Venice Film Festival 2026 Winners: Woman Unknown Takes Golden Lion
The 2026 Venice Film Festival has crowned its winners, with May el-Toukhy’s Woman Unknown taking home the prestigious Golden Lion for Best Film. The victory gave the Danish-Egyptian filmmaker one of the biggest honors in international cinema and brought an eventful 83rd edition of the festival to a close.
The final awards ceremony on September 12 delivered a number of notable results, with films exploring identity, politics, social inequality and personal conflict among the major prize recipients. Woman Unknown emerged as the night’s biggest winner, while several acclaimed filmmakers and performers also received recognition from the jury headed by Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Woman Unknown Wins the Golden Lion
Woman Unknown became the centerpiece of the 2026 Venice Film Festival after winning the Golden Lion, the event’s highest competitive honor.
Directed by May el-Toukhy, the film is set in Denmark following the Second World War and follows a young woman whose attempts to build a new life are complicated by a hidden past. The story examines power, social position, shame and the consequences of secrets that refuse to remain buried.
The Golden Lion victory is particularly significant for el-Toukhy. She was the only woman directing alone among the filmmakers competing in the main competition this year, and her win makes her the eighth woman in the festival’s history to receive the award.
The film also collected another major prize during the ceremony, making it one of the strongest overall performers of this year’s competition.
Mathilde Arcel Named Best Actress
Mathilde Arcel won the Volpi Cup for Best Actress for her performance in Woman Unknown. The recognition gives the film a rare double achievement, with its director winning the festival’s top prize and its leading performer receiving the acting award.
Arcel’s performance is central to the film’s story, which places its protagonist in a complicated world of social expectations, personal trauma and changing power dynamics. The award is also a major festival milestone for the actress, who has drawn attention for her work in the film.
With both the Golden Lion and Best Actress prizes, Woman Unknown leaves Venice as one of the defining films of the 2026 festival.
Possible Love Takes the Grand Jury Prize
South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong received the Grand Jury Prize for Possible Love, another major highlight of the competition.
The award places Lee’s latest film among the most highly regarded titles of the festival. Known for films that often explore complicated relationships and social pressures, Lee returned to Venice with a drama examining class, family and the tensions created when people from different social backgrounds collide.
The Grand Jury Prize was one of several awards that reflected the jury’s interest in films dealing with contemporary social and human concerns.
Ilya Khrzhanovsky Wins Best Director
The Silver Lion for Best Director went to Ilya Khrzhanovsky for DAU.
Khrzhanovsky’s ambitious cinematic project received recognition for its direction, adding another major international honor to a film that has attracted attention for its unusual approach and scale.
The directing award further emphasized the variety of filmmaking styles represented in this year’s competition, from intimate character dramas to large and formally ambitious productions.
John Malkovich Wins Best Actor
John Malkovich took the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his performance in Wild Horse Nine, directed by Martin McDonagh.
Malkovich plays a CIA figure in the film, which combines political themes with satire. His victory represents one of the evening’s biggest acting surprises and adds another major festival honor to his long career.
The actor expressed his gratitude for the award, calling the recognition a meaningful honor. His performance also puts Wild Horse Nine among the films likely to remain part of the awards conversation after Venice.
Best Screenplay Goes to Un Bon Petit Soldat
The Best Screenplay award went to Stéphane Brizé, Coralie Amedeo and Olivier Gorce for Un Bon Petit Soldat.
The French film was recognized for its writing, giving Brizé and his collaborators one of the competition’s major prizes. The screenplay award highlighted the strength of the film’s storytelling and its examination of difficult personal and professional choices.
NAZA Receives the Special Jury Prize
One of the most politically significant films at Venice, NAZA, received the Special Jury Prize.
Directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, the documentary focuses on Israel’s military operations in Gaza and the use of technology and artificial intelligence in the conflict. Its screening generated considerable attention during the festival, including an extended audience response.
The jury’s decision ensured that the film remained among the major award recipients despite not taking one of the top prizes.
A Strong Finish for Venice 2026
The 2026 Venice Film Festival concluded with a selection of winners that reflected the wide range of cinema represented during the event.
From Woman Unknown and Possible Love to DAU, Wild Horse Nine, Un Bon Petit Soldat and NAZA, the awards recognized filmmakers working across different styles, countries and subject matters.
The Golden Lion victory for May el-Toukhy is likely to generate particular attention as the film moves beyond the festival circuit. With the top prize and Best Actress award already secured, Woman Unknown has established itself as one of the major international films of the year.
For Venice, the 2026 edition ended with a clear message: ambitious storytelling, political filmmaking and powerful performances continue to have a prominent place on the festival’s world stage.