The Venice Film Festival unveiled its winners on Sept. 6, 2025, and the Lido handed major prizes to films that many critics say put politics and performance back at the center of awards season. Among verified results: Kaouther Ben Hania’s Gaza-set film won a top jury prize after a 21-minute standing ovation; Benny Safdie took Best Director for The Smashing Machine; Toni Servillo and Xin Zhilei won acting honors. This feels like a course correction for awards voters — will Hollywood follow the Lido’s lead?
What Venice 2025 Just Announced — 5 Fast Facts You Need
- The festival ran Aug. 27–Sept. 6, 2025, with the closing ceremony on Sept. 6.
- Grand Jury Prize went to Kaouther Ben Hania’s film about Gaza, raising global attention.
- Benny Safdie won Best Director for The Smashing Machine, boosting Dwayne Johnson’s dramatic profile.
- Toni Servillo (Best Actor) and Xin Zhilei (Best Actress) scored major festival recognition.
- Multiple winners used acceptance speeches to call for solidarity with Palestine and humanitarian aid.
Why Venice’s Sept. 6 Results Could Change Awards Season Momentum In 2025
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The Lido’s winners are more than trophies — they’re a directional signal. Venice handed high-profile nods to politically urgent storytelling and to performances from both art-house veterans and unexpected dramatic turns (hello, Dwayne Johnson buzz). That combination often seeds Oscar-season narratives: a socially urgent film plus star-led prestige fare. If distributors and critics amplify these winners, studios and streaming platforms may recalibrate release strategies and awards campaigns. How fast will the industry pivot — and which films gain the lion’s share of oxygen?
Which Acceptance Lines Stole The Night — Powerful Speeches And Reactions
Variety and The Hollywood Reporter recorded several stirring speeches: Kaouther Ben Hania dedicated her prize to medical teams in Gaza and pleaded for accountability; Benny Safdie thanked his star for “diving in with no net.” Those remarks set a charged tone as applause mixed with politics. Festival audiences also reacted physically — reports cite a 21-minute standing ovation for Ben Hania’s premiere. Witness the closing ceremony and aftermath here:
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How Venice’s Wins Add Up — 4 Data Points That Predict A Shift In 2025
Venice’s context is the story: a packed auteur lineup, star-driven titles and films with real-world stakes. Key datapoints below show why public and awards attention could now tilt toward urgent, politically angled cinema and prestige star vehicles.
The Numbers That Flip Awards Season — 3 Key Venice KPIs For 2025
| KPI | Value + Unit | Change/Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Festival Edition | 82nd Edition | Continued prestige for Venice in 2025 |
| Standing Ovation | 21 min | Signals intense critical and audience impact |
| Major Prize Count | ~10 major awards | Multiple awards for politically urgent films |
Venice’s ceremony combined long ovations and multiple major trophies, amplifying awards-season momentum.
What Critics And Buyers Are Saying — Quick Industry Takeaways
Festival coverage highlights two immediate business consequences: (1) distributors will press politically resonant winners into awards-season play earlier, and (2) star-driven prestige films (e.g., Safdie’s Dwayne Johnson vehicle) now have awards credibility to justify awards campaigns and platform prominence. For readers: expect marketing to pivot from festival laurels to urgent social narratives. Which title will win the marketplace of conversation — an art-house indictment or a star-powered comeback?
What Venice 2025 Means For You — What To Watch Next (And How To React)
Venice’s Sept. 6 winners turned the Lido into a pulse-check on what critics and cinephiles will champion this season: urgent, human stories plus a handful of star-led prestige films. If you’re a fan, watch the award-winning titles and share reaction clips — they’ll fuel memes and opinion waves. If you work in PR or streaming, consider fast-tracking awards-screening events and bite-sized clips from those speeches. What story will dominate the next controversy or meme — a speech, a surprise performance, or a distribution play? Which side will you take?
Sources
- https://variety.com/2025/film/festivals/venice-film-festival-awards-winners-list-golden-lion-1236507924/
- https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/venice-film-festival-2025-golden-lion-award-winners-1236363133/
- https://deadline.com/2025/09/venice-film-festival-2025-awards-winners-full-list-1236510204/
Jessica Morrison is a seasoned entertainment writer with over a decade of experience covering television, film, and pop culture. After earning a degree in journalism from New York University, she worked as a freelance writer for various entertainment magazines before joining red94.net. Her expertise lies in analyzing television series, from groundbreaking dramas to light-hearted comedies, and she often provides in-depth reviews and industry insights. Outside of writing, Jessica is an avid film buff and enjoys discovering new indie movies at local festivals.