65th Venice International Film Festival Award Winners

About two hours ago the fest had its closing ceremony and here are the award winners.

Official Selection

Golden Lion for Best Film: The Wrestler, Darren Aronofsky, USA

Silver Lion for Best Director: Aleksey German Jr. for Bumažnyj Soldat (Paper Soldier), Russia
Special Jury Prize: Teza, Haile Gerima, Ethiopia, Germany and France
Coppa Volpi for Best Actor: Silvio Orlando for Il papà di Giovanna , Pupi Avati, Italy
Coppa Volpi for Best Actress: Dominique Blanc for L’Autre, Patrick Mario Bernard and Pierre Trividic, France
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor or Actress: Jennifer Lawrence for The Burning Plain, Guillermo Arriaga, USA
Osella for Best Cinematography: Alisher Khamidhodjaev and Maxim Drozdov for Bumažnyj Soldat (Paper Soldier), Aleksey German Jr., Russia
Osella for Best Screenplay: Haile Gerima for Teza, Haile Gerima, Ethiopia, Germany, France

Special Lion for Overall Work: Werner Schroeter
The Jury decided to award a Special Lion for his uncompromising and relentlessly innovative work over a period of 40 years to Werner Schroeter.

Luigi de Laurentiis Award for a Debut Film: Pranzo Di Ferragosto, Gianni Di Gregorio, Italy, 2008

I do not know about you but I’m surprised that the Golden Lion went to an American film, but then I have heard the news that Mickey Rouke does an extraordinary performance and many were hoping for him to win the Coppa Volpi for Best Actor; but I believe winning the top award is a recognition that celebrates his performance and a lot more.

To check the official announcement go here.

Orizzonti Section

Orizzonti Prize: Melancholia, Lav Diaz, Philippines (yes is the one with 450 minutes!)
Special Mention: Un Lac, Philippe Grandrieux, France

Orizzonti Doc Prize: Below Sea Level, Gianfranco Rosi, Italy and USA
Special Mention: Wo men (We), Huang Wenhai, China and Switzerland

To check the official announcement go here.

Giornate Degli Autori – Venice Days
Label Europa Cinemas Award: Machan, Uberto Pasolini, Italy, Germany and Sri Lanka, 2008
Jury statement: "Immigration is a very real issue in Europe today and this is an enjoyable, well written and well directed film that makes its point with humour and without lapsing into cheap sentimentality. We feel that this can attract and entertain a wide audience around Europe and contribute to discussions of this important subject."

On other news this section of the Venice fest was awarded the Bisato d’Oro Award and here is an excerpt of the official press release.

The Bisato d’Oro Award 2008, assigned by the Jury of Independent Film Critics attending the 65. Mostra Internazionale d’Arte Cinematografica, and chaired by Antonio Llorens Sanchis (historian and film critic) goes to Venice Days.

Motivation of the Bisato D’Oro Award: To Venice Days, for its accuracy, consistency, cultural identity palpable every year in its presence at Venice Film Festival, whose spirit is ultimately realized thanks to it. For always showing a peculiar arthouse filmmaking not bending to the directors’ dictatorship, but rather exalting the republic of cinema and the infinite ways to cross over it. For showing us, each year, once a year, in Venice, that cinema is alive.

To read the official announcements go here and here.

Collateral Awards
FIPRESCI Award
Best Film in Venezia 65: Gabbla (Inland), Tariq Teguia, Algeria and France
Best Film Horizons and International Critics’ Week: Goodbye Solo, Ramin Bahrani, USA

SIGNIS Award: Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow, USA
Special Mention: Vegas: Based on a True Story, Amir Naderi, USA and Teza, Haile Gerima, Ethiopia, Germany and France

Francesco Pasinetti (SNGCI) Award
Best Film: Pranzo Di Ferragosto, Gianni Di Gregorio, Italy, 2008
Special Mention: Pa-ra-da, Marco Pontecorvo, Italy, France and Romania
Best Male Actor: Silvio Orlando for Il papà di Giovanna , Pupi Avati, Italy
Best Female Actor: Isabella Ferrari for Un Giorno Perfetto, Ferzan Ozpetek, Italy

This time I will include ALL the awards so you can get an idea of the number of awards and recognition given to films in this festival.

Doc/it Award – Sicilia Film Commission: Below Sea Level, Gianfranco Rosi, Italy and USA
Special Mention: L’Apprenti (The Apprentice), Samuel Collardey, France, 2008

Leoncino D’Oro Award 2008 (Agiscuola): Il papà di Giovanna , Pupi Avati, Italy
Cinema for UNICEF commendation: Teza, Haile Gerima, Ethiopia, Germany and France
Art Cinema Award: Dikoe Pole (Wild Field), Mikhail Kalatozishvili, Russia
La Navicella – Venezia Cinema Award: Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow, USA
C.I.C.T. UNESCO Enrico Fulchignoni Award: Birdwatchers – La terra degli uomini Rossi (Birdwatchers), Marco Bechis, Italy and Brazil
Cristopher D. Smithers Foundation Special Awards: Stella, Sylvie Verheyde, France

Biografilm Lancia Award
Film: Rachel Getting Married, Jonathan Demme, USA
Documentary: Below Sea Level, Gianfranco Rossi, Italy and USA

Nazareno Taddei Award: Il papà di Giovanna , Pupi Avati, Italy

Don Gnocchi Award: Pa-ra-da, Marco Pontecorvo, Italy, France and Romania
Special Mention: Ezio Greggio for Il papà di Giovanna, Pupi Avati, Italy

Future Film Festival Digital Award: Sukai Kurora (The Sky Crawlers), Mamoru Oshii, Japan
Special Mention: Gake no ue no Ponyo (Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea), Hayao Miyazaki, Japan

CinemAvvenire
Best Film in Competiton: Vegas: Based on a True Story, Amir Naderi, USA
“The circle is not round. Cinema for peace and the richness of diversity” Award: Teza, Haile Gerima

FEDIC Award: Machan, Uberto Pasolini, Italy, Germany and Sri Lanka, 2008
Bastone Bianco Award (Filmcritica): Achilles to kame (Achilles and the Tortoise), Takeshi Kitano, Japan
Human Rights Film Network Award: The Hurt Locker. Kahryn Bigelow, USA

Arca Cinemagiovani Award
Best Film Venezia 65: The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow, USA
Best Italian Film: Pranzo Di Ferragosto, Gianni Di Gregorio, Italy

“Altre Visioni” Award: Sell Out!, Yeo Joon Han, Malaysia
EIUC Human Rights Film Award: Kabuli Kid, Akram Barmak, France and Afghanistan
Lina Mangiacapre Award: Stella, Sylvie Verheyde, France
Air For Film Fest Award: Pa-ra-da, Marco Pontecorvo, Italy, France and Romania
Open Award 2008: The Butcher’s Shop, Philip Haas, USA
“Poveri ma belli” Award: Puccini e la fanciulla, Paolo Benvenuti, Italy
Mimmo Rotella Foundation Award for a film which shows a firm connection with the arts: Gake no ue no Ponyo (Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea), Hayao Miyazaki, Japan

To check the announcement at the fest site go here.