Venice Film Festival 2026 winners see 'Woman Unknown' take top prize
The Venice Film Festival crowned its 2026 winners, with May el-Toukhy's Danish drama 'Woman Unknown' snagging the Golden Lion for best film. Per Variety, the story follows a young housemaid whose secret World War II affair with a German soldier endangers her life.
El-Toukhy's win was a highlight in a festival where she was the only solo female director in competition. In her acceptance speech, she thanked jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal for highlighting the industry's systemic financing hurdles for women.
Star Mathilde Arcel won the Volpi Cup for best actress for her role in the film. In a charming speech, the first-time lead actress called the award 'super heavy' and expressed her disbelief at the honor.
The best actor Volpi Cup went to John Malkovich for his role in 'Wild Horse Nine'. The actor accepted the award via video from Montreal, thanking director Martin McDonagh and co-star Sam Rockwell.
Other major awards included the Grand Jury Prize going to Lee Chang-dong's Korean drama 'Possible Love'. The Silver Lion for best director was awarded to Ilya Khrzhanovsky for his long-in-the-works project 'DAU'.
