Venice 2024: "The Room Next Door" takes the Golden Lion
Sunday, September 8, 2024 at 11:00AM by Nathaniel R
Pedro Almodóvar and his actresses Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton working on THE ROOM NEXT DOOR which is now a Golden Lion winner
The 81st annual Venice Film Festival has ended and the two perceived frontrunners The Brutalist and The Room Next Door took home major prizes, as did Babygirl, The Quiet Son, and Brazil's possible Oscar submission I'm Still Here. The "Competition" films are the headlining titles of course but they aren't the only films that get major mileage from applause and kudos as any festival wraps up. Outside of the main competition films like Familiar Touch (US), Familia (Italy), Iddu (Italy), Mon Inséparable (France), Paul and Paulette Take a Bath (UK) and The New Year That Never Came (Romania) all won fanbases if the awards that flew around this week are indication.
The prizes went like so...
Competition
Isabelle Huppert and her all star jury (James Gray, Andrew Haigh, Agnieszka Holland, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Abderrahmane Sissako, Giuseppe Tornatore, Julia von Heinz, and Zhang Ziyi) have selected their winners after screening all 21 competition films at the 81st Venice Film Festival, giving Pedro Almodóvar somehow his very first top prize at a major film festival, despite his legendary career. The winners went like so:
GOLDEN LION - The Room Next Door (Pedro Almodóvar, Spain)
Almodóvar's films have of course won many prizes over the years but this is his first time topping a whole festival.
SILVER LION - GRAND JURY PRIZE - Vermiglio (Maura Delpero, Italy)
This well received Italian drama about one family in the last year of World War II could become their Oscar submission. We'll keep an eye on this one.
SILVER LION - BEST DIRECTOR - Brady Corbet for The Brutalist (UK)
No one expected The Brutalist to be such a critical sensation so now the question is what will happen with its distribution plans. Universal has international rights but there's been no word on its US release yet. Will they rush it for this year's Oscars or hold for a year?
VOLPI CUP BEST ACTRESS - Nicole Kidman, Babygirl (US)
Kidman has been busy-busy-busy of late so it's nice to see her cap off her year with a major prize. This is her second Best Actress win from one of the big three European festivals. She previously won Berlinale for The Hours. That leaves only Cannes and she'd have the trifecta.
VOLPI CUP BEST ACTOR - Vincent Lindon, The Quiet Son (France)
Lindon has had an amazing run this past decade or so. He won Cannes just nine years ago for The Measure of a Man.
BEST SCREENPLAY - I'm Still Here by Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega (Walter Salles, Brazil)
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE - April (Dea Kulumbegashvili, Georgia)
MARCELLO MASTROIANNI AWARD - BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS - Paul Kircher, Leurs Enfants Après Eux (France)
Orizzonti
The Jury for the Orizzonti section was chaired by Debra Granik and featured Ali Asgari, Soudade Kaadan, Christos Nikou, Tuva Novotny, Gábor Reisz, and Valia Santella). After screening the 19 features and 13 shorts they chose the following prizes
BEST FILM - The New Year That Never Came (Bogdan Muresana, Romania/Serbia)
BEST DIRECTOR - Sarah Friedland for Familiar Touch (US)
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE - One of Those Days When Hemme Dies (Murat Firatoglu, Turkey)
BEST ACTRESS - Kathleen Chalfant, Familiar Touch (US)
BEST ACTOR - Francesco Gheghi, Familia (Italy)
BEST SCREENPLAY -Happy Holidays by Scandar Copti
BEST SHORT - Who Loves the Sun (Arshia Shakiba, Canada)
SHORT FILM FOR THE EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS - René Va Alla Guerra (Luca Ferri, Morgan Menegazzo, Mariachiara Pernisa, Italy)
Miscellaneous Official Prizes
There are of course mini juries on selected offerings, audience prizes, and other honors...
ORIZZONTI EXTRA - AUDIENCE AWARD - The Witness (Nader Saeiar, Germany/Austria)
LION OF THE FUTURE - DEBUT FILM - Familiar Touch (Sarah Friedland, US)
VENICE CLASSICS BEST DOCUMENTARY - Chain Reactions (Alexandre O. Philippe, US)
VENICE CLASSICS RESTORED FILM - Eccoe Bombo (Nanni Moretti, Italy)
VENICE IMMERSIVE GRAND PRIZE - Ito Meikyu (Boris Labbé, France/Luxembourg)
VENICE IMMERSIVE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE - Oto's Planet (Gwenael François, Luxembourg/Canada/France)
VENICE IMMERSIVCE ACHIEVEMENT PRIZE - Impulse: Playing with Reality (Barry Gene Murphy, May Abdalla, UK/France)
Collateral Prizes
These prizes come from various attending clubs, associations, and critics but aren't official Venice film festival business...
