65th Venice International Film Festival

The 65th Venice International Film Festival, held in Venice, Italy, was opened on August 27, 2008 by "Burn After Reading", and closed on September 6, 2008.International competition jury, led by Wim Wenders, awarded Leone d'Oro to "The Wrestler", directed by Darren Aronofsky.

77-year-old Italian film director Ermanno Olmi received a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. [cite web |url=http://www.labiennale.org/en/news/cinema/en/79150.html |title=Ermanno Olmi to receive Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement |accessdate=2008-09-07] [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117991006.html?categoryid=3211&cs=1 "Director finds grace in the common man Critical Appreciation: Ermanno Olmi" Variety, By JAY WEISSBERG, Aug. 22, 2008] ]

About the 65th edition of festival

The festival opened on August 27, 2008, with the highly anticipated film directed by the Coen brothers, "Burn After Reading". "Burn" is not running in the official competition and thus is ineligible to win any prizes, but reaction in Venice will indicate whether Joel and Ethan Coen can repeat their success of 2008 with the Academy Award-winning Venice entry, "No Country For Old Men". [http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=619918 "Venice seeks role as Oscars springboard", Ninemsn, Australia - Aug 23, 2008] ]

Unlike the Cannes Film Festival, American filmmakers have only twice won the coveted prize at Venice (with the majority of prizes going to European or Asian filmmakers over the past 65 years). It is also famine for British films, as none were selected for competition in this year's festival. [http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/27/arts/venice.php "At Venice film festival, a truly global lineup" by Roderick Conway Morris, International Herald Tribune, August 26, 2008] ] Despite the dearth of English-speaking films, several films at the fest are likely to make a splash at this year's Oscars in Hollywood. A trend has been that several films launched in Venice have gone on to garner multiple Academy Award nominations. In 2005, Taiwan-born director Ang Lee's film, "Brokeback Mountain" earned its director a Best Director Oscar. Lee has won the top prize at Venice twice in the past few years. [http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=619918 "Venice seeks role as Oscars springboard", Ninemsn, Australia - Aug 23, 2008] ] [http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2008/07/venice-festival.html The Los Angeles Times, "Will the Venice Film Festival launch Oscars' lead ponies again?"] ]

The glamour of the Venice Film Festival (attended by many high profile stars) as well as the link with the upcoming Academy Awards has helped raise the Venice Film Festival's profile. Nonetheless, the event has a long-established reputation for showcasing emerging cinema, including films from Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America, and this year's lineup proves the same. [http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1425754.php/PREVIEW_Venice_seeks_to_consolidate_role_as_Oscars_springboard "PREVIEW: Venice seeks to consolidate role as Oscars springboard" Europe News, By Peter Mayer Aug 21, 2008] ]

Festival organizers have announced that the fest's shorts competition will kick off September 1st with Natalie Portman's directorial debut, "Eve". Rising Russian star Kseniya Rappoport will also host the opening and closing ceremonies. [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117990482.html?categoryid=19&cs=1&nid=3078] "Rappoport to host..." Variety, 8-13-08]

German independent film director Wim Wenders ("Paris, Texas", "Wings of Desire") will head the Venice film jury. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7532442.stm Venice festival line-up revealed - BBC News - Entertainment, 30 July 2008] ]

According to the International Herald Tribune, the Venice Film Festival will not be without its drama if the water-taxi drivers have any say:

"On the eve of the festival, Venice's water-taxi drivers were threatening to go on strike... The city's deputy mayor, Michele Vianello, at first responded in "make-my-day" mode, telling them to go right ahead, a sentiment shared by most of Venice's inhabitants, the vast majority of whom use public water buses and would only consider taking one of these astronomically expensive private conveyances for weddings, funerals, or if they won the lottery. Vianello subsequently declared the strike illegal, but if it goes ahead, ordinary festivalgoers may find themselves traveling with the stars (the Lido can only be reached by boat)." [http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/27/arts/venice.php "At Venice film festival, a truly global lineup" by Roderick Conway Morris, International Herald Tribune, August 26, 2008] ]

The festival will close on September 6, 2008. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7532442.stm Venice festival line-up revealed - BBC News - Entertainment, 30 July 2008] ]

