WINNERS OF THE 2021 VENICE FILM FESTIVAL

Female filmmakers dominated this year's jury prizes of the 78th annual Venice Film Festival. Audrey Diwan’s timely drama, "L’Evénement (Happening)" took the top prize of the Golden Lion. The French film, set in the 1960's, involves a promising young woman about to enter college when she discovers she's pregnant, forcing her to decide on finding a way to terminate. Diwan became the first female director to take Venice’s top prize since Sofia Coppola won for "Somewhere" in 2010.

After not making a feature film in twelve years, Jane Campion won the Silver Lion Best Director Award for her upcoming Netflix film, "The Power of the Dog". Benedict Cumberbatch, Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst star in this neo-western involving a rancher who thrives on instilling fear in those around him and after his brother arrives with a new wife and her son, he has new victims to torment yet their presence changes him.

Maggie Gyllenhaal won the Best Screenplay Award for her debut feature as a writer/director with, "The Lost Daughter", based on Elena Ferrante’s dark examination on motherhood. Penélope Cruz received the Best Actress prize for her performance in Pedro Almodóvar’s latest melodrama "Parallel Mothers". And Paolo Sorrentino won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize for "The Hand of God", a coming-of-age story about an awkward Italian teen (played by Filippo Scotti, who won the award for Best Young Actor) struggling to find his place, but finds comfort from his amazing yet complicated family.

Here is the list of winners from the 2021 Venice Film Festival:

Golden Lion for Best Film: "L’Evénement (Happenings)"
Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize: "È stata la mano di Dio (The Hand of God)"
Silver Lion Best Director: Jane Campion, "The Power of the Dog"
Best Screenplay: Maggie Gyllenhaal, "The Lost Daughter"
Volpi Cup for Best Actress: Penélope Cruz, "Madres Paralelas (Parallel Mothers)"
Volpi Cup for Best Actor: John Arcilla, "On the Job: The Missing 8"



Special Jury Prize: Michelangelo Frammartino, "Il Buco"
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor: Filippo Scotti, "È stata la mano di Dio (The Hand of God)"
Luigi De Laurentis Award Best First Feature: Monica Stan and George Chiper-Lillemark, "Imaculat"

Orizzonti (Horizon) Awards:

Best Film: "Pilgrims"
Best Director: Eric Gravel, "Full Time"
Best Screenplay: Ivan Ostrochovský and Peter Kerekes, "107 Mothers"
Best Actress: Laure Calamy, "Full Time"
Best Actor: Piseth Chhun, "White Building"
Special Jury Prize: "El Gran Movimiento"
Best Short Film: "Los Huesos"