Ellen Burstyn, 93, was visibly emotional as she accepted the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 2026 Venice Film Festival. The honor caps a career of more than six decades, placing her among the rare performers who have worked long enough to see their legacy formalized by the industry itself.
The ceremony came alongside a special screening of Flesh Impact, a 21-minute short directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, who is also serving as jury president for this year’s competition. In the film, Burstyn plays Marilyn Monroe, referred to as Norma, as a 100-year-old woman still auditioning. She has come to read for the role of Carol Cutrere in Tennessee Williams’ Orpheus Descending. A rambling monologue traces Monroe’s marriage to Arthur Miller, her time in an orphanage, and the mistreatment she endured in Hollywood. Patti Smith’s voice appears in the closing moments.
Monroe’s centennial falls in 2026, born June 1, 1926. Flesh Impact, commissioned by automotive brand Genesis, imagines what she might have become with more time. The film screens out of competition and stars Burstyn alongside Dakota Fanning, Peter Sarsgaard, and Sepideh Moafi.
Gyllenhaal’s dual presence at the festival is unusual. As jury president, she will award the Golden Lion for Best Film at tomorrow’s closing ceremony. As director, she made the film screened in honor of the woman the ceremony celebrated.
Burstyn won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974) and received a nomination for Requiem for a Dream (2000). Venice’s recognition situates her among the institution’s most honored figures.
