80th Venice International Film Festival


The 80th annual Venice International Film Festival was held from 30 August to 9 September 2023, at Venice Lido in Italy.
Alberto Barbera, Venice's artistic director, acknowledged that the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike was likely to impact the festival if it was not resolved in time, due to the strike rules that prevent all actors from taking part in any kind of promotional activities for their films. Nevertheless, the festival proceeded though fewer Hollywood celebrities than usual were in attendance, while an increase of European titles in all sections was expected. The world premieres of some upcoming award season hot titles expected to premiere at Venice, such as Ethan Coen's Drive-Away-Dolls, ended up delayed. As the strike was ongoing, some American films announced the absence of the cast in the red carpet of their world premieres, including Bradley Cooper, director/writer/producer and actor of Maestro.
American filmmaker Damien Chazelle served as Jury President for the main competition. Italian actress Caterina Murino hosted the opening and closing nights of the festival. The Golden Lion was awarded to Poor Things by Yorgos Lanthimos.
Italian director Liliana Cavani and Chinese/Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai were both awarded with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement during the festival.
The festival opened with Comandante by Edoardo De Angelis. Luca Guadagnino's Challengers was originally scheduled to have its world premiere as the festival's opening film, but MGM/Amazon chose to withdraw it and delay its release due to the ongoing 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. J. A. Bayona's Society of the Snow was the closing film.
WWW labiennale.org/en/cinema/...

Juries

Main Competition (''Venezia 80'')

''[Orizzonti]''

''Luigi de Laurentiis'' Award for Debut Film

Venice Classics

Venice Immersive

  • Singing Chen, Taiwanese filmmaker and music composer - Jury President
  • Pedro Harres, Brazilian director, animator, screenwriter and multimedia artist
  • German Heller, Argentinian animator and producer

Official Selection

In Competition (''Venezia 80'')

The following films were selected for the main competition:

Out of Competition

The following films were selected to be screened out of competition:

Special Screening

The following films were selected to have a Special Screening:
English titleOriginal titleDirectorProduction country
The Lion's Share: A History of the MostraLa parte del leone: una storia della MostraBaptiste Etchegaray, Giuseppe BucchiFrance, Italy

''[Orizzonti]''

The following films were selected to the Orizzonti main competition:

''Orizzonti Extra''

The following films were selected to the Orizzonti Extra section:

Venice Classics

Venice Classics is the section that since 2012 has presented world premiere screenings at the Venice Film Festival of a selection of the best restorations of film classics carried out over the past year by film archives, cultural institutions and production companies around the world. The section usually also presents a selection of documentaries about cinema. Director and screenwriter Andrea Pallaoro will chair a Jury of Film Students which will award the Venice Classics prizes for the respective competitions for Best Restored Film and for the Best Documentary About Cinema. The Jury chaired will be composed of 24 students, each of them recommended by professors of film studies from various Italian universities. The following films were selected to the Venice Classics section:

Venice Immersive

The Venice Immersive is entirely devoted to immersive media and includes all XR means of creative expression, from 360° videos to XR works of any length, including installations and virtual worlds. The following projects were selected for the XR - Extended Reality section of La Biennale di Venezia:

Final Cut in Venice

Final Cut in Venice is the festival program that has been providing since 2013 support in the completion of films from African and Middle East countries. The following seven work-in-progress films have been selected for the 11th edition of Final Cut in Venice:

Independent sections

Venice International Critics’ Week (''38. Settimana Internazionale della Critica'')

The titles in competition will compete for the €5,000 Grand Prize and the €3,000 Audience Award. The selection committee is led by delegate general Beatrice Fiorentino with members including Enrico Azzano, Chiara Borroni, Ilaria Feole, and Federico Pedroni. The following films were selected to the International Critics’ Week sections:

''Giornate degli Autori''

The line-up spans 10 films in competition, seven special events, eight titles in "Venice Nights" as well as a special day-long event devoted Vallée and the cinema of Québec. The following films were selected to the Giornate degli Autori sections:

Official Awards

Main Competition (''Venezia 80'')

[Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement]

''[Orizzonti]''

Best Film: Explanation for Everything by Gabor ReiszBest Director: Mika Gustafson for Paradise Is BurningSpecial Jury Prize: An Endless Sunday by Alain ParroniBest Actress: Margarita Rosa de Francisco for El paraísoBest Actor: Tergel Bold-Erdene for City of WindBest Screenplay: El paraíso by Enrico Maria ArtaleBest Short Film: A Short Trip by Erenik Beqiri

''Orizzonti Extra''

Audience Award: Felicità by Micaela Ramazzotti

Lion of the Future

Luigi De Laurentiis Award for a Debut Film: Love Is a Gun by Lee Hong-chi

Venice Classics

Best Documentary on Cinema: Thank You Very Much by Alex BravermenBest Restored Film: Moving by Shinji Sômai

Venice Immersive

Grand Prize: Songs for a Passerby by Celine DaemenSpecial Jury Prize: Flow by Adriaan Lokman Achievement Prize: Emperor by Marion Burguer, Ilan Cohen

