Colin Farrell wins top prize at Venice Film Festival

Colin Farrell poses for photographers at the photo call for the film 'The Banshees of Inisherin' during the 79th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Monday, Sept. 5, 2022. (Photo by Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)

Colin Farrell has scooped the award for Best Actor at this year’s Venice International Film Festival this evening for his performance in The Banshees of Inisherin.

"I'm shocked to get this and thrilled," Farrell said in a live video message broadcast at the festival Saturday night.

Mr Farrell reunites with In Bruges co-star Brendan Gleeson, playing a man who is broken up with by his long-time friend in Martin McDonagh’s latest film.

It also stars Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon. Following its screening earlier this week, the film received a 13-minute standing ovation.

Mr McDonagh was on site to collect the best actor award, before picking up one of his own for best screenplay.

It’s expected these two nods could add to the Oscar buzz around The Banshees of Inisherin, which is released in Irish cinemas next month.

Cate Blanchett poses for photographers (Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)

All The Beauty And The Bloodshed, Laura Poitras's documentary about photographer Nan Goldin and her activism against the Sackler family, was awarded the Golden Lion for best film.

Luca Guadagnino won the Silver Lion award for best director for the cannibal romance Bones And All starring Timothee Chalamet and Taylor Russell, who also was recognised for her performance for best young actress.

The jury, led by Julianne Moore, is selecting the winners from 23 films in competition that included many Oscar hopefuls. The Oscar-winner presided over a jury that included French director Audrey Diwan, whose film Happening won the Golden Lion last year, author Kazuo Ishiguro and Iranian actor Leila Hatami.

Colin Farrell (Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)

Also on the main jury were Italian director Leonardo Di Costanzo Argentinian filmmaker Mariano Cohn and Rodrigo Sorogoyen.

Premiering in competition at Venice has launched many successful Oscar campaigns in recent years, leading to nominations and even wins.

Seven times in the last nine years the best director Oscar has gone to a film that world premiered at the festival, including Chloe Zhao, Alfonso Cuaron, Alejandro G Inarritu, twice, Guillermo del Toro and Damien Chazelle.

It has also debuted a handful future best picture winners like Nomadland, The Shape Of Water and Birdman.