Venice Film Festival to Conclude, Awards Can Give an Oscars Boost/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ The 82nd Venice Film Festival concludes Saturday with the announcement of its coveted awards, including the Golden Lion for best film. The competition lineup featured Oscar hopefuls from directors like Kathryn Bigelow, Guillermo del Toro, and Yorgos Lanthimos. Venice has long served as a launchpad for Academy Award contenders.
Venice Film Festival 2025: Quick Looks
- Golden Lion and other top awards announced Saturday evening.
- Oscar heavyweights featured: Kathryn Bigelow, Guillermo del Toro, Park Chan-wook, Yorgos Lanthimos.
- Standout performances from Dwayne Johnson, Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Julia Roberts, Adam Sandler.
- George Clooney & Sandler moved audiences in “Jay Kelly.”
- Jude Law as Putin in The Wizard of the Kremlin.
- Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania earned a 22-minute ovation with The Voice of Hind Rajab.
- Jury led by Alexander Payne with global industry figures.
- Venice has launched Oscar winners like “The Shape of Water” and “Nomadland.”
- Last year’s lineup yielded multiple Oscar wins, though Golden Lion winner The Room Next Door missed out.
Deep Look: Venice Film Festival Wraps With Golden Lion and Oscar Hopes Looming
VENICE, Italy — The curtain comes down Saturday on the 82nd Venice Film Festival, as filmmakers, actors, and audiences await the announcement of the Golden Lion and other top prizes during the closing ceremony.
This year’s festival was packed with potential Oscar contenders, cementing Venice’s reputation as a vital springboard for awards season campaigns.
The Films Generating Buzz
Among the most talked-about titles was Kathryn Bigelow’s urgent nuclear thriller A House of Dynamite, a sobering look at decision-making under existential pressure.
Guillermo del Toro returned to Venice with Frankenstein, his lushly gothic reimagining of Mary Shelley’s novel, featuring Oscar Isaac as a tormented Victor Frankenstein and Jacob Elordi as a fragile, tragic monster.
South Korean director Park Chan-wook delivered dark satire with No Other Choice, lampooning the desperation of white-collar job seekers.
Hollywood veterans George Clooney and Adam Sandler touched audiences in Jay Kelly, a bittersweet road film about an actor and his manager navigating fame and aging.
Powerful International Voices
Venice also spotlighted global cinema. Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania stunned audiences with The Voice of Hind Rajab, which reconstructs the final moments of a 6-year-old girl killed in Gaza. Using real audio recordings from the Palestine Red Crescent Society, the film was hailed as both devastating and necessary, receiving a 22-minute standing ovation.
Big Names Out of Competition
Not all star vehicles were eligible for awards. Julia Roberts headlined Luca Guadagnino’s After the Hunt as a Yale professor caught in an academic misconduct scandal, joined by Andrew Garfield and Ayo Edebiri. Though screened out of competition, the film drew strong reviews.
Jude Law, meanwhile, portrayed Russian President Vladimir Putin in The Wizard of the Kremlin, while Amanda Seyfried humanized the story of religious sect leader Ann Lee in The Testament of Ann Lee.
The Jury and Awards History
The main competition jury was led by filmmaker Alexander Payne (Nebraska), joined by actors and directors from around the world, including Fernanda Torres, Mohammad Rasoulof, Stéphane Brizé, Maura Delpero, Zhao Tao, and Cristian Mungiu.
Both Lanthimos and del Toro are past Golden Lion winners (Poor Things and The Shape of Water), and both turned those Venice triumphs into Oscar gold. Since 2014, Venice has launched four Best Picture winners, including Birdman, Spotlight, The Shape of Water, and Nomadland.
Last year’s lineup also produced multiple Oscar winners, though Golden Lion victor Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door left empty-handed at the Academy Awards.
Venice as an Oscar Launchpad
The festival’s track record underscores its role as the unofficial starting gun for awards season. With so many high-profile directors and powerful performances showcased this year, Saturday’s winners will carry momentum straight into the fall campaign.
For filmmakers, winning Venice’s Golden Lion often means a chance at Oscar history. For audiences, it’s a reminder that the films premiered along the canals of Venice often dominate the world stage months later in Hollywood.
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