Luca Guadagnino will receive the Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker Award at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, organizers announced. The ceremony will take place before the out-of-competition premiere of his new documentary, Joie de vivre, on September 8.
The documentary runs seven hours and focuses on the legendary Italian filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera said the award recognizes a filmmaker "who has managed to transform his curiosity into a form of creative freedom." Barbera described Guadagnino as a "global director, capable of working with leading international actors and producers," who has been "defying alignment with any single school or movement." Barbera added that Guadagnino has "navigated diverse genres — from melodrama to horror, coming-of-age to psychological thriller — while maintaining a consistent and recognizable voice, without ever losing a deeply Italian identity in portraying bodies, settings, and history."
Guadagnino responded to the honor in a statement. "It might seem like a rhetorical gesture to say I am honored to receive the Glory to the Filmmaker award, but it is the plain truth for many reasons," he said. "To be honored for one's craft or life as a filmmaker is an ambition that no one who makes films could ever presume to imagine achieving — especially by joining a group of filmmakers who have received this prestigious honor before me and to whom I owe so much of my development. So, I want to emphasize once again what an honor it is to receive this award, especially from Alberto Barbera and La Biennale di Venezia. Thank you, thank you!"
Guadagnino's other recent project, Artificial, will not appear at Venice. The film stars Andrew Garfield as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and was originally set up at Amazon MGM Studios before being dropped after Amazon announced a strategic partnership with OpenAI. Neon subsequently acquired worldwide rights.
Neon opted against a Venice premiere because the company wanted more time to complete international sales. The film is instead slated for a late December qualifying release, with a wider expansion planned for early 2027.
Venice has a long history with Guadagnino's work. His films After the Hunt, Queer, Bones and All, Suspiria, A Bigger Splash, I Am Love, and The Protagonists all premiered there. He won the Silver Lion for best director in 2022 for Bones and All.
The Glory to the Filmmaker award ceremony is set for September 8 ahead of the Joie de vivre screening.
