Liza Soberano has taken on a new international role at the Venice Film Festival, joining the jury for the Golden Globes Impact Prize for Documentary, an award recognizing nonfiction films that use storytelling to illuminate urgent social issues.
The Filipino American actor and advocate is serving with Golden Globes President Helen Hoehne; Oscar-winning producer Regina K. Scully, founder of Artemis Rising Foundation; Oscar-winning producer Geralyn White Dreyfous of Impact Partners; and Danielle Turkov Wilson, founder and CEO of Think-Film Impact Production. The jury will select a documentary from the festival’s 2026 official selection, including films screening in and out of competition.
The prize will be announced Sept. 12, the final day of the Venice Film Festival, and includes a $10,000 award from Artemis Rising Foundation.
From Philippine stardom to global work
Soberano, 28, built her early career in the Philippines, where she became one of the country’s most recognizable young screen stars through television dramas and romantic films. Born in California, she moved to the Philippines as a child and later developed a career that made her a major name in Philippine entertainment.
In recent years, Soberano has widened her work beyond the roles that first made her famous. She made her Hollywood film debut in Focus Features’ 2024 horror-comedy Lisa Frankenstein and has taken on projects as a performer, producer and advocate. Her upcoming work includes a voice role in DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island.
Her selection for the Venice jury also reflects her experience in documentary work. Soberano is an executive producer of My Family’s Slave, a documentary examining the enduring impact of domestic labor and exploitation in the Philippines. She has also used her public platform to support children’s rights, women’s rights, mental-health awareness and efforts to protect children from online sexual exploitation.
“I’m honored to serve on this jury, because celebrating documentary filmmakers isn’t only about recognizing extraordinary talent; it’s where the future of cinema is heading,” Soberano said in a statement.
A different kind of spotlight
Soberano is not a member of the Venice Film Festival’s main competition jury, which is responsible for awarding the Golden Lion. Instead, she is part of a separate jury convened for the Golden Globes Impact Prize for Documentary. The distinction matters: her panel is focused specifically on documentary storytelling and social impact.
The Golden Globes and Artemis Rising Foundation established the documentary prize at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival before bringing it to Venice this year. The award is supported by Think-Film Impact Production and is designed to elevate documentaries that combine strong filmmaking with a clear public-interest purpose.
For Soberano, the Venice invitation marks a visible next step in a career that has shifted from Philippine leading-lady roles to a broader role in international entertainment and advocacy. On the Lido, she is not there to promote a film or walk a red carpet alone; she is helping decide which documentary best demonstrates how cinema can move audiences and confront the world beyond the screen.