1964 POP ART AWARD - Best Actor: Toni Servillo (Italy)
"AMBASSADOR OF HOPE" FOUNDATION - King Ivory (John Swab)
ARCA CINEMAGIOVANI BEST FILM - The Brutalist (Brady Corbet)
ARCA CINEMAGIOVANI BEST ITALIAN FILM - Vittoria (Allexandro Cassigolia and Casey Kauffman)
AUTHORS UNDER 40 BEST DIRECTING AND WRITING - Xiaoxuan Jiang for To Kill a Mongolian Horse
AUTHORS UNDER 40 BEST DIRECTING -(tie) Anne-Sophia Bailly for Mon Inseparable, and Elizabeth Lo for Mistress Dispeller
AUTHORS UNDER 40 SPECIAL MENTION CINEMATOGRAPHY - The New Year That Never Came (Bogdan Muresanu)
PIETRO BIANCHI AWARD - Nanni Moretti
PREMIO ROBERT BRESSON 2024 - Marco Bellocchio
BRIAN AWARD - The Room Next Door (Pedro Almodóvar, Spain)
ENRICO FULCHIGNONI AWARDS - The Fisherman (Zoey Martinson)
CINEMA & ARTS AWARD - BEST MOVIE - (tie) Riefenstahl (Andres Veiel) and Paul & Paulette Take a Bath (Jethro Massey)
CINEMA & ARTS AWARD - SPECIAL MENTION - Quay Brothers
PREMIO CINEMASARA - The Brutalist (Brady Corbet)
PREMIO CINEMARA - SPECIAL MENTION - Kill the Jockey (Luis Ortega)
GREEN DROP AWARD -(tie) - Vermiglio (Maura Delpero) and I'm Still Here (Walter Salles)
EDIPO RE AWARD - Kill the Jockey (Luis Ortega)
EDIPO SPECIAL MENTION - Sugar Island (Johanne Gomez Terrero)
EDIPO YOUNG JURY AWARD -Sugar Island (Johanne Gomez Terrero)
PREMIO SPECIALE FILM IMPRESA - Anne Sophie Bailly for Mon Inseparable
PREMIO FONDAZIONE FAI PERSONA LAVORO AMBIENTE - Peacock (Bernahard Wenger)
PREMIO FONDAZIONE SPECIAL MENTION TREATMENT OF ISSUES: (tie) - Sugar Island and Anywhere Anytime (Milad Tangshir)
PREMIO FONDAZIONE SPECIAL MENTION TREATMENT OF ENVIRONMENT - Le Mohican (Frederic Farruci)
FANHEART 3 BEST FILM - Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Tim Burton, US)
FANHEART 3 BEST OTP - Wolfs (Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Jon Watts, US)
FANHEART 3 XR FAN EXPERIENCE: Uncanny Alley: A New Day (Stephen Butchko, Rick Treweek)
FANHEART 3 XR FAN EXPERIENCE SPECIAL MENTION - Nightmara: Episode 3 (Gianpaolo Gonzalez)
FEDERAZIONE ITALIANA DEI CINECLUB BEST FILM: Vittoria
FEDERAZIONE ITALIANA DEI CINECLUB SPECIAL MENTION: Familia
FEDERAZIONE ITALIANA DEI CINECLUB SHORT FILM: Playing God (Matteo Burani)
FIPRESCI BEST FILM COMPETITION: The Brutalist (Brady Corbet)
FIPRESCI BEST FILM PARALLEL SECTIONS: The New Year That Never Came (Bogdan Muresanu)
GDA DIRECTORS AWARD -Manas (Marianna Brennand)
GDA PEOPLE'S CHOICE - Taxi Monamour (Ciro De Caro)
GDA EUROPA CINEMAS LABEL AWARD - Alpha (Jan-Willem van Ewijk)
IMPACT AWARD - The Quiet Son (Delphine Coulin & Muriel Coulin)
INTERFILM AWARD FOR PROMOTING INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE - Quiet Life (Alexandros Avranas)
LANTERNA MAGICA AWARD La Storia Del Frank e Della Nina (Paola Randi)
LEONCINO D'ORO AWARD The Quiet Son
LEONCINO CINEMA FOR UNICEF: Familia
LIZZANI -Iddu (Fabio Grassadonia & Antonio Piazza)
NETPAC - Mistress Dispeller (Elizabeth Lo)
NUOVOIMAIE BEST YOUNG ACTRESS (tie) - Tecla Insolia for Familia and Martina Scrinzi for Vermiglio
FRANCESCO PASINETTI AWARD -Iddu
FRANCESCO PASINETTI - BEST ACTRESS - Romana Maggiora Vergano for The Time it Takes
FRANCESCO PASINETTI - BEST ACTRESS SPECIAL MENTION - The cast of Familia
