Key Takeaways

• Top Winner: Jim Jarmusch’s film Father Mother Sister Brother won the Golden Lion at the festival.
• Director Award: Benny Safdie received the Silver Lion for Best Director.
• Notable Films: Other contenders included No Other Choice and Bugonia.
• Theatrical Release: Father Mother Sister Brother is set to release on December 24th.

The winners from this year’s Venice International Film Festival have been announced, closing out the 82nd event. The big winner was Jim Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brother, which took home the coveted Golden Lion, the top prize of the fest. Meanwhile, Benny Safdie was awarded the Silver Lion, the Best Director prize.

Check out the list of winners below:

Golden Lion: Father Mother Sister Brother, Jim Jarmusch

Grand Jury Prize: The Voice of Hind Rajab, Kaouther Ben Hania

Silver Lion for Best Director: Benny Safdie, The Smashing Machine

Special Jury Prize: Below the Clouds, Gianfranco Rosi

Best Screenplay: Valérie Donzelli and Gilles Marchand, À pied d’œuvre (At Work)

Volpi Cup for Best Actress: Xin Zhilei, The Sun Rises on Us All

Volpi Cup for Best Actor: Toni Servillo, La Grazia

Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor: Luna Welder, Silent Friend

Armani Beauty Audience Award: Calle Malaga, Maryam Touzani

Luigi De Laurentis Award for Debut Film: Short Summer, Nastia Korkia

In his speech, Jim Jarmusch stated, in part, “As filmmakers, we’re not motivated by competition, but this is something I truly appreciate,” saying he was gracious for the accolade given to “our quiet film.” He added, “He said something like he was worried that he still didn’t quite know how to do it, so I sort of have that same feeling, I’m learning each time.” Other notable films vying for the Golden Lion were Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia, Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein, and Noah Baumbach’s Jay Kelly.

Father Mother Sister Brother was considered a surprise win, with a lot of buzz surrounding Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice, which currently holds a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. The matter was actually brought up during the post-awards press conference, with jury president Alexander Payne saying, “It simply wasn’t in the final eight, which breaks our hearts. We love many films that aren’t represented in the final eight.” Father Mother Sister Brother will hit theaters courtesy of Mubi on December 24th.

In addition to these, both Werner Herzog and Kim Novak were bestowed the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.

Which films out of the Venice Film Festival are you most looking forward to checking out? Let us know below!