End of Venice Film Festival; Best Film Award Goes to 'The Side Room' and Nicole Kidman Named Best Actress

The 81st Venice Film Festival concluded on Saturday, September 8, with the announcement of the winners, awarding the Best Actress prize to Nicole Kidman for her role in 'The Daughter' and the Best Actor award to Vincent Lindon for 'The Quiet Son.' The jury also awarded the Golden Lion for Best Film to Pedro Almodóvar for 'The Side Room' and the Silver Lion for Best Direction to Brady Corbet for 'Ruthless.' Almodóvar's film, a reflection on friendship and death, received a 20-minute standing ovation from the audience, leading to its Golden Lion win. Almodóvar, a beloved filmmaker at Venice, has showcased many of his films at this festival over the past four decades. Upon receiving the award, he stated, 'I would like to dedicate this award to my family. This film is my first in English, but its spirit is Spanish.' Nicole Kidman, the renowned Australian-American actress, won this award while being absent due to the death of her mother. In a statement read by Halina Reijn, director of 'The Daughter,' she expressed, 'I arrived in Venice and shortly after learned that my beautiful and brave mother, Janelle Kidman, had passed away. I am in shock and need to be with my family, but this award is for her. She shaped me and made me who I am.' Iranian filmmakers also gained attention at this year's Venice Film Festival, with the Audience Award in the Horizons section going to Nader Saei Var for his film 'Witness.' Saei Var dedicated the award to 'the brave women of Iran' and 'Jafar Panahi.' The film, featuring Maryam Bobani, Hana Kamkar, and Ghazal Shojaei, was made without adhering to Iran's mandatory hijab laws and is considered part of independent or underground cinema. The Best Short Film award in the Horizons section was awarded to Arshia Shakiba for 'Who Loves the Sun.' The documentary 'Who Loves the Sun' is set in Syria and depicts the harsh realities of life in war-torn Syria. The Venice Film Festival is the oldest and one of the largest film festivals in the world, first held in 1932, and is among the most significant cinematic events in Europe and the world alongside festivals like Cannes and Berlin. The Golden Lion is the highest award at the festival for the best film in the Venice competition, introduced by the organizing committee in 1949 and now recognized as one of the most prestigious awards in the film industry.