Complete Venice Film Festival 2025 Winners: Jarmusch’s ‘Father Mother Sister Brother’ Takes Golden Lion
Jim Jarmusch's intimate family triptych defeats high-profile competition while Kaouther Ben Hania's Gaza drama receives emotional 23-minute standing ovation
Jim Jarmusch’s “Father Mother Sister Brother” won the Golden Lion at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on Saturday, capping an 11-day edition that balanced prestige launches with pointed, real-world concerns. The jury led by Alexander Payne selected Jarmusch’s triptych about adult children and their aging parents from 21 Competition titles; organizers confirmed the decision during the closing ceremony on September 6 in Venice.
The top prize had been widely contested in a lineup that included politically charged standouts. The Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize went to Kaouther Ben Hania’s “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” a docudrama built around a real emergency call from Gaza that drew one of the festival’s longest ovations of the year. In her remarks, Ben Hania dedicated the award to medical workers and urged attention to the human toll of the conflict.
Benny Safdie took the Silver Lion for Best Director for “The Smashing Machine,” his solo feature about MMA pioneer Mark Kerr, fronted by Dwayne Johnson. “To be here amongst the giants of the past and the giants here this year, it just blows my mind,” he said onstage, acknowledging his cast and subject. The film’s Venice reception has already fueled awards chatter around Johnson’s performance.
Acting honors underscored the international spread of the competition. China’s Xin Zhilei won the Coppa Volpi for Best Actress for Cai Shangjun’s “Ri gua zhong tian (The Sun Rises on Us All).” Italy’s Toni Servillo earned the Coppa Volpi for Best Actor for Paolo Sorrentino’s “La grazia,” which also served as Venice’s opening-night world premiere. Festival materials list the technical and creative teams for both films and place Sorrentino’s premiere on August 27 at the Palazzo del Cinema.
The screenplay award went to Valérie Donzelli and Gilles Marchand for “À pied d’œuvre (At Work),” while documentary veteran Gianfranco Rosi received the Special Jury Prize for “Sotto le nuvole (Below the Clouds).” The Marcello Mastroianni prize for a young performer went to Luna Wedler for Ildikó Enyedi’s “Silent Friend.” All were announced by festival officials as part of the main Competition awards.
Beyond the main slate, Julia Ducournau’s Orizzonti jury named David Pablos’ “En el camino (On the Road)” Best Film and Anuparna Roy Best Director for “Songs of Forgotten Trees.” Benedetta Porcaroli and Giacomo Covi earned the Orizzonti acting prizes, with Ana Cristina Barragán awarded Best Screenplay for “Hiedra (The Ivy)” and Lovisa Sirén’s “Utan Kelly (Without Kelly)” taking Best Short Film. The Luigi De Laurentiis Lion of the Future for debut work went to Nastia Korkia’s “Short Summer,” while Maryam Touzani’s “Calle Málaga” won the Armani Beauty Audience Award in Venezia Spotlight.
Speeches and ceremony moments sketched the tenor of the year. Jarmusch called the Golden Lion an “unexpected honour” and thanked the festival for recognizing what he described as a quiet film, a note that matched the movie’s understated tone across its New Jersey, Dublin, and Paris chapters. Ben Hania centered her remarks on the memory of Hind Rajab and on humanitarian workers, and Safdie saluted collaborators while spotlighting Kerr, the real-life athlete whose story he dramatizes.
The week’s atmosphere reflected the global crises that threaded through several selections. Reporters on the ground noted Gaza-focused works drawing sustained response, with “The Voice of Hind Rajab” particularly resonant in the Sala Grande. Venice, often seen as an early bellwether for the Hollywood awards season, has historically propelled eventual Oscar contenders; this year’s slate featured high-profile premieres that left without trophies but remain in play commercially and critically.
