For critics and audiences alike, the Venice Film Festival is an important first look at the films that will shape the award season and year-end conversations. That puts added emphasis on the Venice Film Festival awards – including the Golden Lion, the festival’s top prize – as the first step towards canon-building for the rest of the year. And if this year is any indication, some of the most-anticipated movies from the festival are poised to make a big splash in the coming months.
This year, the Golden Lion went to “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” Laura Poitras‘s portrait of photographer and activist Nan Goldin and her fight against the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma. In our review, writer Rafaela Sales Ross praised the film for its parallel approach to Goldin’s life story. “Having these two storylines run parallel provides for both disconnect and whiplash,” she wrote, “a narrative choice that emphasizes what Goldin beautifully labels ‘the darkness of the soul’ — to be plagued to feel everything while concurrently condemned to nihilistic numbness.” The film already has a distribution deal in place, having been acquired by Neon prior to the festival.
READ MORE: Venice Film Festival Preview: 16 Must-See Films To Watch
The festival also gave its acting accolades to Cate Blanchett and Colin Farrell, both of whom have been highly praised by critics for potentially career-best work in “Tar” and “The Banshees of Inisherin,” respectively. Luca Guadagnino also took home the award for best direction with “Bones and All,” his cannibal love story starring Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet. Also of note: both the audience award and the award for best debut feature went to erstwhile documentarian Alice Diop and her courtroom drama, “Saint Omer.”
Here’s the full list of winners from the 79th Venice Film Festival:
COMPETITION
Golden Lion for Best Film: “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” Laura Poitras [read our review]
Grand Jury Prize: “Saint Omer,” Alice Diop [read our review]
Silver Lion for Best Director: “Bones and All,” Luca Guadagnino [read our review]
Special Jury Prize: “No Bears,” Jafar Panahi
Best Screenplay: “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Martin McDonagh [read our review]
Volpi Cup for Best Actress: “Tár,” Cate Blanchett [read our review]
Volpi Cup for Best Actor: “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Colin Farrell [read our review]
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor: “Bones and All,” Taylor Russell [read our review]
HORIZONS
Best Film: “World War III,” Houman Seyyedi
Best Director: “Vera,” Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel
Special Jury Prize: “Bread and Salt,” Damian Kocur
Best Actress: “Vera,” Vera Gemma
Best Actor: “World War III,” Mohsen Tanabandeh
Best Screenplay: “Blanquita,” Fernando Guzzoni
Best Short Film: “Snow in September,” Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir
LION OF THE FUTURE
Luigi de Laurentiis Award for Best Debut Feature: “Saint Omer,” Alice Diop
HORIZONS EXTRA
Audience Award: “Nezouh,” Soudade Kaadan
VENICE CLASSICS
Best Documentary of Cinema: “Fragments of Paradise,” K.D. Davison [read our review]
Best Restored Film: “Branded to Kill,” Seijun Suzuki
VENICE IMMERSIVE
Best Immersive Experience: “The Man Who Couldn’t Leave,” Chen Singing
Grand Jury Prize: “From the Main Square,” Pedro Harres
Special Jury Prize: “Eggscape,” German Heller
VENICE DAYS
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 (announced earlier)
Grand Prize: “Eismayer,” David Wagner [read our review]
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
Follow along with all our coverage of the 2022 Venice Film Festival.
