George Clooney received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the opening ceremony of the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday.
The Hollywood actor became emotional during the ceremony, with his wife, Amal Clooney, also visibly moved. Clooney received the honor from longtime friend and occasional co-star Laura Dern.
Clooney and Dern first worked together more than 4 decades ago on the horror sequel “Grizzly II: Revenge”, which was filmed in Hungary early in their careers.
The ceremony had an unusual connection to Clooney’s recent film “Jay Kelly”, a comedy-drama about the personal struggles of a movie star. The film ends with its protagonist receiving a lifetime achievement award at an Italian film festival.
“Jay Kelly”, which also stars Dern, premiered at Venice last year. Organizers screened an extended clip from the film during the ceremony, closely echoing the real-life event.
Following a standing ovation, Clooney reflected on his 45-year career and the people who helped shape it.
“I’ve been an actor for 45 years, and when I look back now, it might seem as though I had a carefully mapped-out career, but that was never the case,” he said.
Clooney described his career as “a series of fortunate accidents” and credited the directors, writers, actors and crew members who gave him opportunities.
“No one reaches the top entirely on their own,” he said.
He also spoke about cinema’s ability to connect audiences across cultural and geographical boundaries, saying people share many of the same emotions regardless of language or nationality.
Clooney also addressed threats faced by journalists and artists under authoritarian regimes. He said those who challenge powerful figures and resist simplistic narratives can become targets of attempts to control public discourse.
While acknowledging that films cannot end wars or solve political and economic crises, Clooney said cinema can encourage audiences to empathize with people whose experiences differ from their own.
Clooney’s connection with Venice
Clooney’s relationship with the Venice Film Festival dates back decades. Steven Soderbergh’s “Out of Sight” screened at the festival in 1998, helping mark his transition from television actor to major Hollywood star.
He later returned to Venice with films including “Michael Clayton”, “Burn After Reading” and “Gravity”.
The festival also played an important role in Clooney’s career as a director. “Good Night, and Good Luck” premiered in competition at Venice and earned Clooney and Grant Heslov the screenplay prize before receiving 6 Academy Award nominations.
Clooney’s connection with Venice extends beyond cinema. He and Amal Clooney held their wedding celebrations in the city in 2014.
The lifetime achievement tribute was followed by the world premiere of Danny Boyle’s “Ink”, starring Jack O’Connell, Guy Pearce and Claire Foy, which is competing for the Golden Lion.
The festival’s competition also includes titles such as Robert Pattinson’s “Primetime”, Martin McDonagh’s “Wild Horse Nine”, Lee Chang-dong’s “Possible Love”, Hirokazu Kore-eda’s “Look Back” and Florian Zeller’s “Bunker”.
A 7-member jury headed by Maggie Gyllenhaal will select the Golden Lion and other major prizes, with winners scheduled to be announced at the closing ceremony on September 12.