Festival programming also included career honors and restorations that connect the year’s conversation to cinema history. Werner Herzog received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement on opening night, followed by a public tribute to Kim Novak, who was honored later in the week; Venice scheduled Novak’s masterclass and a special out-of-competition event around “Kim Novak’s Vertigo.” The Classics jury cited Bahram Beyzaie’s “Bashu, the Little Stranger” as Best Restored Film and awarded Joe Beshenkovsky and James A. Smith’s “Mata Hari” as Best Documentary on Cinema.
Industry-facing sections and XR programming rounded out the awards map. Venice Immersive’s Grand Prize went to Singing Chen’s “The Clouds Are Two Thousand Meters Up,” with Négar Motevalymeidanshah’s “Less Than 5gr of Saffron” recognized by the jury and “A Long Goodbye” receiving the Achievement Prize. Organizers also highlighted the Venice Production Bridge’s market activity and the presence of returning sponsors; during the ceremony, speakers paid tribute to Giorgio Armani, echoing the brand’s ongoing support and the designer’s influence on the festival’s image.
Distribution updates began to emerge alongside the prizes. Mubi set a December 24 U.S. theatrical release for “Father Mother Sister Brother,” positioning Jarmusch’s film for late-year play in North America after its Venice win.
For the record, the main jury featured Payne with members Stéphane Brizé, Maura Delpero, Cristian Mungiu, Mohammad Rasoulof, Fernanda Torres, and Zhao Tao. Venice dates for this year’s edition ran August 27 to September 6 on the Lido, with Competition, Orizzonti, Venice Classics, and Immersive prizes announced at the September 6 ceremony.
2025 Venice Film Festival – Complete Awards List
MAIN COMPETITION AWARDS
Golden Lion (Best Film)
WINNER: “Father Mother Sister Brother” (dir. Jim Jarmusch)
Nominees:
“The Wizard of the Kremlin” (dir. Olivier Assayas)
“Jay Kelly” (dir. Noah Baumbach)
“The Voice of Hind Rajab” (dir. Kaouther Ben Hania)
“A House of Dynamite” (dir. Kathryn Bigelow)
“The Sun Rises on Us All” (dir. Cai Shangjun)
“Frankenstein” (dir. Guillermo del Toro)
“Elisa” (dir. Leonardo Di Costanzo)
“À Pied d’Oeuvre” (dir. Valérie Donzelli)
“Silent Friend” (dir. Ildikó Enyedi)
“The Testament of Ann Lee” (dir. Mona Fastvold)
“Bugonia” (dir. Yorgos Lanthimos)
“Duse” (dir. Pietro Marcello)
“Un Film Fatto Per Bene” (dir. Franco Maresco)
“Orphan” (dir. László Nemes)
“L’Étranger” (dir. François Ozon)
“No Other Choice” (dir. Park Chan-wook)
“Below the Clouds” (dir. Gianfranco Rosi)
“The Smashing Machine” (dir. Benny Safdie)
“Girl” (dir. Shu Qi)
“La Grazia” (dir. Paolo Sorrentino) – Opening Film
Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize
WINNER: “The Voice of Hind Rajab” (dir. Kaouther Ben Hania)
Silver Lion for Best Director
WINNER: Benny Safdie for “The Smashing Machine”
Special Jury Prize
WINNER: “Below the Clouds” (dir. Gianfranco Rosi)
Best Screenplay
WINNER: “À Pied d’œuvre” – Valérie Donzelli and Gilles Marchand
Volpi Cup for Best Actress
WINNER: Xin Zhilei for “The Sun Rises on Us All”
Volpi Cup for Best Actor
WINNER: Toni Servillo for “La Grazia”
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor
WINNER: Luna Wedler for “Silent Friend”
ORIZZONTI (HORIZONS) SECTION AWARDS
Orizzonti Best Film
WINNER: “On the Road” (dir. David Pablos)
Nominees included:
“Mother” (dir. Teona Strugar Mitevska) – Opening Film
“Divine Comedy” (dir. Ali Asgari)
“Hiedra” (dir. Ana Cristina Barragán)
“The Kidnapping of Arabella” (dir. Carolina Cavalli)
