List of winners at 81st Venice Film Festival revealed

The 81st Venice Film Festival wrapped up on Saturday with a grand awards ceremony. 

Pedro Almodóvar, a two-time Academy Award winner, received the prestigious Golden Lion for his film *The Room Next Door*, featuring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore. Almodóvar, who won an honorary award in 2019, remarked in his acceptance speech, “This is my first movie in English, but the spirit is Spanish.”

Brady Corbet took home the Silver Lion for Best Director for his post-WWII film *The Brutalist*, which stars Adrien Brody. 

Nicole Kidman was honored with the Best Actress award for her role in Halina Reijn’s thriller *Babygirl*. Unfortunately, Kidman was unable to attend the ceremony due to the sudden passing of her mother. Halina Reijn accepted the award on her behalf and read a heartfelt message from Kidman, which stated, “I arrived in Venice to learn of the passing of my brave and beautiful mother, Janelle Ann Kidman. I’m in shock and must be with my family. This award is for her. She shaped me, guided me, and made me who I am. The collision of life and art is heartbreaking. My heart is broken.”

Brady Corbet, upon receiving his Best Director award for *The Brutalist*, expressed his condolences to Kidman.

The festival’s jury, led by Isabelle Huppert, included James Gray, Andrew Haigh, Agnieszka Holland, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Abderrahmane Sissako, Giuseppe Tornatore, Julia von Heinz, and Zhang Ziyi.

**Complete List of Awardees at Venice Film Festival 2024:**

- **Golden Lion for Best Film**: *The Room Next Door*, Pedro Almodóvar
- **Grand Jury Prize**: *Vermiglio*, Maura Delpero
- **Silver Lion for Best Director**: Brady Corbet, *The Brutalist*
- **Special Jury Prize**: *April*, Dea Kulumbegashvili
- **Best Screenplay**: Murilo Hauser, Heitor Lorega, *I’m Still Here*
- **Volpi Cup for Best Actress**: Nicole Kidman, *Babygirl*
- **Volpi Cup for Best Actor**: Vincent Lindon, *The Quiet Son*
- **Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor**: Paul Kircher, *And Their Children After Them*

**HORIZONS:**
- **Best Film**: *The New Year That Never Came*, Bogdan Mureşanu
- **Best Director**: Sarah Friedland, *Familiar Touch*
- **Special Jury Prize**: *One of Those Days When Hemme Dies*, Murat Firatoglu
- **Best Actress**: Kathleen Chalfant, *Familiar Touch*
- **Best Actor**: Francesco Gheghi, *Familia*
- **Best Screenplay**: Scandar Copti, *Happy Holidays*
- **Best Short Film**: *Who Loves the Sun*, Arshia Shakiba

**LION OF THE FUTURE:**
- **Luigi de Laurentiis Award for Best Debut Feature**: *Familiar Touch*, Sarah Friedland

**HORIZONS EXTRA:**
- **Audience Award**: *The Witness*, Nader Saeivar

**VENICE CLASSICS:**
- **Best Documentary on Cinema**: *Chain Reactions*, Alexandre O. Philippe
- **Best Restored Film**: *Ecce Bombo*, Nanni Moretti

**VENICE IMMERSIVE:**
- **Grand Jury Prize**: *Ito Meikyu*, Boris Labbé
- **Special Jury Prize**: *Oto’s Planet*, Gwenael François
- **Achievement Prize**: *Impulse: Playing With Reality*, Barry Gene Murphy, May Abdalla

**GIORNATE DEGLI AUTORI (announced earlier):**
- **GdA Director’s Award**: *Manas*, Marianna Brennand
- **Audience Award**: *Taxi Monamour*, Ciro De Caro
- **Europa Cinemas Label Award**: *Alpha*, Jan-Willem van Ewijk

**CRITICS’ WEEK (announced earlier):**
- **Grand Prize**: *Don’t Cry, Butterfly*, Dương Diệu Linh
- **Special Mention**: *No Sleep Till*, Alexandra Simpson
- **Audience Award**: *Paul & Paulette Take a Bath*, Jethro Massey
- **Verona Film Club Award for Most Innovative Film**: *Don’t Cry, Butterfly*, Dương Diệu Linh
- **Mario Serandrei – Hotel Saturnia Award for Best Technical Contribution**: *Homegrown*, Michael Premo
- **Best Short Film**: *Things That My Best Friend Lost*, Marta Innocenti
- **Best Director (Short Film)**: *Nero Argento*, Francesco Manzato
- **Best Technical Contribution (Short Film)**: *At Least I Will Be 8 294 400 Pixel*, Marco Talarico