This year's Venice Film Festival's film selections had been widely criticized as being among the weakest in years, with some publications even describing it as the "worst ever". [cite web|url=http://www.theweekdaily.com/article/index/88524/3/3/Is_this_years_Venice_film_festival_the_worst_ever|title=Is this year’s Venice film festival the worst ever?|publisher="The Week Daily"|date=2008-09-02] [cite web|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/film_reviews/article4661515.ece|title=Nuit De Chien|publisher="The Times"|date=2008-09-02] Later showings made It improve from bad to better, [cite web |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/27e9fdd6-7cfa-11dd-8d59-000077b07658.html |title=Wrestling with one for the airheads |author=Nigel Andrews |publisher=The Financial Times |accessdate=2008-09-09] [cite web |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/world/news/e3ie53ddac733c873ccd5c41308b776e3df |title=Diamonds in the rough at Venice |author=Deborah Young |publisher=THR.com |accessdate=2008-09-09] but it might have been too late. [cite web |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2008/sep/08/thecriticsareagreedthiswa |title=Venice: This year's festival was notable only for its awfulness |author=Agnès Poirier |publisher=guardian.co.uk |accessdate=2008-09-10]

The 65th Venice International Film Festival will be dedicated to the late Egyptian director Youssef Chahine. Chahine who died recently at age 82, was a notable in post-war Arab cinema. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7532442.stm Venice festival line-up revealed - BBC News - Entertainment, 30 July 2008] ] Festival director Marco Mueller said, "Who else could have succeeded in mixing the philosopher Averroes with Fred Astaire? That's what cinema should be about," Mueller said, referring to Chahine's film "Destiny". [http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5j3SAouHeh5qWanGQ8pi_abaiGA9g "Hollywood comes to Venice as Pitt, Clooney kick off filmfest" (AFP), Aug 24, 2008] ]

About the films in the festival

Of the 52 films selected to screen at this year's Venice Mostra, only 21 will be competing for the Golden Lion top prize. [http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5j3SAouHeh5qWanGQ8pi_abaiGA9g "Hollywood comes to Venice as Pitt, Clooney kick off filmfest" (AFP), Aug 24, 2008] ]

Most of the films at Venice will be world premieres, including the "things that go boom" psychological thriller directed by Kathryn Bigelow, "The Hurt Locker". The film deals with the physical and emotional strains faced by EOD bomb squads in Iraq. [http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1425754.php/PREVIEW_Venice_seeks_to_consolidate_role_as_Oscars_springboard "PREVIEW: Venice seeks to consolidate role as Oscars springboard" Europe News, By Peter Mayer, Aug 21, 2008] ] Also premiering at the festival is home-grown favorite "Birdwatcher" directed by Italy's own Marco Bechis. Other strong contenders for the coveted Golden Lion award are the Darren Aronofsky directed film, "The Wrestler", and director Barbet Schroeder's entry, "L'Inju: la Bete dans l'Ombre". [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7532442.stm Venice festival line-up revealed - BBC News - Entertainment, 30 July 2008] ]

With no British pictures and a diminished U.S. presence, the Venice Film Festival will focus on Italian and Japanese cinema with four films from each country, including Oscar-winning animation maestro Hayao Miyazaki’s latest, "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea". [http://news.bostonherald.com/track/inside_track/view.bg?articleid=1114760&srvc=home&position=also Boston Herald, By Stephen Schaefer, August 24, 2008] ]

European films are also set to dominate the festival, due in part to the American Writer's Guild strike and the effects of the slow down in the film pipeline. Other theories for the lack of American films are the U.S. economy (with dollar’s slump vs. the euro), and Hollywood studio belt-tightening. [http://news.bostonherald.com/track/inside_track/view.bg?articleid=1114760&srvc=home&position=also Boston Herald, By Stephen Schaefer, August 24, 2008] ] The major U.S. studios have effectively gobbled up all the small independent labels, then went on to make poor development and/or marketing decisions causing the inevitable shuttering or downsizing of these same "independent" labels. Former "indies" such as Warner Independent, New Line and Paramount Vantage are ghosts of the past. The lucrative temptation for studios to bust their budgets with big tent pole films has also meant the hard squeeze on less expensive, but the more challenging-to-market independent films. Risk-averse U.S. majors are seemingly no longer as willing to foot the bill for innovative films made for grownups. Industry trade magazines have pronounced this both as a death and/or a subsequent potential rebirth or "reboot" for independent filmmaking. [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117991016.html?categoryid=3211&cs=1 "Hollywood debates festival costs - In frugal times, fest premiere value questioned", Variety, By ADAM DAWTREY, Aug. 22, 2008] ]

