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And he says his experience in Venice has made it a little easier to deal with all the jet lag that comes with hopping continents.

“It’s enlivened me,” said the director and sometimes actor, who recently starred in “Happy Gilmore 2.”

“The Smashing Machine” is a gritty biopic that follows a period in the life of mixed martial artist and Ultimate Fighting Championship pioneer Mark Kerr, as he faces trials and tribulations in the ring and struggles with opioid addiction at home.

Hollywood actor and wrestler Dwayne Johnson plays Kerr, while actress Emily Blunt portrays his then-wife Dawn Staples. Both actors have received critical praise for their transformations in the roles, and some say they’ll be in this year’s awards conversation.

But it was Safdie who emerged as the surprise winner in Venice.

While he is perhaps best known for working alongside his brother Josh on the Adam Sandler thriller “Uncut Gems,” this is his first time shooting a movie alone. His elder sibling was off making his own film.

Safdie said he had returned to his home in the United States before the film festival wrapped and was busy caring for his two children when word came that he needed to fly back to Italy.

“I was taking my son to school, we were walking out the door and I got a phone call,” he remembered.

He said the reasons he was given were vague, but he knew something was afoot.

“You never think that is possible,” he said of his win. “It’s not why you make anything, but it was nice to get.”

“The Smashing Machine” rolls into cinemas in October.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 8, 2025.