Venice Film Festival Award Decisions Spark Controversy

VENICE, Italy — The Venice Film Festival jury president Alexander Payne faced a barrage of questions about his decision to award the Golden Lion for best film to Jim Jarmusch‘s “Father Mother Sister Brother” on Saturday. Many anticipated that Kaouther Ben Hania‘s Gaza drama “The Voice of Hind” would snag the top prize after receiving a tearful 22-minute standing ovation at its premiere. Instead, it was given the second-place grand jury prize.

During a press conference, Payne addressed the difficult nature of judging films, saying, “That’s the unfair thing of being at a festival, is having to say this is better than that. It’s not. As a jury, we treasure both of those films equally, each for its own reason. We hope that the support of the awards we’ve given tonight will help them, each in its own way.” He further emphasized the subjective nature of awards, suggesting that even timing could have influenced their decisions.

Payne remarked, “If we had voted the day before, the day later, it might have been different. We treasure and value both films equally in our hearts. If one had to receive one prize over the other, it’s for .000001% of having to make some decision.” His fellow jury members included notable figures such as Oscar-nominated actress Fernanda Torres and Palme d’Or-winning director Cristian Mungiu.

When questioned about rumors that one juror had threatened to quit over prize disagreements, Payne dismissed the speculation. “Did someone threaten to quit? No, I think we know not to believe everything we read online,” he said.

The awards stirred discussion not only among industry insiders but also among film enthusiasts, eager to see how the films will impact further recognition in upcoming festivals.