"We look for the vitality of cinema where it is hidden, be it in popular works or auteur cinema; it makes no difference to us," festival director Marco Mueller says. Muller added, "The choices I made this year reconfirm an identity for the festival, but I definitely want Venice to stay pluralistic and contradictory." The show this year is packed with Japanese and French titles, and Mueller was compelled to honor domestic films, unfurling the largest Italian contingent on the Lido in ages. [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117991023.html?categoryId=3211&cs=1 "Chaotic year lessens Venice lineup" Variety, By NICK VIVARELLI, Aug. 22, 2008] ]

African cinema is also well repped with Ethiopian director Haile Gerima's "Teza" and Algerian helmer Tariq Teguia is screening "Inland". [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117991023.html?categoryId=3211&cs=1 "Chaotic year lessens Venice lineup" Variety, By NICK VIVARELLI Aug. 22, 2008] ]

Asia could win the Golden Lion for best film for the fourth year running. Leading the Japanese line-up is "Akires to kame" (Achilles and the Tortoise) directed by Takeshi Kitano. Kitano is a favored son in Venice, having already won the 1997 Leone d'Oro for "Hana-bi" (Fireworks) and who was awarded a special prize for his direction of "Zatoichi" in 2003. [http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=619918 "Venice seeks role as Oscars springboard", Ninemsn, Australia - Aug 23, 2008] ]

Films being screen out of competition include "35 Rums" by French director Claire Denis, Iranian film-maker Abbas Kiarostami's film, "Shirin" and an autobiographical documentary by Belgium-born director Agnes Varda. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7532442.stm Venice festival line-up revealed - BBC News - Entertainment, 30 July 2008] ]

The "record" for the longest film at this festival (or maybe any) goes to Philippine director Lav Diaz's "Melancholia", with a running time of some seven-and-a-half hours, and which is included in the Orizzonti (Horizons) section. [http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1425754.php/PREVIEW_Venice_seeks_to_consolidate_role_as_Oscars_springboard "PREVIEW: Venice seeks to consolidate role as Oscars springboard" Europe News, By Peter Mayer Aug 21, 2008] ]

A highlight of this year’s Italian retrospective is a restored version of Federico Fellini’s 1952 comedy "The White Sheik" with forty minutes of newly discovered footage. [http://news.bostonherald.com/track/inside_track/view.bg?articleid=1114760&srvc=home&position=also Boston Herald, By Stephen SchaeferAugust 24, 2008] ]

2008 Venice Film Festival List of Films

In competition

International competition of full-length films running for Golden Lion for best picture are:cite web|url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117989668.html?categoryId=19&cs=1&nid=3078|title="Venice Film Fest announces slate"|publisher="Variety"|date=2008-07-29|accessdate=2008-07-30]

