Here are the winners of the 2026 Venice Film Festival
May el-Toukhy's Woman Unknown took the Golden Lion, and Martin McDonagh's Wild Horse Nine, Lee Chang-dong's Possible Love, and Ilya Khrzhanovsky's DAU also received top honors.
The 2026 Venice Film Festival saw a triumphant night for May el-Toukhy, the Danish filmmaker who won the prestigious Golden Lion for her film, Woman Unknown. The drama, set post-World War II, follows a nanny (Mathilde Arcel) whose past relationship with a German officer complicates her plans to marry a wealthy older man. The Golden Lion acknowledges the film's exploration of the woman's body as a battlefield and the struggle of invisible women without voices.
Mathilde Arcel, who portrayed the leading role, was awarded the Volpi Cup for Best Actress by a jury led by filmmaker and actor Maggie Gyllenhaal. The 13-minute standing ovation given to McDonagh's Wild Horse Nine, despite being the longest standing ovation, didn't go unrewarded. John Malkovich, the star of Wild Horse Nine, was honored with the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his portrayal of a terminally ill CIA operative.
His acceptance speech was delivered via recorded message, expressing gratitude to McDonagh and his colleagues.
Lee Chang-dong's Possible Love, a socially complex drama about two families from different economic backgrounds, secured the Silver Lion, the festival's Grand Jury Prize. This win provides additional momentum for the film, as it is set to represent South Korea in the Best International Feature race during the Oscar season.
Ilya Khrzhanovsky's controversial film DAU, which delves into the life of Soviet theoretical physicist and Nobel Prize winner Lev Landau, took home the Silver Lion for Best Director. The Special Jury Prize was awarded to Israeli directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor for their documentary NAZA, which examines the Israeli military and intelligence's role in targeting Palestinians during the Gaza war.
This year marked the longest recorded standing ovation at the festival for the Israeli documentary NAZA. The full list of winners can be found below. The Golden Lion for Best Film was awarded to Woman Unknown, while the Silver Lion, Grand Jury Prize, and Special Jury Prize were given to Possible Love, DAU, and NAZA, respectively. John Malkovich, Wild Horse Nine, and Malou Khebizi's A Place To Heal were recognized with Volpi Cups for Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best New Young Actor or Actress.
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