'The Room Next Door' wins Venice Film Festival's Golden Lion for best picture

Pedro Almodóvar's "The Room Next Door" won the coveted Golden Lion award on Saturday as the 2024 Venice Film Festival wrapped up.

The film, the first English-language film by the Spanish director, stars Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton as old pals who rekindle their friendship as one of them deals with terminal cancer and wishes to end her life.

Brady Corbet won Silver Lion best director honors for the post-war historical drama "The Brutalist," starring Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones.

Nicole Kidman took best actress honors for "Babygirl," but missed the ceremony to fly home after the unexpected death of her 84-year-old mother, Janelle Ann Kidman.

The full list of winners at the 81st Venice Film Festival:

GOLDEN LION for best picture:

"The Room Next Door" by Pedro Almodóvar

SILVER LION runner-up:

"Vermiglio" by Maura Delpero

Best director:

Brady Corbet ("The Brutalist")

Best actress:

Nicole Kidman ("Babygirl")

Best actor:

Vincent Lindon ("The Quiet Son")

Best screenplay:

Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega ("I'm Still Here")

Special jury award:

"April" by Dea Kulumbegashvili

Best young actor:

Paul Kircher ("And Their Children After Them")

Contributing: Crispian Balmer, Reuters, and Kim Willis, USA TODAY