Welcome to the Oscar race, Woman Unknown. Danish filmmaker May el-Toukhy’s drama won the Golden Lion on Sunday at the 2026 Venice International Film Festival, beating a slate packed with presumptive Academy Award players and establishing itself as a worthy contender.
Set in post-World War II Denmark, the film focuses on a young nanny whose secret wartime relationship with a Nazi soldier threatens her impending marriage with her wealthy employer.
It was a striking triumph for a female director coming days after jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal‘s instantly viral remarks about the lack of opportunities available for women filmmakers. In taking the vaunted Golden Lion, Woman Unknown not only automatically qualifies for Best International Film at the upcoming Academy Awards under newly instituted rules, but also elevated above several would-be Oscar contenders in competition from notable male directors, including Martin McDonagh’s Wild Horse Nine, Danny Boyle’s Ink, Lance Oppenheim’s Primetime, Werner Herzog’s Bucking Fastard, Casey Affleck’s Company, and Florian Zeller’s Bunker.
While Woman Unknown has announced itself to the Oscar race, another early favorite got a big boost from Venice: Wild Horse Nine star John Malkovich, who was named Best Actor. “I am humbled to be chosen for this award, which has been given to so many wonderful actors over the past 83 iterations of the Venice Film Festival,” said Malkovich, who has moved to No. 1 on the Oscar leaderboard, per Gold Derby’s experts.
Best Actor
1.
John Malkovich
Wild Horse Nine
2.
3.
4.
5.
Ryan Gosling
Project Hail Mary
6.
7.
Robert Pattinson
Primetime
8.
John Turturro
The Only Living Pickpocket in New York
9.
10.
Another notable winner on Sunday was NAZA, a searing look at mass killings in Gaza sanctioned by Israel. The documentary, helmed by No Other Land‘s Israeli co-directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, received a record 25-minute standing ovation at its premiere this week and was awarded the Special Jury Prize. “It’s honestly not very easy to stand here, thinking of all the Israeli politicians and journalists who are now attacking this film and denying it without even seeing it,” said Abraham. “So much is being done not to look at reality.”
In addition to Gyllenhaal, the Venice jury featured Tunisian writer-director Kaouther Ben Hania, English composer Daniel Blumberg, Italian professor and film scholar Francesco Casetti, French writer-director Xavier Giannoli, Afghan writer-director Shahrbanoo Sadat, and Hong Kong producer-director Johnnie To.
Here’s the complete list of winners at the 83rd Venice Film Festival:
COMPETITION
Golden Lion for Best Film: Woman Unknown, May El-Toukhy
Grand Jury Prize: Possible Love, Lee Chang-dong
Silver Lion for Best Director: Ilya Khrzhanovsky, DAU
Special Jury Prize: NAZA, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor
Best Screenplay: Un Bon Petit Soldat (A Good Little Soldier) — Stéphane Brizé, Coralie Amédéo and Olivier Gorce
Volpi Cup for Best Actress: Mathilde Arcel, Woman Unknown
Volpi Cup for Best Actor: John Malkovich, Wild Horse Nine
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor: Malou Khebizi, 15/18 (A Place to Heal)
Armani Beauty Audience Award: Eu contez (I Matter), Alina Șerban
Luigi De Laurentiis Award for Debut Film: La maison du vent (House of the Wind), Auguste Bernard Kouemo Yanghu
HORIZONS
Best Film: Un détour par Diane (Diane in the Loop), Ann Sirot and Raphaël Balboni
Best Director: Jaqueline Lentzou, Mia Mera Sti Zoi Tis Tzo: Kefalaio Faidra (A Day in the Life of Jo: Chapter Phaedra)
Special Jury Prize: La maison du vent (House of the Wind), Auguste Bernard Kouemo Yanghu
Best Actress: Laleh Marzban, Moragheb (Falling House)
Best Actor: Riccardo Scamarcio, I figli della scimmia (The Children of the Monkey)
Best Screenplay: Tommaso Landucci and Damiano Femfert, I figli della scimmia (The Children of the Monkey)
Best Short Film: “Quelques instants de bonheur” (“A Few Moments of Happiness”), Shaden Safieddine Tazi
VENICE CLASSICS
Best Restored Film: La lunga notte del ’43 (Long Night of 1943), Florestano Vancini
VENICE IMMERSIVE
Grand Prize: The Pigeon Ring, Shixin Tao and Yuqi Zhang
Special Jury Prize: Out of the Ashes, Rory Mitchell and Nonny de la Peña
Achievement Prize: Empire at Sea, Peter Flaherty
Honorary Award
Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement: George Clooney