Final Cut in Venice

Carissa by Jason Jacobs, Devon Delmar“Coup de cœur de la Cinémathèque Afrique” award: Carissa by Jason Jacobs, Devon DelmarEl Gouna Film Festival award: Sudan, When Poems Fall Apart by Hind MeddebEye on Films award: She Was Not Alone by Hussein Al-AsadiFestival International du Film d’Amiens award: She Was Not Alone by Hussein Al-AsadiFestival International de Films de Fribourg award: Carissa by Jason Jacobs, Devon DelmarLaser Film award: Happy Holidays by Scandar CoptiMAD Solutions award: Sudan, When Poems Fall Apart by Hind MeddebOrganisation Internationale de la Francophonie post-production award: Life is A Railroad by Kevin Mavakala, Manassé Kashala, Isaac Sahani, Tousmy KiloOticons award: She Was Not Alone by Hussein Al-AsadiMusic Supervision Oticons award: Life is A Railroad by Kevin Mavakala, Manassé Kashala, Isaac Sahani, Tousmy KiloRai Cinema award: Sudan, When Poems Fall Apart by Hind MeddebRed Sea Fund of the Red Sea International Film Festival award: Sudan, When Poems Fall Apart by Hind MeddebSub-Ti Ltd award: She Was Not Alone by Hussein Al-AsadiSub-Ti Access Srl award: She Was Not Alone by Hussein Al-AsadiTitraFilm award: Sudan, When Poems Fall Apart by Hind MeddebStudio A Fabrica award: Happy Holidays by Scandar Copti

Independent Sections Awards

The following collateral awards were conferred to films of the autonomous sections:

Venice International Critics' Week

Grand Prize: Malqueridas by Tana Gilbert

''[Giornate degli Autori]''

Europa Cinemas Label Award: Photophobia by Ivan Ostrochovský, Pavol PekarčíkGdA Director's Award: Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person by Ariane Louis-SeizePeople Choice's Award: Through the Night by Delphine Girard

Independent Awards

[Queer Lion]

Housekeeping for Beginners by Goran Stolevski

ARCA CinemaGiovani Award

Best Film of Venezia 80: Green Border by Agnieszka HollandBest Italian Film in Venice: El Paraíso by Enrico Maria Artale

Authors Under 40 Award

Best Directing and Screenwriting: Luna Carmoon for HoardBest Screenwriting: Mika Gustafson for Paradise Is Burning

Brain Award

Tatami by Guy Nattiv and Zar Amir Ebrahimi

Casa Wabi - Mantarraya Award

  • To the winner of the Lion of the Future Award

CICT - UNESCO Enrico Fulchignoni Award

Io capitano by Matteo Garrone

Cinema & Arts Award

Golden Musa: Backstage by Afef Ben Mahmoud and Khalil BenkiraneGolden Musa: Making Of by Cédric Kahn

Premio CinemaSarà

Green Border by Agnieszka Holland

Civitas Award

Io capitano by Matteo Garrone

Edipo Re Award

Io capitano by Matteo GarroneCa' Foscari Young Jury Award: Evil Does Not Exist by Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Premio Fondazione Fai Persona Lavoro Ambiente

Evil Does Not Exist by Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Fanheart3 Award

Graffetta d'Oro for Best Film: Dogman by Luc BessonNave d'Argento for Best OTP: Characters Sasha and Paul in Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person by Ariane Louis-SeizeXR Fan Experience: Gargoyle Doyle by Ethan Shaftel
  • * XR Special Mention: Pixel Ripped 1978 by Ana Ribeiro

FEDIC Award

Io capitano by Matteo Garrone
  • * Special Mention for Best Film: Anna by Marco Amenta
  • * Special Mention for Best Short Film: We Should All Be Futurists by Angela Norelli
  • * Jury Special Prize: Passione Critica by Simone Isola, Franco Montini, Patrizia Pistagnesi

FIPRESCI Awards">FIPRESCI">FIPRESCI Awards

Best Film : Evil Does Not Exist by Ryusuke HamaguchiBest Film : An Endless Sunday by Alain Parroni

Francesco Pasinetti Award

Io capitano by Matteo Garrone

Green Drop Award

Green Border by Agnieszka Holland Io capitano by Matteo Garrone

ImpACT Award

Io capitano by Matteo Garrone

Lanterna Magica Award

Io capitano by Matteo Garrone

Leoncino d'Oro Award

Io capitano by Matteo Garrone

Lizzani Award

Nowhere by Simone Massi

NUOVOIMAIE Talent Awards

Best New Young Actor: Gianmarco Franchini for AdagioBest New Young Actress: Sara Ciocca for ''Nina of the Wolves''

La Pellicola d'Oro Award

Best Production Director: Claudia Cravotta for Io capitanoBest Camera Operator: Massimiliano Kuveiller for Finally DawnBest Set Designer: Simona Balducci for ''Comandante''

SIGNIS Award

Io capitano by Matteo Garrone

"Sorriso Diverso Venezia Award" XI Edition

Best Italian Film: The Penitent - A Rational Man by Luca BarbareschiBest Foreign Film: Green Border by Agnieszka Holland

Premio Soundtrack Stars Award

Best Soundtrack: Io capitano, soundtrack by Andrea Farri

UNIMED Award

Best Film: Poor Things by Yorgos LanthimosPrize for Cultural Diversity: Green Border by Agnieszka Holland

Controversy

During the Festival, casting director of Io capitano, Henri-Didier Njikam, was denied an entry visa by the Italian Embassy in Rabat, Morocco, because there were no guarantees that he would leave Italian territory once he entered. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter Roma, Njikam said the fact was perceived as "an act of racism" as "the embassy justified the refusal by claiming that there were no guarantees that I would leave Italian territory once I entered, in Venice. They basically treated me as a migrant, as if I wanted to take advantage of the situation to escape. But I have a job, a professional card from the Moroccan Film Center. And, frankly, if I wanted to work in Europe, I would have already done so," and that the entity "did not look at my resume or my documents, only the color of my skin. This problem exists only with the Italian embassy in Morocco, because my colleagues from Ghana and the Ivory Coast were able to leave. If I had been white, I don't think I would have been treated this way."