Nan Goldin and director Laura Poitras at the Venice premiere for Golden Lion winner “All The Beauty And The Bloodshed” at the 79th Venice International Film Festival.

After nearly two weeks of lush red carpets, timed standing ovations, and viral “Don’t Worry Darling” drama, the 79th Venice Film Festival comes to a close on Saturday in the Sala Grande at the Palazzo del Cinema (Lido di Venezia). Julianne Moore chairs the festival’s jury alongside her fellow judges and elite film peers Mariano Cohn, Leonardo di Costanzo, Audrey Diwan, Leila Hatami, Kazuo Ishiguro, and Rodrigo Sorogoyen.

“I feel like so often the discussion around the future of cinema ends up being a discussion that’s more commercial, more business oriented,” Moore said in her opening remarks on August 31. “When we talk about the future of cinema it often degrades into what the future of the business is. That’s not the future of art.”

Established in 1932, Venice is the oldest ongoing cinematic awards celebration and is regarded among the world’s most esteemed international film festivals. 22 titles are in contention for this year’s Golden Lion — Venice’s prestigious top prize, awarded to Audrey Diwan’s searing abortion drama “Happening” in 2021 — with no clear frontrunner.

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Adapted from Don DeLillo’s novel of the same name, Noah Baumbach’s “White Noise” marked Netflix’s first time opening the festival and struck IndieWire’s David Ehrlich as “equal parts inspired and exasperating.” Another adaption, one from playwright Samuel D. Hunter, Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale” garnered significant buzz thanks to star Brendan Fraser: a likely Best Actor recipient for his performance as a depressed 600-pound man.

As for the Best Actress race: Ana de Armas stars as Marilyn Monroe in “Blonde,” Andrew Dominik’s underwhelming psychological drama that still sees a strong showing from the “Knives Out” scene-stealer. Meanwhile, Cate Blanchett anchors Todd Field’s TÁR as a world-famous classical composer and conductor in what Ehrlich called “one of the most exciting new American films in years.”

Also in competition for top prizes are Alice Diop’s “Saint Omer,” Kōji Fukada’s “Love Life,” Rebecca Zlotowski’s “Other People’s Children,” Martin McDonagh’s “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Luca Guadagnino’s “Bones and All,” and more.

Venice’s field, mirrored by stiff competition at both Telluride and Toronto, spells a muddled fight to the finish for this year’s Academy Awards’ Best Picture race. Other non-documentary films screened at Venice — out of competition — include Ti West’s “Pearl,” Olivia Wilde’s “Don’t Worry Darling,” Kim Ki-duk’s “Call of God,” and “Dead for a Dollar”: a film from this year’s Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker Award honoree Walter Hill.

Best Young Actor:“Bones and All,” Taylor Russell

Best Actor: Colin Farrell, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, “TÁR”

Best Screenplay: “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Martin McDonagh

Special Jury Prize: “No Bears,” Jafar Panahi

Silver Lion for Best Director: “Bones and All,” Luca Guadagnino

Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize:“Saint Omer,” Alice Diop

Golden Lion: “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” Laura Poitras

Best Short Film: “Snow in September,” Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir

Best Screenplay: “Blanquita,” Fernando Guzzoni

Best Actor: “World War III,” Mohsen Tanabandeh

Best Actress: “Vera,” Vera Gemma

Special Jury Prize: “Bread and Salt,” Damian Kocur

Best Director: “Vera,” Tizza Covi, Rainer Frimmel

Best Film: “World War III,” Houman Seyyedi

Audience Award: “Nezouh,” Soudade Kaadan

Award for Best Debut Feature: “Saint Omer,” Alice Diop

Special Jury Prize: “Eggscape,” German Heller, Jorge Tereso, Federico Heller

Grand Jury Prize: “From the Main Square,” Pedro Harres

Best Immersive Experience: “The Man Who Couldn’t Leave,” Chen Singing

Best Restored Film: “Branded to Kill,” Seijun Suzuki

Best Documentary of Cinema: “Fragments of Paradise,” K.D. Davison

Cinema of the Future Award: “The Maiden,” Graham Foy

Director’s Award: “Wolf and Dog,” Cláudia Varejão

People’s Choice Award: “Blue Jean,” Georgia Oakley

CRITICS’ WEEK (previously announced)

Grand Prize: “Eismayer,” David Wagner

Special Mention: “Anhell69,” Theo Montoya

Audience Award: “Margini,” Niccolò Falsetti

Verona Film Club Award: “Anhell69,” Theo Montoya

Mario Serandrei – Hotel Saturnia Award for Best Technical Contribution: “Anhell69,” Theo Montoya

Best Short Film: “Puiet,” Lorenzo Fabbro and Bronte Stahl

Best Director (Short Film): “Albertine Where Are You?,” Maria Guidone

Best Technical Contribution (Short Film): “Reginetta,” Federico Russotto

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This Article is related to: Awards, Film, News and tagged Awards, Blonde, TAR, The Whale, Venice Film Festival, Venice International Film Festival

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