US actor, director and producer George Clooney is to receive the Golden Lion award for lifetime achievement at the upcoming Venice International Film Festival (September 2-12, 2026).
Clooney said of the award: “I’ve had so many extraordinary moments in Venice. This festival is without question my favourite and to be given the Golden Lion is a tremendous honour. It also probably means I’m old, but I’ll take it.”
Venice director Alberto Barbera said of Clooney: “In his triple capacity as actor, director, and producer, [he] is a complete and charismatic artist, impassioned and original, who has transformed a deep vocation into one of the most luminous parabolas of contemporary film.
Clooney’s credits as an actor include Three Kings, Syriana; Michael Clayton, Ocean’s Eleven, O Brother Where Art Thou?; Gravity, Solaris; The Descendants, Up In the Air, and Jay Kelly, which played at Venice in 2025.
His work as a director includes Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind, Good Night And Good Luck, The Ides Of March, and Suburbicon.
The Venice lineup will be unveiled later this month. Maggie Gyllenhaal will preside over this year’s jury, which also includes Kaouther Ben Hania, Daniel Blumberg, Francesco Casetti, Xavier Giannoli, Shahrbanoo Sadat and Johnnie To.
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