The prestigious Venice Film Festival concluded its 2026 edition, with the official International Competition jury, led by Maggie Gyllenhaal, announcing its selections. This 83rd edition presented a vast panorama of contemporary cinema, featuring new works from established filmmakers, global film figures, and a selection marked by strong political and social concerns, ranging from intimate dramas to engaged documentaries.
France held a prominent position at this year's festival. Stéphane Brizé, Cédric Kahn, Nicolas Pariser, and Florian Zeller were all in contention for the Golden Lion, and eight of the 21 competing films were either produced or co-produced by French companies.
The jury ultimately awarded the supreme Golden Lion to May el-Toukhy's Woman Unknown, a Danish-Swedish-Latvian co-production starring Mathilde Arcel. The film follows in the footsteps of Jim Jarmusch's Father Mother Sister Brother, which took the top prize last year.
The Grand Jury Prize went to the South Korean relational drama Possible Love, directed by Lee Chang-dong, which is set to premiere on Netflix on November 6. This film succeeds Kaouther Ben Hania's La Voix de Hind Rajab, the recipient of this distinction in 2025.
In acting categories, Danish actress Mathilde Arcel was awarded the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for her superb performance as Marie, a young domestic servant whose marriage is threatened by a secret linked to the Occupation, in Woman Unknown. This makes her film a double winner, alongside the Golden Lion.
For Best Actor, the Volpi Cup was presented to American-Croatian actor John Malkovich, lauded for his portrayal of Chris, a CIA veteran haunted by the weight of his past operations, in Martin McDonagh's Wild Horse Nine.
The Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor or Actress recognized young French talent Malou Khebizi for her role as Lucia, a 17-year-old brought back by police to a child psychiatry unit in Cédric Kahn's drama 15/18.
Ilya Khrzhanovsky received the Silver Lion for Best Director for DAU, a historical epic stemming from a massive 20-year artistic project, a year after Benny Safdie's win for The Smashing Machine.
The Best Screenplay award honored the French trio Stéphane Brizé, Coralie Amédéo, and Olivier Gorce for the drama Un bon petit soldat. Finally, the jury's Special Prize was given to the documentary NAZA, directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor.
The list of winners is completed by the Lion of the Future – Luigi De Laurentiis Award, which distinguishes the best debut feature film presented at the Mostra, this year going to Auguste Bernard Kouemo Yanghu's La Maison du vent.
The Complete List of Venice 2026 Competition Winners
GOLDEN LION: Woman Unknown by May el-Toukhy
SILVER LION – GRAND JURY PRIZE: Possible Love by Lee Chang-dong
SILVER LION – BEST DIRECTOR: DAU by Ilya Khrzhanovsky
VOLPI CUP FOR BEST ACTRESS: Mathilde Arcel for her role in Woman Unknown by May el-Toukhy
VOLPI CUP FOR BEST ACTOR: John Malkovich for his role in Wild Horse Nine by Martin McDonagh
BEST SCREENPLAY AWARD: Stéphane Brizé, Coralie Amédéo, and Olivier Gorce for Un bon petit soldat
MARCELLO MASTROIANNI AWARD FOR BEST YOUNG ACTOR OR ACTRESS: Malou Khebizi for her role in 15/18 by Cédric Kahn
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE: NAZA by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor
LION OF THE FUTURE – LUIGI DE LAURENTIIS AWARD (Best Debut Feature Film): La Maison du vent by Auguste Bernard Kouemo Yanghu
Nordisk Film