Venice Film Festival 2025 winners have officially been announced, marking the conclusion of the 82nd edition of the world’s oldest film festival. The event once again turned the spotlight on global cinema, blending red carpet glamour with powerful stories that resonated far beyond the Lido. From emotional standing ovations to unexpected award triumphs, the festival proved why it continues to shape conversations about the future of film.
Why the Venice Film Festival Matters
The Venice Film Festival is not just an early stop on the awards season calendar—it’s a launchpad. Over the decades, winners here have often gone on to claim top honors at the Oscars, Golden Globes, and BAFTAs. The festival’s Golden Lion, its highest honor, is one of the most prestigious awards in cinema, often catapulting films into the global spotlight.
The 2025 edition was no exception. With entries from Paolo Sorrentino, Guillermo del Toro, Kathryn Bigelow, and Park Chan-wook, the competition lineup blended veteran auteurs with rising voices. The result was a mix of arthouse innovation, socially charged storytelling, and cinematic spectacle.
Venice Film Festival 2025 Winners: Complete List
| Award Category | Winner/Film |
|---|---|
| Golden Lion (Best Film) | The Voice of Hind Rajab – Kaouther Ben Hania |
| Silver Lion (Best Director) | Benny Safdie – The Smashing Machine |
| Volpi Cup – Best Actor | Toni Servillo – La Grazia |
| Volpi Cup – Best Actress | Xin Zhilei – The Sun Rises on Us All |
| Best Screenplay (Golden Osella) | At Work – Valérie Donzelli & Gilles Marchand |
| Special Jury Prize | Below the Clouds – Gianfranco Rosi |
| Marcello Mastroianni Award | Luna Wedler – Silent Friend |
| Queer Lion | On the Road – David Pablos |
| Lifetime Achievement Award | Werner Herzog, Kim Novak |
| Venice Spotlight Audience Award | Calle Málaga – Maryam Touzani |
Golden Lion 2025: The Voice of Hind Rajab
The most coveted prize, the Golden Lion, went to Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Voice of Hind Rajab. The Franco-Tunisian director stunned audiences with her docudrama based on the real story of a Palestinian girl trapped during the Gaza conflict. Combining authentic phone recordings with dramatization, the film blurred the line between cinema and lived history.
The jury praised it as a work that “doesn’t just tell a story, but breathes it.” Its win signals the festival’s recognition of politically urgent and emotionally raw storytelling.
Silver Lion: Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine
In a surprising but well-deserved nod, Benny Safdie claimed the Silver Lion for Best Director with The Smashing Machine. Known for co-directing Uncut Gems with his brother Josh, Benny Safdie went solo with this intense MMA biopic starring Dwayne Johnson. Critics noted how Safdie stripped Johnson of his Hollywood superhero persona, revealing a tender, flawed fighter grappling with pain both inside and outside the ring.
This win places Safdie firmly in the league of auteurs able to balance high-octane visuals with human vulnerability.
Volpi Cup Winners: Acting Triumphs
The Volpi Cup, awarded to the festival’s best performers, highlighted two very different yet equally powerful performances.
- Toni Servillo won Best Actor for La Grazia. A longtime collaborator of director Paolo Sorrentino, Servillo played a morally conflicted Italian president torn between duty and personal guilt. His layered portrayal reminded audiences why he’s considered one of Italy’s greatest living actors.
- Xin Zhilei secured the Best Actress award for The Sun Rises on Us All (Ri Gua Zhong Tian). Directed by Cai Shangjun, the film explored estrangement, guilt, and reconciliation. Xin’s deeply empathetic performance earned her international acclaim and expanded Chinese cinema’s visibility at Venice.
Best Screenplay: At Work
The Golden Osella for Best Screenplay went to Valérie Donzelli and Gilles Marchand for At Work. The script was celebrated for its sharp structure and originality, tackling themes of personal ambition, workplace politics, and existential angst with both wit and depth. Among a lineup filled with grand directorial visions, this award recognized the foundational power of storytelling.
