Overview

• An international jury led by Alexander Payne awarded Jim Jarmusch’s Father Mother Sister Brother the Golden Lion for best film.
• Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Voice of Hind Rajab received the Grand Jury Prize, with the film and independent probes suggesting Israeli forces killed the child in January 2024, a claim the Israeli military denies.
• The ceremony included overt political messages such as “Enough” pins, and Ben Hania accused Israel of genocide, a characterization rejected by Israeli and German officials.
• Benny Safdie won best director for The Smashing Machine; other prizes went to Xin Zhilei (best actress), Toni Servillo (best actor), Valérie Donzelli and Gilles Marchand (screenplay), Gianfranco Rosi (special jury prize), and Luna Wedler (Marcello-Mastroianni award).
• The Voice of Hind Rajab drew one of the festival’s strongest responses, including reports of a 23-minute standing ovation at its premiere.