‘Woman Unknown’ Wins Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival, John Malkovich Takes Best Actor Honour

VENICE, Sept 12: Danish filmmaker May el-Toukhy’s Woman Unknown has won the prestigious Golden Lion at the 2026 Venice Film Festival, emerging as the top film from this year’s competition.

The post World War II drama, which explores the experiences of women accused of collaborating with German soldiers after Denmark’s liberation, also earned recognition for its lead performances and thematic focus.

Mathilde Arcel was named Best Actress for her performance in the film, giving Woman Unknown a second major acting honour alongside the festival’s top prize.

John Malkovich won the Best Actor award for his performance in Wild Horse Nine. The veteran Hollywood actor’s recognition was among the major acting highlights of the closing awards ceremony.

The Silver Lion went to South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong for Possible Love, while Ilya Khrzhanovsky received the Best Director award for DAU, a project filmed largely in Ukraine.

The 2026 festival also featured films addressing contemporary political and social issues. The documentary NAZA, which examines Israeli military actions in Gaza, received the Special Jury Prize.

El-Toukhy’s victory was particularly notable because she was the only female director among the 21 filmmakers competing for the Golden Lion. The result has renewed attention on the continuing gender imbalance in major international film competitions.

Festival jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal said the winning film was selected on artistic grounds, while the festival continued to draw attention to the need for greater opportunities for women filmmakers.

The Venice awards underline the continuing importance of the festival as a launchpad for major international cinema, with several of this year’s winners expected to remain part of the awards conversation in the months ahead.