Venice 2026 Winners: ‘Naza’ Wins Special Jury Prize; Ilya Khrzhanovsky Scoops Best Director For ‘Dau’ — SkimNews
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- Israeli documentary "Naza" (dirs. Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor) won the Special Jury Prize at the 83rd Venice Film Festival, receiving what the source calls a "record-breaking ovation" amid a politically charged edition
- Ilya Khrzhanovsky won the Silver Lion for Best Director for "Dau" in the main Venezia 83 competition
- John Malkovich won Best Actor for "Wild Horse Nine" — with the source noting the win will "further fuel Oscar hopes"; Malkovich was on set and sent a video message instead of attending
- Mathilde Arcel won Best Actress for "Woman Unknown" (dir. May El-Toukhy), a post-WWII Denmark psychological thriller — the only film in competition directed by a solo female filmmaker
- Laleh Marzban won Best Actress in the Orizzonti sidebar for Iranian drama "Falling House" and dedicated her prize in Farsi to "the women of my country," declaring Iran was going through "one of the most painful and difficult times of its history"
- Riccardo Scamarcio won Orizzonti Best Actor for "The House of the Monkey" and dedicated his prize to UK producer Jeremy Thomas, whose death at 77 was announced earlier in the day
- George Clooney and Ellen Burstyn received Lifetime Achievement Golden Lions, with Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem drawing a warm response for "Bunker" during the same 83rd edition
Why it matters: The 83rd edition was explicitly framed as "politically charged," and the night's biggest beats reflected that: "Naza" drew a record-breaking ovation, while Marzban hijacked her Orizzonti speech to spotlight Iranian women. Malkovich's Best Actor win, per the source, positions "Wild Horse Nine" as an early Oscar contender.
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