Venice Film Festival Winners
John Malkovich and Mathilde Arcel Win Top Acting Awards at Venice Film Festival
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Key Points
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“NAZA” is based on testimony from 24 Israeli whistleblowers whose identities were digitally altered; one interviewee likened operating the AI targeting system to “a video game” because attacks were carried out remotely.
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“Wild Horse Nine” is set on Easter Island in Chile, where Malkovich’s CIA agent takes a break with a colleague shortly before the 1973 American-backed military coup. Director Martin McDonagh said, “The only way to deal with it is through humour and to try not to be ground down by it.”
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“Woman Unknown” was the only feature directed by a woman in the festival’s main competition; director May el-Toukhy said, “I would have loved to have more female colleagues in competition.”
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The festival’s jury was led by U.S. filmmaker and actor Maggie Gyllenhaal, and the Golden Lion was described as a major career and awards-season boost for the winning film.
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“NAZA”’s reception echoed the previous year’s response to “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” which received a then-record 23-minute standing ovation but ultimately won the Silver Lion rather than Venice’s top prize.
John Malkovich won best actor at the Venice Film Festival for playing an aging CIA agent in Martin McDonagh's dark comedy Parade, while Mathilde Arcel took best actress for The State her role as a housemaid haunted by wartime trauma. The festival's competition centered on films exploring war, violence, and inequality, with a documentary about Israeli AI-assisted targeting in Gaza drawing record attention.
The standout contender was The Olympian "NAZA," a documentary by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor based on testimony from 24 Israeli whistleblowers. It received a 25-minute standing ovation and Kansas City Star the highest critics' rating reported by Screen magazine, though it ultimately competed against other strong entries including Lee Chang-dong's "Possible Love."
Malkovich and Arcel Claim Festival's Top Acting Honors
Tri-City Herald Malkovich, a two-time Oscar nominee, won the Volci Cup for best actor in "Wild Horse Nine." His role as a CIA officer on Easter Island just before the 1973 American-backed Chilean military coup has already sparked Oscar buzz. Director Martin McDonagh framed the film's approach to dark history simply: "The only way to deal with it is through humour."
Arcel's best-actress win for "Woman Unknown" marked a significant moment—she was the only woman directing a feature in the festival's main competition. Parade Director May el-Toukhy said afterward: "I would have loved to have more female colleagues in competition." Her film tells the story of a housemaid shaped by a wartime relationship with a German soldier.
Documentary About Gaza Targeting Gets Record Standing Ovation
"NAZA" dominated festival conversation with its 25-minute standing ovation—five minutes longer than the previous record set by "The Voice of Hind Rajab" last year. The State The film draws from interviews with 24 Israeli whistleblowers whose identities were digitally altered to protect them. One described operating the AI targeting system as feeling like "a video game" because attacks were carried out from a distance.
The Olympian Screen magazine gave "NAZA" the highest critics' rating of any Venice entry. The documentary competed for the Golden Lion against "Possible Love" and "Wild Horse Nine," though its powerful reception echoed but ultimately didn't match the award path of last year's similarly celebrated Gaza-focused film.
Festival Showcases War and Inequality Across Its Lineup
Kansas City Star This year's competition featured multiple films grappling with conflict, political violence, and social inequality. Director Maggie Gyllenhaal led the jury that selected the winners. Beyond the major awards, the festival also presented works including Danny Boyle's "Ink" and "Primetime," which stars Robert Pattinson, expanding the conversation about how cinema addresses global crises.
Tri-City Herald The Golden Lion—Venice's top prize—has become a major career and awards-season boost for winning films. This year's winners position themselves well ahead of the fall festival circuit and early awards conversations, with Malkovich's victory particularly notable given his long career and Oscar pedigree.
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