As many predicted, the 80th annual Venice Film Festival bestowed its top prize, the Golden Lion, to Yorgos Lanthimos’ rapturously received “Poor Things.” The win furthers the film’s increasing Oscar buzz, powered by a performance from star Emma Stone that could bring her a second Oscar for Best Actress. The film will open in limited release from Searchlight on Dec. 8, then slowly roll out nationwide.
However, the leading actress prize went to Cailee Spaeny for her work in Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla,” an intimate look at Priscilla Presley’s early courtship with Elvis Presley. (The film opens in theaters on Nov. 3.) Peter Sarsgaard won leading actor honors for his turn as a dementia-afflicted widower in Michel Franco’s “Memory,” opposite Jessica Chastain.
Matteo Garrone’s immigrant drama “Me Captain” captured two major awards, including the best director prize and the Marcello Mastroianni Young Actor/Actress Award for breakout star Seydou Sarr.
“Evil Does Not Exist,” Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning “Drive My Car,” won the Silver Lion — Grand Jury Prize.
Agnieszka Holland’s hard-hitting, black-and-white refugee drama “Green Border” was whispered about as a possible Golden Lion winner — which would have made four female-directed films in a row to win that prize had it happened. That didn’t happen, but it did manage to win the Special Jury Prize. The overwhelming buzz on this picture, cited by many as possibly veteran director Holland’s best to date, is expected to continue through awards season.
Below is the full list of winners for the 80th Venice Film Festival:
Venezia 80 (Competition)
GOLDEN LION for Best Film to:
“Poor Things”
by Yorgos Lanthimos (U.K.)
SILVER LION – GRAND JURY PRIZE to:
“Evil Does Not Exist”
by Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Japan)
SILVER LION – AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR to:
Matteo Garrone
for the film “Me Captain” (Belgium, Italy)
COPPA VOLPI for Best Actress:
Cailee Spaeny
in the film “Priscilla” by Sofia Coppola (USA)
COPPA VOLPI for Best Actor:
Peter Sarsgaard
in the film “Memory” by Michel Franco (Mexico, USA)
AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY to:
Guillermo Calderón and Pablo Larraín
for the film “El Conde” by Pablo Larraín (Chile)
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE to:
“Green Border”
by Agnieszka Holland (Poland/France/Czech Republic/Belgium)
MARCELLO MASTROIANNI AWARD for Best Young Actor or Actress to:
Seydou Sarr
in the film “Me Captain” by Matteo Garrone (Belgium, Italy)
Orizzonti (Horizons)
ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST FILM to:
“Explanation for Everything”
by Gabor Reisz (Hungary, Slovakia)
ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR
Mika Gustafson
for the film “Paradise is Burning” (Sweden, Italy, Denmark, Finland)
SPECIAL ORIZZONTI JURY PRIZE to:
“An Endless Sunday”
by Alain Parroni (Italy)
ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS to:
Margarita Rosa De Francisco
in the film “El Paraiso” by Enrico Maria Artale (Italy)
ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR to:
Tergel Bold-Erdene
in the film “City of Wind” by Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir (Mongolia)
ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY to:
“El Paraiso,” Enrico Maria Artale (Italy)
ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM to:
“A Short Trip,” Erenik Beqiri (France)
Orizzonti Extra
ARMANI BEAUTY AUDIENCE AWARD to:
“Felicita,” Micaela Ramazzotti (Italy)
Venice Award for a Debut Film
LION OF THE FUTURE
“LUIGI DE LAURENTIIS” VENICE AWARD FOR A DEBUT FILM to:
“Love is a Gun,” Lee Hong-chi (Hong Kong, Taiwan)
Venice Classics
VENICE CLASSICS AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY ON CINEMA to:
“Thank You Very Much,”
by Alex Braverman (USA)
VENICE CLASSICS AWARD FOR BEST RESTORED FILM to:
“Moving,” Shinji Sōmai (Japan, 1993)
Venice Immersive
VENICE GRAND JURY PRIZE to:
“Songs for a Passerby,” Celine Daemen (Netherlands)
VENICE IMMERSIVE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE to:
“Flow,” Adriaan Lokman (Netherlands, France)
VENICE IMMERSIVE ACHIEVEMENT PRIZE to:
“Emperor,” Marion Burger, Ilan Cohen (France, Germany)
