Yorgos Lanthimos is leaving the Lido with his first-ever Golden Lion, as his new film, Poor Things, was awarded the top prize at the 80th Venice International Film Festival. The fantastical coming-of-age fantasy stars Emma Stone as Bella Baxter, a woman who is brought back to life and sent on an intellectual, emotional, and sexual odyssey.
"It took us quite a few years to get it made, until the world — or our industry — was ready for this film," Lanthimos said onstage during Saturday's closing ceremony. "Above all, this film is the central character, is Bella Baxter, is this incredible creature, and she wouldn't exist without Emma Stone, another incredible creature. This film is her, in front and behind the camera."
Lanthimos was last at the Venice Film Festival with 2018's The Favourite — his first collaboration with Stone — which won the Grand Jury Prize. The film's lead, Olivia Colman, won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress, on its way to 10 total Oscar nominations at the 91st Academy Awards and a Best Actress in a Leading Role win for Colman.
This year's Venezia 80 jury was chaired by Damien Chazelle and comprised of Saleh Bakri, Jane Campion, Mia Hansen-Løve, Gabriele Mainetti, Martin McDonagh, Santiago Mitre, Shu Qi, and Laura Poitras (who won Best Film last year with All the Beauty and the Bloodshed).
In the main competition, Cailee Spaeny and Peter Sarsgaard were awarded top acting honors for their performances in Priscilla and Memory, respectively. She used her acceptance speech to thank Priscilla Presley ("With all my heart, I dedicate this award to her"), while he dedicated his award to his late uncle, Bubba.
See the full list of winners below.
Venezia 80
Golden Lion for Best Film: Poor Things by Yorgos Lanthimos
Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize: Aku Wa Sonzai Shinai (Evil Does Not Exist) by Ryûsuke Hamaguchi
Silver Lion Award for Best Director: Matteo Garrone for the film Io Capitano
Coppa Volpi for Best Actress: Cailee Spaeny in the film Priscilla
Coppa Volpi for Best Actor: Peter Sarsgaard in the film Memory
Award for Best Screenplay: Guillermo Calderón and Pablo Larraín for the film El Conde
Special Jury Prize: Zielona granica (Green Border) by Agnieszka Holland
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor: Seydou Sarr in the film Io Capitano
Orizzonti
The Orizzonti Award for Best Film: Magyarázat Mindenre (Explanation For Everything) by Gábor Reisz
The Orizzonti Award for Best Director: Mika Gustafson for the film Paradiset Brinner (Paradise Is Burning)
The Special Orizzonti Jury Prize: Una Sterminata Domenica (An Endless Sunday) by Alain Parroni
The Orizzonti Award for Best Actress: Margarita Rosa De Francisco in the film El Paraíso
The Orizzonti Award for Best Actor: Tergel Bold-erdene in the film Ser Ser Salhi (City Of Wind)
The Orizzonti Award for Best Screenplay: Enrico Maria Artale for the film El Paraíso
The Orizzonti Award for Best Short Film: A Short Trip by Erenik Beqiri
The Venice Short Film Nomination for the European Film Awards 2023: A Short Trip by Erenik Beqiri
Orizzonti Extra
Armani Beauty Audience Award: Felicità (Happiness) by Micaela Ramazzotti
Venice Award for a Debut Film
Lion Of The Future – "Luigi De Laurentiis": Ai Shi Yi Ba Qiang (Love Is A Gun) by Lee Hong-Chi
Venice Classics
The Venice Classics Award for Best Documentary on Cinema: Thank You Very Much by Alex Braverman
The Venice Classics Award for Best Restored Film: Ohikkoshi (Moving) by Shinji Sōmai
Venice Immersive
The Venice Immersive Grand Prize: Songs for A Passerby by Celine Daemen
The Venice Immersive Special Jury Prize: Flow by Adriaan Lokman
The Venice Immersive Achievement Prize: Empereur by Marion Burger and Ilan Cohen
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