Ellen Burstyn to Receive Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at Venice Film Festival

Ellen Burstyn, the 93-year-old Oscar-winning actress, will receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 83rd Venice Film Festival, running from September 2 to 12, 2026. She joins George Clooney, who is also being honored this year Source: lavanguardia.

Award Announcement

Festival director Alberto Barbera praised Burstyn as "an interpreter of rare intensity and authenticity" Source: elmundoes. Barbera noted her career spans "more than fifty years of American cinema," bringing "depth and complexity to unforgettable female characters" Source: infobae. Burstyn herself reacted with excitement, saying, "I not only get to travel to one of my favorite cities in the whole world—I get to return home carrying a Golden Lion in my arms!" Source: euronewses.

Career Highlights

Burstyn rose to fame in Peter Bogdanovich's The Last Picture Show (1971) and gained worldwide stardom with The Exorcist (1973). She won the Oscar for Best Actress for Martin Scorsese's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) and a Tony for Same Time, Next Year (1975), becoming the third woman to win both in the same year Source: lavanguardia. Her other acclaimed roles include Requiem for a Dream (2000) and Interstellar (2014). She is also co-president of the Actors Studio Source: elnacionalve.

The Ceremony

The Golden Lion will be presented during a gala screening of the short film Flesh Impact, directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal and dedicated to Marilyn Monroe. The festival described Burstyn's performance as "another extraordinary demonstration of her exceptional talent" Source: elconfidencial.