It’s interesting how the Venice Film Festival has gone from one of the festivals of the fall festival season to arguably the best film festival in the world now, even overshadowing Cannes in recent years thanks to the fact that Netflix now avoids the Croisette for the most part because of France’s theatrical laws and save their Oscar contenders for the Lido. Venice has had an amazing run, arguably since 2017 when Guillermo del Toro’s “The Shape Of Water” won the top prize and then went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture, which has happened one more time since with “Nomadland” and several key Oscar contenders since). Ever since, Venice has been the foremost place to launch an Oscar campaign.
Venice Film Festival 2023: The 17 Most Anticipated Movies To Watch
The Venice Biennale had another fantastic line-up this year, and today the winners are out. And the top prize went to the film that was seemingly most unanimously loved by all, Yorgos Lanthimos’ weirdly wonderful, Frankenstein-ish “Poor Things” starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, and an all-star cast. The jury, led by “La La Land” director Damien Chazelle, certainly spread the prize love around.
The runner-up prize went to Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Evil Does Not Exist,” which surely puts him back in the Best International Film Oscar conversation again; not a surprise since he won last time he was up to bat with 2021’s “Drive My Car.”
Elsewhere, the Best Director prize went to Italian filmmaker Matteo Garrone for “Io Capitano,” Best Actor went to Peter Sarsgaard for Michel Franco’s “Memory,” Best Actress went to Cailee Spaeny for Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla” and Best Screenplay went to Pablo Larrain for “El Conde.”
The full winner’s list is below with related links where applicable.
VENICE 79
Golden Lion
Poor Things, Yorgos Lanthimos
Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize
Evil Does Not Exist, Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Silver Lion Best Director
Matteo Garrone, Io Capitano
Special Jury Prize
Green Border, Agnieszka Holland
Best Screenplay
Pablo Larrain and Guillermo Calderón, El Conde
Best Actress
Cailee Spaeny, Priscilla
Best Actor
Peter Sarsgaard, Memory (read our review)
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress
Seydou Sarr, Io Capitano
HORIZONS
Best Film
Explanation For Everything, Gábor Reisz
Best Director
Mika Gustafson, Paradise Is Burning
Special Jury Prize
Una Sterminata Domenica, Alain Parroni
Best Actress
Margarita Rosa De Francisco, El Paraiso
Best Actor
Tergel Bold-Erdene, City of Wind
Best Screenplay
El Paraiso, Enrico Maria Artale
Best Short Film
A Short Trip, Erenik Beqiri
Lion of the Future – Luigi De Laurentiis Award for a Debut Film
Love Is A Gun, Lee Hong-Chi
HORIZONS EXTRA
Audience Award
FELICITÀ (HAPPINESS), Micaela Ramazzotti
VENICE CLASSICS
Best Documentary
Thank You Very Much, Alex Braverman
Best Restored Film
OHIKKOSHI (MOVING), Shinji Somai
VENICE IMMERSIVE
Grand Jury Prize
Songs For A Passerby, Celine Daemen
Special Jury Prize
Flow, Adriaan Lokman
Immersive Achievement Prize
Emperor, Marion Burger, Ilan Cohen
Follow along with all our coverage of the 2023 Venice Film Festival.