Korean director Lee Chang-dong's film 'Possible Love' is nominated to compete for the Golden Lion at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. ^[1] George Clooney received the lifetime achievement award from actress Laura Dern at the opening ceremony of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on September 2, 2026, on Lido Island, Italy. ^[2] 'Possible Love' is Lee Chang-dong's first feature film in eight years, following his 2018 film 'Burning'. ^[3] The film 'Possible Love' will compete alongside 20 other features in the main Competition section of the festival running in Venice from September 2 to September 12, 2026. ^[4] The Korean Film Council selected 'Possible Love' to represent South Korea at the Oscars. ^[5] George Clooney said during his acceptance speech that cinema cannot stop wars or lower inflation, but it can foster empathy so that strangers who sit together in the dark no longer feel like strangers. ^[6] In a press conference held before the award ceremony on September 2, 2026, George Clooney criticized US President Donald Trump's administration, calling the current era a 'kakistocracy,' a Greek term for rule by the most despicable, and expressed confidence that society would eventually overcome it. ^[7] In his acceptance speech at the 83rd Venice Film Festival on September 2, 2026, George Clooney said the award likely signals his age, that his initial aim when he started acting was to pay rent, and that he did not intend to succeed alone. ^[8]