LA PELLICOLA D'ORO COSTUME DESIGN - Antonella Bacchini for Campo di Battaglia
LA PELLICOLA D'ORO ELECTYRICIAN: Kristian De Martiis for Vermiglio
LA PELLICOLA D'ORO PROP MAKER: Italo Maurizi for Iddue
QUEER LION Alma Del Desierto (Monica Taboada-Tapia)
RB CASTING - Francesco Gheghi for Familia
MARIO SERANDREI - Homegrown (Michael Premo)
IWONDERFUL GRAND PRIZE - Don't Cry Butterfly (Duron Dieu Linh)
IWONDERFUL SPECIAL MENTION - No Sleep Till (Alexandra Simpson)
LUCIAO SOVENA AWARD INDEPENDENT PRODUCER
Anywhere Anytime (Milad Tangshir)
FILM CLUB AUDIENCE AWARD - Paul & Paulette Take a Bath (Jethro Massey)
VERONA FILM CLUB Don't Cry Butterfly (Duron Dieu Linh)
SIC BEST SHORT FILM Things That My Best Friend Lost (Marta Innocenti)
SIC BEST DIRECTOR - Francesco Manzato for Nero Argento
SIC TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTION - Marco Talarico for At Least I Will be 8 294 400 Pixel
WORLD CATHOLIC ASSOCIATION AWARD FOR COMMUNICATION - I'm Still Here (Walter Salles)
SORRISO DIVERSO VENEZIA AWARD BEST ITALIAN FILM - Vermiglio
SORRISO DIVERSO VENEZIA AWARD BEST FOREIGN FILM - Mon Inseparable
PREMO SOUNDTRACK AWARD: (tie) Joker Folie a Deux music by Hildur Gudnadottir and Iddue music by Colapesce
PREMIO SOUNDTRACK AWARD SPECIAL MENTION (tie) Fabio Massimo apogrosso for Il Tempo Che ci Vuole and Cam Suggar for the restoration of Travolti da un Insolito Destino Nell'Assuro Mare D'Agosto
PREMIO SOUNDTRACK AWARD SPECIAL PRIZE: Margherita Vicario for Gloria!
UNIMED AWARD PRIZE FOR CULTURAL DIVERSITY: The Brutalist
ROTELLA AWARD: Iddu
Reader Comments (3)
A24 just bought the U.S. rights for The Brutalist.
It looks like a very strong year.
And Venice one more time being the best Film Festival in the world.
Venice never disappoints... ❤️
Quite excited about this result... despite initial "disappointment" by critics with The Room Next Door, the jury - people from the INDUSTRY, which actually are the voting members of the AMPAS, not critics - chose Almodóvar's who was unbelievably due to earn a top prize at one of the big 3 film festivals (and honestly, deserving way more than just one Original Screenplay Oscar, throughout his career - as All About My Mother is an Oscar won by the Spanish Academy, and not given to Almodóvar himself). This means that given the precedents in recent years - last 7 - it's given that 5 out of those 7 Golden Lion winners went on to win big at the Oscars and all of those 5 earned Picture, Director, Acting AND Screenplay nominations: The Shape of Water, Roma, Joker, Nomadland and Poor Things. That embodies tremendously well for a film that actually nails some Oscarbait poignant issue (two films about euthanasia actually won International - The Sea Inside - and Picture - Million Dollar Baby), and question now might be how many nominations it will earn, and how many Oscars might win. I'd say that if the pattern is followed, Picture, Director, S. Actress and Adapted are safe bets for nominations, and pending on its strength, Actress, Cinematography, Score and even Film Editing. Wins? I'd say Swinton becomes a de facto frontrunner for Supporting Actress and may even sweep her way to Oscar, in precursors.