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Ellen Burstyn Receives Venice Golden Lion, Presented by Gyllenhaal

7/14/2026

Summary

Burstyn Receives Golden Lion

The Venice International Film Festival will present Ellen Burstyn with a Golden Lion lifetime-achievement award.
The award will be presented during the short film Flesh Impact, directed by jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Maggie Gyllenhaal leads the festival jury for the September 2-12, 2026 edition.
Artistic director Alberto Barbera called Burstyn an actress of rare intensity and highlighted her 1974 Oscar win.
The festival will reveal its program on July 23.

Summary

Johnson Portrays Monroe

The short film “Flesh Impact,” dedicated to Marilyn Monroe on her birth centenary, will screen during the Venice Festival’s opening week.
Its title comes from a phrase describing Monroe’s luminous on-screen aura.
Dakota Johnson portrays Monroe while Ellen Burstyn appears as a never-seen version of the icon.
Peter Sarsgaard and Sepideh Moafi join director Maggie Gyllenhaal’s tribute, which serves as the setting for Burstyn’s Golden Lion lifetime-achievement award ceremony.

History

Historical Context

Ellen Burstyn’s 1975 Oscar for Best Actress in Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore was a breakthrough for mature female leads and launched a career that later added a Tony (1975), an Emmy (2009) and six total Oscar nominations. In 2026, Venice Festival jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal awarded her a Golden Lion, illustrating how historic Oscar victories continue to influence festival recognitions.

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Burstyn Receives Golden Lion

The Venice International Film Festival will present Ellen Burstyn with a Golden Lion lifetime-achievement award.
The award will be presented during the short film Flesh Impact, directed by jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Maggie Gyllenhaal leads the festival jury for the September 2-12, 2026 edition.
Artistic director Alberto Barbera called Burstyn an actress of rare intensity and highlighted her 1974 Oscar win.
The festival will reveal its program on July 23.

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