All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, Laura Poitras’ epic documentary about photographer Nan Goldin and her activism against the Sackler family and their art connections, has been awarded the Golden Lion for best film at the 79th Venice international film festival. Poitras, the American film-maker behind the Oscar-winning Edward Snowden documentary Citizenfour, thanked the festival for recognising that “documentary is cinema” at the ceremony on Saturday evening in Venice. Neon is expected to release the film in cinemas this autumn. Runner-up went to Alice Diop’s Saint Omer, the narrative debut from the documentarian about a young novelist observing the trial of a woman accused of infanticide. Cate Blanchett and Colin Farrell won the top acting prizes. Blanchett won for her performance as a renowned conductor in Todd Field’s TÁR and Farrell for playing a man who has broken up with by his longtime friend in Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin. “Thank you so much, it’s such an enormous honour,” Blanchett said, having just flown back to Venice from the Telluride film festival, where the film also played. Her performance as a successful woman in the world of international music whose reputation comes under threat has received nearly universal acclaim. “I’m shocked to get this and thrilled,” Farrell said in a live video message. McDonagh was on site to collect the prize before he received one of his own for his screenplay. Luca Guadagnino won the Silver Lion award for best director for the cannibal romance Bones and All starring Timothée Chalamet and Taylor Russell, who also was recognised for her performance with the best young actress award. “I have a speech prepared because I’m nervous,” Russell said. “I’m grateful beyond belief to be standing here. So many of my heroes are in this room.” Russell also thanked Guadagnino. “He’s been a great friend to me and I love him so dearly,” she said. The jury also gave a special jury prize to No Bears by imprisoned Iranian director Jafar Panahi. The acclaimed director was in July ordered by Iran to serve a six-year prison sentence from a decade ago that had never been enforced. The order came as the government seeks to silence criticism amid growing economic turmoil and political pressure.