. This fact drew scrutiny when the lineup was announced. The win qualifies the film for consideration in the Best International Feature category at the upcoming Academy Awards. Star Mathilde Arcel also won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for her role in the post-World War II drama. Such a double victory is rare, requiring unanimous jury agreement.
In her acceptance speech, el-Toukhy highlighted the systemic issue of few female filmmakers in competition. Jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal echoed this sentiment, stating in the official press conference that "It's harder for women to get films financed."
Major Competition Winners
John Malkovich won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his performance in Wild Horse Nine. He plays a CIA agent traveling to Easter Island. Malkovich recently received the Silver Medallion at the Telluride Film Festival, boosting his awards campaign. Historically, only one Volpi Cup winner for Best Actor has gone on to win the Oscar: Frederic March in 1932.
Lee Chang-dong's Possible Love won the Grand Jury Prize. The film, about two married couples, will next screen at the New York Film Festival before a Netflix release in November. The Special Jury Prize went to the documentary NAZA by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. It examines the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Other winners included Ilya Khrzhanovsky, who took the Silver Lion for Best Director for DAU. A Good Little Soldier won Best Screenplay.
Full List of Award Recipients
The festival's official results are listed below.
Other Honors
The Queer Lion Award was jointly given to the documentary Queer Edward II by Theo Rollason and the film London by Victor Di Marco and Márcio Picoli. Earlier in the festival, American actors George Clooney and Ellen Burstyn each received an Honorary Lifetime Achievement Golden Lion.
