Director Gus Van Sant to receive the 2025 Campari Passion for Film Award

La Biennale di Venezia and Campari are pleased to announce that the American director Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, My Own Private Idaho, Elephant) is the recipient of the Campari Passion for Film Award at the 82^nd Venice International Film Festival (August 27^th - September 6^th, 2025).

Campari’s commitment to supporting film professionals continues with the Campari Passion for Film Award — an accolade created to honor the talent, dedication, and bold artistic vision of those who transform passion into a driving creative force. This award, presented in collaboration with the Artistic Direction of Biennale Cinema, honors those who turn passion into a driving creative force — not simply as a lifetime achievement, but as a tribute to the will to stand out and leave an indelible mark on the art of cinematic storytelling.

The ceremony for the award to Gus Van Sant will take place on Tuesday September 2^nd in the Sala Grande (Palazzo del Cinema) at 9:30 pm, before the screening Out of Competition of his new film Dead Man’s Wire (USA / 105’), starring Bill Skarsgård, Dacre Montgomery, Colman Domingo, Cary Elwes, Myha'la and Al Pacino.

About Dead Man’s Wire
The story of Anthony G. "Tony" Kiritsis, a former real estate developer who, in 1977, took a mortgage banker hostage in a downtown office. Kiritsis, believing he was cheated out of money, armed himself with a sawed-off shotgun wired to a "dead man's switch" around his own neck, demanding a $5 million apology, and immunity from prosecution.
Dead Man’s Wire is the new film by Gus Van Sant, produced by Elevated. The screenplay is written by Austin Kolodney.

The 82^nd Venice International Film Festival of La Biennale di Venezia will be held on the Lido from August 27^th to September 6^th, 2025, directed by Alberto Barbera.

Gus Van Sant, in accepting the offer, declared: “I’m truly honored to receive the Passion for Film award. My heartfelt thanks to Campari for this recognition — it means a great deal to me. I’m grateful not only for their acknowledgement of my work, but also for their support of one of the world’s great institutions of cinema celebration and exhibition. It’s a privilege to be part of this tradition, and I deeply appreciate the passion they bring to film”.

Alberto Barbera, Director of the Venice International Film Festival, notes, “Gus Van Sant is a unique filmmaker in the landscape of contemporary cinema, who combines a deeply independent perspective with a remarkable ability to connect with audiences. His cinema moves freely between the Hollywood system and the circuits of cinéma d’essai, engaging with industry rules without ever being constrained by them, and remaining true to a bold and ever-evolving personal vision. He has made films that have left a lasting mark on the collective imagination, from Drugstore Cowboy to My Own Private Idaho, from Elephant to Milk, interpreting and anticipating the anxieties of multiple generations. A discoverer of talent, he has launched actors such as River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, Casey Affleck, Joaquin Phoenix, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. His filmography alternates minimalism and classical storytelling, queer cinema and political narrative, moving effortlessly into painting, photography and music as well. Forty years after his first feature film, Van Sant remains a fully active artist, ceaselessly capable of reinventing himself, as demonstrated by his latest, remarkable film Dead Man’s Wire”.

"We’re honored to once again confirm the official 'Campari Passion for Film Award', created by Campari in collaboration with the Artistic Direction of the Festival," states Alberto Ponchio, Senior Marketing Director at Campari Group. "Launched seven years ago, the award aims to recognize professionals who contribute to the excellence of cinematic art, highlighting the creativity and passion embedded in the artistic vision of each movie. This year, we celebrate Gus Van Sant, talented American director and screenwriter, one of the foremost authors of independent Cinema, known for his ability to address important social and contemporary issues with great sensitivity and realism, combined with a strong and sincere passion".

*

The Campari Passion for Film Award, born seven years ago at the 75^th edition of the Venice Film Festival, has over the years been awarded to American film editor Bob Murawski, Italian cinematographer Luca Bigazzi, American composer Terence Blanchard, British production designer Marcus Rowland, American costume designer Arianne Phillips, and Italian production designers Tonino Zera and Paola Comencini.

Gus Van Sant is considered one of the key figures of American independent cinema from the 1980s onwards. His poetics focus on outsiders, teenagers in difficulty, urban solitude and social marginality, told with a minimalist, empathetic and experimental visual style. After his debut with Mala Noche (1985), he achieved international fame with Drugstore Cowboy (1989), which won four Independent Spirit Awards in 1990. In 1991 he presented the film that definitively secured his reputation in competition in Venice: My Own Private Idaho, with Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix, who received the Volpi Cup for his performance. In 1997 he directed Good Will Hunting, which won two Oscars, one for best supporting actor for Robin Williams and one for best original screenplay for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. In 2003 he won the Golden Palm and the award for best director at Cannes with Elephant, inspired by the Columbine High School massacre. With Milk (2008) he received 8 Oscar nominations, winning Best Actor for Sean Penn and Best Original Screenplay. His latest film, Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot, with Joaquin Phoenix and Jonah Hill, was presented in competition at the Berlinale in 2018.