2025 Venice Film Festival Awards: ‘Father Mother Sister Brother’ Wins Golden Lion, Benny Safdie Named Best Director Amidst Jury Turmoil
Jim Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brother has won the Golden Lion for Best Film of the 82nd Venice Film Festival from a fractured jury headed up by American director Alexander Payne.
“Oh shit,” began Jarmusch in his speech. “As filmmakers, we’re not motivated by competition, but this is something I truly appreciate.” He thanked the jury and audience for responding to “our quiet film,” one not unlike Payne’s own work. He echoed Benny Safdie’s speech earlier, saying that “art does not have to address politics directly to be political. It can engender empathy which is the first step toward solving our problems.”
Payne led the competition jury with a panel including filmmakers Cristian Mungiu, Mohammad Rasoulof, Stéphane Brizé, and Maura Delpero, and actors Fernanda Torres and Zhao Tao. Rumors of major disagreements on top prizes resulted in Torres allegedly storming out of deliberations but the Academy Award-nominated actress returned this evening for the awards. At odds was where to place Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Voice of Hind Rajab, which Payne allegedly did not want to give the Golden Lion. The film, which tells the story of young Hind Rajab, a 6-year old girl is trapped in a car under IDF fire in Gaza, pleading for rescue, received a 23-minute standing ovation at the festival, the longest in its history. Ben Hania received the jury’s Grand Jury Prize (2nd place) to a standing ovation, concluding the multiple pleas for peace for the Palestinian people and the genocide being perpetrated on them by Israel.
“Hind’s voice was cry for rescue the entire world could hear but no one answered,” she said. “Her voice will continue to echo until accountability and justice is served. Cinema cannot bring her back nor can it erase the atrocity that was committed against her. But cinema can preserve her voice.” She continued, “This is not just Hind’s story, it is the story of criminal Israeli regime that acts with impunity… May Hind rest in peace, may the eyes of her killers never sleep, and free Palestine.”
Benny Safdie was named Best Director for The Smashing Machine, which stars Dwayne Johnson as UFC champion Mark Kerr. This is Safdie’s first solo directorial effort without his brother Josh, who makes his solo debut this Christmas with Marty Supreme starring Timothée Chalamet.
“Please don’t play the music!” Safdie started off, calling the win “a dream come true.” He continued, saying, “To be here, amongst the giants of the past and the giants of this year, it blows my mind.” He thanked the films stars and crew, highlighting the makeup work by Kazu Hiro. Curiously, among the dozen people he thanked there was no mention of his brother.
The top acting prizes went to. Italian legend Toni Servillo for La Grazia, his first ever Volpi Cup after an incredible run of 11 films in competition, and Xin Zhilei for The Sun Rises On Us All, who gave the evening’s longest speech with the ceremony attempting to play her off twice.
In the Orizzonti section, Best Director Anuparna Roy winner (Songs of Forgotten Trees) concluded her emotional speech with a call for solidarity against the “disastrous happenings in Palestine… Every child deserves peace, freedom and liberation and Palestine is no exception.”
“I don’t want any clap for this,” she said. “I might upset my country [by saying this], but it doesn’t matter to me anymore.”
Filmmaker David Pablos, whose On the Road took the top prize in Orizzonti, concluded his speech making a call for peace for Palestine. Pablos also won the festival’s Queer Lion for Best LGBTQ film.
Before revealing the audience award, there was a standing ovation for Giorgio Armani, who died on Thursday and whose Armani Beauty brand has long been a sponsor of the festival.
The Armani Beauty Audience Award went to Calle Malaga directed by Maryam Touzani. Touzani’s speech dedicated her award to her mother, her partner and producer Nabil Ayouch, and her son, who was in the audience. “The joy I feel is profound.” she said, “but so is the pain I feel because like many of us I cannot forget the horror inflicted every minute, every second on the people of Gaza, the people of Palestine… We wipe our tears and we refuse to lose our humanity. Politics might fail but art is and will always be a home for justice, freedom and humanity.”
At the top of the ceremony, hostess Emanuela Faneli began by reminding the audience of the honorary award recipients this year: Werner Herzog, Gus Van Sant and Julian Schnabel. Unrelated to the festival but happening during its run, shamed actor Kevin Spacey received Italy’s Nations Award for Lifetime Achievement. Academy Award-nominated and Cannes-winning actress Karla Sofía Gascón was honored with the Kinéo Award for Best International Actress, adjacent to the festival, for her performance in last year’s Emilia Pérez. The Kinéo Award is presented by the Kinéo Cultural Association, with a mission to promote Italian cinema by having a “huge audience” vote for recipients.
Here is the full list of winners of competition, Orizzonti and Immersive awards of the 82nd Venice Film Festival.
COMPETITION
Golden Lion for Best Film: Father Mother Sister Brother by Jim Jarmusch
Grand Jury Prize: The Voice of Hind Rajab (صوت هند رجب) by Kaouther Ben Hania
Silver Lion for Best Director: Benny Safdie for The Smashing Machine
Special Jury Prize: Below the Clouds (Sotto le nuvole) by Gianfranco Rosi
Best Screenplay: At Work (À pied d’œuvre) by Valérie Donzelli and Gilles Marchand
Volpi Cup for Best Actress: Xin Zhilei for The Sun Rises On Us All (日掛中天)
Volpi Cup for Best Actor: Toni Servillo for La Grazia
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actress: Luna Wedler for Silent Friend
ORIZZONTI
Best Film: On the Road (En el camino), David Pablos
Best Director: Anuparna Roy for Songs of Forgotten Trees
Special Jury Prize: Harà Watan (Lost Land), Akio Fujimoto
Best Actress: Benedetta Porcaroli, Il Rapimento di Arabella (The Kidnapping of Arabella)
Best Actor: Giacomo Covi, A Year of School
Best Screenplay: Hiedre (The Ivy), Ana Cristina Barragán
Best Short Film: Without Kelly (Lovisa Sirén)
Luigi De Laurentis Award for Debut Film: Short Summer (Nastia Korkia)
Armani Beauty Audience Award: Calle Malaga, Maryam Touzani
Queer Lion: On the Road (En el camino), David Pablos
VENICE CLASSICS
Best Documentary on Cinema: Mata Hari, Joe Beshenkovsky and James A. Smith
Best Restored Film: Bashu, the Little Stranger, Bahram Beizai
VENICE IMMERSIVE
Grand Prize: The Clouds Are Two Thousand Meters Up, Singing Chen
Special Jury Prize: Less Than 5gr of Saffron, Négar Motevalymeidanshah
Achievement Prize: A Long Goodbye, Kate Voet and Victor Maes
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