Ellen Burstyn to Receive Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at 2026 Venice Film Festival
The Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement will be presented to actress Ellen Burstyn at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, scheduled from September 2 to 12, 2026. This decision was made by the Board of Directors of La Biennale di Venezia and Artistic Director Alberto Barbera. Burstyn, celebrated for her roles in The Exorcist and Interstellar, will accept the honor during the screening of Flesh Impact, a short film by Maggie Gyllenhaal that pays homage to Marilyn Monroe, in which Burstyn portrays a distinctive interpretation of Monroe. Barbera lauded her extensive 50-year career, her Academy Award for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, and her work with esteemed directors. A recipient of the Triple Crown of Acting, Burstyn has earned two Emmys and five Oscar nominations. Her recent publication, Poetry Says It Better: Poems to Help You Wake Up, was awarded a Kirkus Star.
Key facts
- Ellen Burstyn will receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival (September 2–12, 2026).
- The award was decided by the Board of Directors of La Biennale di Venezia, based on a proposal by Artistic Director Alberto Barbera.
- Burstyn will be honored during the screening of Maggie Gyllenhaal's short film Flesh Impact, about Marilyn Monroe.
- Flesh Impact also stars Dakota Johnson, Peter Sarsgaard, and Sepideh Moafi.
- Alberto Barbera praised Burstyn's career spanning over 50 years and her Oscar-winning performance in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.
- Burstyn has achieved the Triple Crown of Acting: Oscar, Emmy, and Tony.
- She has received five Oscar nominations and six Emmy nominations.
- Her autobiography Lessons in Becoming Myself was a national bestseller; her 2026 book Poetry Says It Better received a Kirkus Star.
Entities
Artists
- Ellen Burstyn
- Alberto Barbera
- Maggie Gyllenhaal
- Dakota Johnson
- Peter Sarsgaard
- Sepideh Moafi
- Marilyn Monroe
- Al Pacino
- Alec Baldwin
- Peter Bogdanovich
- William Friedkin
- Martin Scorsese
- Alain Resnais
- Paul Schrader
- Bob Rafelson
- Paul Mazursky
- Darren Aronofsky
- Christopher Nolan
- Ewan McGregor
- Niclas Larsson
- Taika Waititi
- Kornél Mundruczó
- Paolo Strippoli
- Jasmine Trinca
- Romana Maggiora Vergano
- Valeria Bruni Tedeschi
- Hirokazu Koreeda
- Tatsuki Fujimoto
- Nanni Moretti
Institutions
- La Biennale di Venezia
- Venice International Film Festival
- Actors Studio
- Broadway
- Theater Hall of Fame
- Venice Film Festival
- Cannes Film Festival
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Melbourne
- Australia
- United States