Overview
- The Venice Film Festival announced Monday that it will present George Clooney with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 83rd festival, which runs Sept. 2–12, 2026.
- Festival director Alberto Barbera praised Clooney as “a complete and charismatic artist” for his work in front of and behind the camera and for films that span genres and ambitions.
- Clooney said he was grateful and called Venice his favorite festival, joking that the award “probably means I’m old,” and the Biennale highlighted his combination of mainstream success and socially minded projects.
- Clooney has deep ties to Venice, having premiered films there from Out of Sight (1998) through Jay Kelly (2025), and he has won two Academy Awards and earned nominations across six Oscar categories.
- Venice will publish its full 2026 lineup on July 23, and the Golden Lion announcement is likely to bolster attention on the festival’s slate and potential premieres when the Lido opens in September.