At the closing ceremony of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 6, 2025, American auteur Jim Jarmusch won the Golden Lion for Best Film for Father Mother Sister Brother, while Benny Safdie earned the Silver Lion for Best Director and the Palestine-set drama The Voice of Hind Rajab took the Grand Jury Silver Lion.
Key Takeaways
- Jim Jarmusch’s triptych Father Mother Sister Brother received the festival’s top honor, the Golden Lion.
- The Voice of Hind Rajab won the Silver Lion (Grand Jury Prize); director Ben Hania dedicated the prize to Palestinian medical responders.
- Benny Safdie won the Silver Lion for Best Director for The Smashing Machine; Dwayne Johnson stars in the film.
- Toni Servillo and Xin Zhilei won acting awards for La Grazia and The Sun Rises on Us All, respectively.
- Valérie Donzelli and Gilles Marchand took Best Screenplay for At Work.
- The festival ran Aug. 27–Sept. 6, 2025, and showcased high-profile entries that included work from Park Chan-wook, Guillermo del Toro and Noah Baumbach.
Verified Facts
The 82nd Venice International Film Festival concluded on Sept. 6, 2025. The Golden Lion for Best Film was awarded to Father Mother Sister Brother, a three-part drama by Jim Jarmusch that examines sibling relationships through linked vignettes. The ensemble cast includes Tom Waits, Adam Driver, Mayim Bialik, Charlotte Rampling, Cate Blanchett, Vicky Krieps and Indya Moore.
The festival jury was chaired by Alexander Payne. Jury members included Fernanda Torres, Mohammad Rasoulof, Stéphane Brizé, Maura Delpero, Zhao Tao and Cristian Mungiu. The Silver Lion for Best Director went to Benny Safdie for The Smashing Machine, his solo directing effort starring Dwayne Johnson.
The Grand Jury Silver Lion was awarded to The Voice of Hind Rajab, a Palestine-set drama. Ben Hania accepted the prize and publicly dedicated it to medical teams working in Gaza. Executive producers attached to that film included Brad Pitt, Joaquin Phoenix and Alfonso Cuarón, which raised the film’s profile ahead of the Lido screenings.
Acting and writing prizes included Best Actor to Toni Servillo for Paolo Sorrentino’s La Grazia and Best Actress to Xin Zhilei for Cai Shangjun’s The Sun Rises on Us All. Best Screenplay went to Valérie Donzelli and Gilles Marchand for At Work. The festival also presented lifetime and special awards, including a Golden Lion for lifetime achievement to Werner Herzog earlier in the program.
Context & Impact
Venice’s 2025 lineup featured a mix of established auteurs and emerging voices. Netflix brought a notable slate that included projects associated with George Clooney, Kathryn Bigelow and Guillermo del Toro; several high-profile titles arrived without taking home awards, underscoring the festival’s unpredictable taste.
Critics at the Lido praised a number of films as potential awards-season players, while the program highlighted how theatrical cinema continues to attract auteur-driven work despite industry pressures. Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia and Sorrentino’s La Grazia were among the festival favorites mentioned by critics.
The festival’s Horizons (Orizzonti) section, which spotlights new aesthetics and debut films, honored David Pablos’ En El Camino as its Best Film. Orizzonti prizes also recognized emerging directors and performances from Mexico, Italy, India and Japan, indicating an international appetite for fresh cinematic perspectives.
“All of us here who make films, we’re not motivated by competition, but I truly appreciate this unexpected honor,”
Jim Jarmusch, Golden Lion acceptance
“I dedicate this award to the Palestinian Red Crescent and to all who have risked everything to save lives in Gaza,”
Ben Hania, Silver Lion acceptance
Unconfirmed
- Some critic descriptions of The Voice of Hind Rajab as an “indictment” of specific military policies are reported opinion; those characterizations reflect reviewers’ perspectives rather than legal findings.
- Reports of behind-the-scenes awards campaigning or deals tied to specific screenings remain unverified.
Bottom Line
Venice 2025 closed with a mix of expected and surprising outcomes: Jim Jarmusch’s quietly resonant Father Mother Sister Brother took the top prize, while politically charged and formally adventurous films shared the spotlight across juried sections. The festival reaffirmed Venice’s role as a major springboard for both established auteurs and new talent heading into awards season.