Special Jury Prize: Below the Clouds
Italian documentarian Gianfranco Rosi took home the Special Jury Prize for Below the Clouds (Sotto Le Nuvole). Known for his contemplative style, Rosi once again blurred the line between documentary and visual poetry. The film explored the subtle interplay of human life and environmental change, solidifying Rosi’s role as one of cinema’s great observers of reality.
Emerging Talent: Luna Wedler in Silent Friend
The Marcello Mastroianni Award—dedicated to rising performers—was awarded to Luna Wedler for her role in Silent Friend. The Swiss actress captured critical attention with her sensitive portrayal of a woman navigating friendship, identity, and silence in unexpected ways. For Wedler, this award represents a major step toward international stardom.
Queer Lion: On the Road by David Pablos
The Queer Lion, which honors the best LGBTQ+ themed film, went to Mexican director David Pablos for On the Road (En el Camino). Produced by Diego Luna and Inna Payán, the film follows the romance between a young homeless sex worker and a truck driver navigating a violent, hyper-masculine subculture. The jury praised it for its courage in depicting love amid homophobia and violence.
This award highlighted Venice’s continued support for cinema that pushes boundaries on representation and inclusivity.
Lifetime Achievement: Werner Herzog and Kim Novak
The Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement was awarded to two cinematic icons:
- Werner Herzog, the German filmmaker renowned for Aguirre, the Wrath of God and Grizzly Man, celebrated for his bold explorations of human obsession and nature’s extremes.
- Kim Novak, the Hollywood legend of Vertigo, made a rare public appearance to accept the honor. Her recognition celebrated her legacy as one of cinema’s most enigmatic stars.
The festival’s decision to honor both underscored Venice’s commitment to preserving cinematic heritage while celebrating diverse creative visions.
Venice Spotlight Audience Award: Calle Málaga
Audience applause went to Maryam Touzani’s Calle Málaga, which won the Venice Spotlight Audience Award. Known for her ability to weave intimate character studies with cultural nuance, Touzani’s film connected directly with festival-goers, reinforcing the power of cinema as a communal experience.
Standing Ovations That Stole the Show
Beyond awards, standing ovations became one of the defining features of Venice 2025:
- The Voice of Hind Rajab broke records with a 21–24 minute ovation, leaving cast and crew in tears.
- The Testament of Ann Lee and The Smashing Machine each received 15 minutes of applause, showcasing their impact on audiences.
- Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein saw 13 minutes of standing cheers, with stars Jacob Elordi and Oscar Isaac visibly emotional.
Venice’s tradition of marathon ovations has often been critiqued as performative, but they still remain a symbolic barometer of cinematic reception.
Trends and Themes at Venice 2025
The Venice Film Festival 2025 winners reflect broader trends shaping world cinema:
- Political urgency: From Gaza to Mexico, films tackling conflict, violence, and marginalized voices dominated.
- Actor reinvention: Dwayne Johnson in The Smashing Machine and Xin Zhilei’s breakout performance showed how stars can reshape their image at Venice.
- Blend of fact and fiction: Works like The Voice of Hind Rajab and Below the Clouds blurred documentary and narrative storytelling.
- Rising global voices: From Tunisia to China to Mexico, the festival spotlighted diverse cinematic landscapes.
How Venice 2025 Shapes Awards Season
Historically, the Golden Lion has been a predictor of Oscar success (Nomadland, The Shape of Water, Roma). With The Voice of Hind Rajab now in the spotlight, it will likely enter the awards season conversation as a major contender.
Similarly, Benny Safdie’s Silver Lion win raises expectations for The Smashing Machine in both directing and acting categories at international awards.
The Venice Film Festival 2025 winners celebrated cinema’s ability to confront reality, spark empathy, and inspire debate. From Kaouther Ben Hania’s politically urgent triumph to Benny Safdie’s directorial leap, the festival offered a dynamic vision of where film is heading.
Venice remains more than just a glamorous red carpet. It is a cultural compass, signaling the themes and voices that will shape not only awards season but also global conversations about art, identity, and humanity.
