Venice Film Festival: Pasinetti Awards Celebrate Italian Cinema’s Strength
The Venice Film Festival’s press corps has announced its Pasinetti Awards, recognizing excellence within the Italian films showcased across all sections of the exhibition. This year’s awards highlight a especially strong year for actresses, following the standout performance of Barbara ronchi in Elisa and culminating in a remarkable collection of leading female roles in Italian cinema. Journalists lauded the overall quality of the selection, emphasizing the vibrancy and diversity of the Italian cinematic landscape presented by director Alberto Barbera, and urging audiences to support these films in theaters.
Grand Prize: Best Film
Grace by Paolo Sorrentino - A Fremantle production, written and directed by Sorrentino, produced by Annamaria Morelli for The Apartment (a Fremantle group company) and number 10, with distribution handled by Piperfilm.
The jury praised Grace as “an crucial film, surprising and unexpected, magnificently dotted with small twists and turns. Irony and lightness illuminate a profound existential reflection. Rich with details that echo Sorrentino’s signature style, the film is, as always, a journey embracing both politics and personal life. The torment of doubt,expertly woven into the script,prompts contemplation on moral love,forgiveness,and the inescapable sense of duty in both public and private spheres.”
Best Leading Actor
Toni Servillo – Grace by Paolo Sorrentino
The award recognizes Servillo’s exceptional performance as a character grappling with lingering sentimental doubts and the difficulty of processing grief. The jury noted his ability to portray “the melancholy of inner solitude alongside the tension of his final days in office – and the possibility of rediscovering faith in himself and in others, whom he constantly questions. Throughout every moment of the presidential mandate,the balance between reflection and emotion is perfect,delivering a sublime acting performance even during an unexpected and passionate interlude.”
Pasinetti Special Prize
Anna Ferzetti – Grace by Paolo Sorrentino
Recognizing a truly impactful supporting performance, the Special Pasinetti Prize was awarded to Anna Ferzetti for her portrayal of Dorotea. The jury described her as “a precious advisor to her presidential father,acting as a barometer for his moods and anxieties. Her dynamic with Servillo’s character alternates between complex technical debate and intellectual connection, consistently encouraging him to overcome melancholy and the rigidity that threatens to define his leadership. With both sweetness and determination, Ferzetti’s Dorotea is powerfully present, even in her absence, embodying the patience of a daughter alongside the unwavering resolve of a lucid and determined jurist.”
Best Leading Actress
Valeria Bruni tedeschi – carried by Pietro marcello
The award celebrates Bruni Tedeschi’s “immense and extraordinarily modern” interpretation of Eleonora Duse. The jury lauded her performance as a powerful and unique portrait, blending the spirit of the theater with the strength of cinematic acting, creating a vital, passionate, and tenacious depiction of the iconic actress.
The Pasinetti Awards will be formally presented to the winners in Rome.