06/09/2025 - VENICE 2025: Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Voice of Hind Rajab and Ildikó Enyedi’s Silent Friend are two of the most-awarded titles among the collateral prizewinners

The 82nd Venice Film Festival (27 August–6 September) has revealed the recipients of this year’s parallel awards. As per tradition, these accolades are independently decided upon by associations of film critics, cultural institutions, cinema clubs and professional guilds.

One of the key honours – the International Critics' Prize (FIPRESCI Prize) – went to Ildikó Enyedi’s Silent Friend [+see also:
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trailer
film profile], which was crowned Best Film in Competition. Meanwhile, the FIPRESCI Award for a title screened in Orizzonti, the International Film Critics’ Week or the Giornate degli Autori was bestowed upon Giulio Bertelli’s AGON [+see also:
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interview: Giulio Bertelli
film profile], shown in the Critics’ Week.

Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Voice of Hind Rajab [+see also:
film review
interview: Kaouther Ben Hania
film profile], a political and humanist work already warmly received on the Lido, was one of the most-lauded pictures in this year’s side awards, taking home the Arca CinemaGiovani Award for Best Competition Film, the CICT-UNESCO Enrico Fulchignoni Prize, the Italian Red Cross Award, the Edipo Re Award (shared with Silent Friend), the Leoncino d’Oro and the UNIMED Award.

Another accolade went to Paolo Sorrentino’s La grazia [+see also:
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trailer
film profile], which triumphed with the Arca CinemaGiovani Award for Best Italian Film, the Brian Prize and the Francesco Pasinetti Award for Best Film. Sorrentino’s long-time collaborator Toni Servillo was crowned Best Actor, whilst Valeria Bruni Tedeschi picked up the Best Actress Pasinetti Award for Pietro Marcello’s Duse [+see also:
film review
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interview: Pietro Marcello
film profile].

Laura Samani’s A Year of School [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Laura Samani
film profile] was also richly rewarded, earning the Authors Under 40 Award for Best Directing, the Lanterna Magica Award and the NUOVOIMAIE Talent Award for its trio of young lead actors. The same award also granted Samani recognition for Best Direction.

Other notable winners included Tamara Kotevska’s The Tale of Silyan [+see also:
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film profile] and Nicolas Wadimof’s Who Is Still Alive [+see also:
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film profile], which jointly snagged the Cinema & Arts Award, while Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit’s Human Resource received the Fondazione Fai Persona Lavoro Ambiente Prize.

Further highlights were Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein, which landed the Fanheart3 Golden Graffetta; Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia [+see also:
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trailer
film profile] (ex-aequo with Silent Friend), winner of the Green Drop Award; and Leonardo Di Costanzo’s Elisa [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], the recipient of both the SIGNIS Prize and the “Sorriso Diverso Venezia Award” for Best Italian Film.

Finally, David Pablos’s On the Road was crowned Best LGBTQ-themed title, snagging the coveted Queer Lion.

Here is the list of the main parallel award winners:

FIPRESCI Award – Competition
Silent Friend [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Ildikó Enyedi (Germany/France/Hungary)

FIPRESCI Award – Orizzonti/International Critics’ Week/Giornate degli Autori
AGON [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Giulio Bertelli
film profile] – Giulio Bertelli (Italy/France/USA)

Queer Lion Award
On the Road – David Pablos (Mexico)

Arca CinemaGiovani Award – Best Competition Film
The Voice of Hind Rajab [+see also:
film review
interview: Kaouther Ben Hania
film profile] – Kaouther Ben Hania (France/Tunisia)

Arca CinemaGiovani Award – Best Italian Film
La grazia [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Paolo Sorrentino (Italy)

Authors Under 40 Award – Best Directing
Laura Samani – A Year of School [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Laura Samani
film profile] (Italy/France)

BookCiak Award
The Stranger [+see also:
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trailer
interview: François Ozon
film profile] – François Ozon (France)

Brian Prize
La grazia – Paolo Sorrentino

CICT-UNESCO Enrico Fulchignoni Prize
The Voice of Hind Rajab – Kaouther Ben Hania

Cinema & Arts Award
The Tale of Silyan [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Tamara Kotevska (North Macedonia)
Who Is Still Alive [+see also:
film review
film profile] – Nicolas Wadimof (Switzerland/France)

CinemaSarà Award
Silent Friend – Ildikó Enyedi

Italian Red Cross Award
The Voice of Hind Rajab – Kaouther Ben Hania

Edipo Re Award
The Voice of Hind Rajab – Kaouther Ben Hania
Silent Friend – Ildikó Enyedi

Fondazione Fai Persona Lavoro Ambiente Prize
Human Resource – Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit (Thailand)

Fanheart3 Award – Golden Graffetta
Frankenstein – Guillermo Del Toro (USA/Mexico)

FEDIC Award – Best Film
The Holy Boy – Paolo Strippoli (Italy)

Francesco Pasinetti Award – Best Film
La grazia – Paolo Sorrentino

Francesco Pasinetti Award – Best Actress
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi – Duse [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pietro Marcello
film profile] (Italy/France)

Francesco Pasinetti Award – Best Actor
Toni Servillo – La grazia

Green Drop Award
Bugonia [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Yorgos Lanthimos (Ireland/UK/USA/South Korea)
Silent Friend – Ildikó Enyedi

Interfilm Award for Promoting Interreligious Dialogue
Silent Friend – Ildikó Enyedi

Leoncino d’Oro Award
The Voice of Hind Rajab – Kaouther Ben Hania

Lizzani Award
Confiteor – Come scoprii che non avrei fatto la rivoluzione – Bonifacio Angius (Italy)

NETPAC Award
Hijra [+see also:
trailer
film profile] – Shahad Ameen (Saudi Arabia/Iraq/Egypt/UK)

Premio RB Casting
Tiziano Menichelli – My Tennis Maestro [+see also:
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trailer
film profile] (Italy)

SIGNIS Prize
Elisa [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] – Leonardo Di Costanzo (Italy/Switzerland)

Sorriso Diverso Venezia Award – Best Italian Film
Elisa – Leonardo Di Costanzo

Sorriso Diverso Venezia Award – Best Foreign Film
The Voice of Hind Rajab – Kaouther Ben Hania

Soundtrack Stars Award
Duse – Marco Bellocchio

UNIMED Award
The Voice of Hind Rajab – Kaouther Ben Hania