Ellen Burstyn, an actress renowned for her achievements with Oscars, Emmys, and Tonys, will be honored with the Liberatum Pioneer Award at this year’s Venice Film Festival. This prestigious award acknowledges her extensive contributions to cinema throughout her distinguished career.
The award ceremony is set for September 4, as part of the “Women in Creativity” event and gala dinner at the Blue Pavilion in the Palazzina Grassi Hotel on the Grand Canal in Venice. Along with accepting the award, Burstyn will participate in an on-stage discussion reflecting on her long and influential career.
Burstyn’s acting career began on Broadway in 1957 with her role in Fair Game. She appeared regularly on television during the 1960s, but her major breakthrough came in the 1970s. She gained significant recognition with Oscar-nominated performances in The Last Picture Show (1971) and The Exorcist (1973).
Burstyn won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore in 1974 and also won a Tony Award the following year for Same Time, Next Year. The film adaptation of Same Time, Next Year earned her a fourth Oscar nomination.
Burstyn’s career continued to flourish with additional Academy Award nominations for Resurrection (1980) and Requiem for a Dream (2000). On television, she earned eight Emmy nominations and won twice: in 2009 for a guest role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and in 2013 for Best Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for her performance in Political Animals.
The Venice Film Festival, running from August 28 to September 7, will celebrate Burstyn’s remarkable career as part of its tribute to significant figures in the arts. The event is organized by Pablo Ganguli’s Liberatum, which specializes in cultural diplomacy and is co-hosted by arts patron Aaron Roni Neumark. Last year, Liberatum honored Angela Bassett and Brazilian activist Ivete Sacramento.
Burstyn’s recognition at the festival highlights her significant impact on the film industry and her role as a pioneering woman in entertainment. The celebration will not only acknowledge her achievements but also provide an opportunity for attendees to hear directly from Burstyn about her career and the contributions she has made to cinema.
