After a notably quieter 2023 edition which was marred by industry strikes, the 81st Venice Film Festival was a star-filled, headline-grabbing, and fittingly glamorous return to form for the world's oldest cinematic showcase, with countless Oscar-winning actors (Nicole Kidman, Adrien Brody, Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Angelina Jolie, Tilda Swinton, Julianne Moore) and Golden Lion-winning directors (Todd Phillips, Alfonso Cuarón) flooding onto the Lido for a shot at this year's top prizes.
On opening night, screen legend Sigourney Weaver received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement for her impressive body of work over the last half a century, encompassing everything from Alien and Working Girl to Gorillas in the Mist and Avatar. Meanwhile, the formidable Australian filmmaker Peter Weir, who's helmed cult classics such as Picnic at Hanging Rock, Dead Poets Society, and The Truman Show, took home the equivalent prize for directing.
And as for the festival's most prestigious awards, from the aforementioned Golden Lion to the second and third-place jury prizes, the Silver Lion for directing, the Volpi Cups for best actor and actress, the Golden Osella prize for best screenplay, and the Marcello Mastroianni award for most promising newcomer? As Isabelle Huppert, the president of this year's jury put it: "I have good news for you: cinema is in great shape."
In her speech at the closing ceremony, Huppert went on to praise her fellow jurors, a group that this year included directors James Gray, Andrew Haigh, and Agnieszka Holland, as well as actor Zhang Ziyi. "We thought about our past, we thought about present, and we thought about our future -- all those windows to the world were wide open, and all we saw was invention, creativity, care, and concern," she said. "So I want to thank my wonderful and perceptive jury for sharing these great moments with me with passion and conviction."
The night's headline news was The Room Next Door being awarded the Golden Lion. Pedro Almodóvar's first film made in the English language, it featured standout turns from stars Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton. Equally noteworthy, however, was the awarding of the Volpi Cup for best actress to Nicole Kidman's fearless performance in Babygirl, all but confirming her ascendance into the Oscar race. (In an emotional speech delivered by her director Halina Reijn, Kidman shared she had traveled home to Australia after the death of her mother this week, and thus was unable to accept her award in person.)