*"Achilles and the Tortoise" - Directed by Takeshi Kitano (Japan)
*"L’Autre" - Directed by Patrick Mario Bernard, Pierre Trividic (France)
*"Birdwatchers" - Directed by Marco Bechis (Italy)
*"The Burning Plain" - Directed by Guillermo Arriaga (U.S.)
*"The Hurt Locker" - Directed by Kathryn Bigelow (U.S.)
*"" - Directed by Barbet Schroeder (France)
*"Inland" - Directed by Tariq Teguia (Algeria, France)
*"Jerichow" - Directed by Christian Petzold (Germany)
*"Nuit de Chien" - Directed by Werner Schroeter (France, Germany, Portugal)
*"Il Papa di Giovanna" - Directed by Pupi Avati (Italy)
*"Paper Soldier" - Directed by Aleksey German Jr. (Russia)
*"Perfect Day" - Directed by Ferzan Ozpetek (Italy)
*"Plastic City" - Directed by Yu Lik-wai (Brazil, China, Hong Kong/China, Japan)
*"Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea" - Directed by Hayao Miyazaki (Japan)
*"Rachel Getting Married" - Directed by Jonathan Demme (U.S.)
*"Il seme della discordia" - Directed by Pappi Corsicato (Italy)
*"The Sky Crawlers" - Directed by Mamoru Oshii (Japan)
*"Süt" - Directed by Semih Kaplanoglu (Turkey, France, Germany)
*"Teza" - Directed by Haile Gerima (Ethiopia, Germany, France)
*"Vegas: Based on a True Story" - Directed by Amir Naderi (U.S.)
*"The Wrestler" - Directed by Darren Aronofsky (U.S., France)

Out of competition

New works by directors who have been honored in past festivals, as well as movies shown in the midnight time band.

*"35 Rhums" - Directed by Claire Denis (France, Spain)
*"Burn After Reading" - Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen (U.S.)
*"Encarnacao do demonio" - Directed by Jose Mojica Marins (Brazil)
*"Goodbye Solo" - Directed by Ramin Bahrani (U.S.)
*"Jay" - Directed by Francis Xavier Pasion (Philippines)
*"Un lac" - Directed by Philippe Grandrieux (France)
*"Pa-ra-da" - Directed by Marco Pontecorvo (Italy/France/Romania)
*"Parc" - Directed by Arnaud Des Pallieres (France)
*"Les Plages d’Agnes" (documentary), - Directed by Agnes Varda (France)
*"Il primo giorno d'inverno" - Directed by Mirko Locatelli (Italy)
*"Puccini e la fanciulla" - Directed by Paolo Benvenut] (Italy)
*"Shirin" - Directed by Abbas Kiarostami (Iran)
*"Tutto e musica" (1963) - Directed by Domenico Modugno (Italy)
*"Vinyan" - Directed by Fabrice Du Welz (France, U.K., Belgium)
*"Volare" (1959) - Directed by Piero Tellini (Italy)
*"Voy a explotar" - Directed by Gerardo Naranjo (Mexico)
*"Wild Field" (Dikoe Pole) - Directed by Mikhail Kalatozov (Russia)
*"Yuppi du" - Directed by Adriano Celentano (Italy)
*"Zero Bridge" - Directed by Tariq Tapa (India/US)

Critics Week (In Competition)

*"L'apprenti" (The Apprentice) - Directed by Samuel Collardey (France)
*"Cuvari Noci" (Night Guards) - Directed by Namik Kabil (Bosnia)
*"Huanggua" (Cucumber) - Directed by Zhou Yaowu (China)
*"Iki Cizgi" (Two Lines) - Directed by Selim Evci (Turkey)
*"Kabuli Kid" - Directed by Barmak Akram (France/Afghanistan)
*"Pranzo di Ferragosto" - Directed by Gianni Di Gregorio (Italy)
*"Sell Out! Sell Out!" - Directed by Yeo Joonhan (Malaysia)

Critics Week (Out of Competition/Closing Film)

*"Pinuccio Lovero - Sogno di una morte di mezza estate" - Directed by Pippo Mezzapesa (Italy)

Venice Days (Giornate Degli Autori)

*"Un altro pianeta" (One Love, One Life) - Directed by Stefano Tummolini (Italy)
*"Broken Lines" - Directed by Sallie Aprahamian (UK)
*"Machan" - Directed by Umberto Pasolini (Italy/Germany)
*"Muukalainen" (The Visitor) - Directed by Jukka-Pekka Valkeapaeae (Finland)
*"(N)iemand" (Nowhere Man) - Directed by Patrice Toye (Belgium)
*"Pescuit sportiv" (Hooked) - Directed by Adrian Sitaru (Romania)
*"Pokrajina St.2" (Landscape No. 2) - Directed by Vinko Moderndorfer (Slovenia)
*"Rysa" (Scratch) - Directed by Michal Rosa (Poland)
*"Una semana solos" (A Week Alone) - Directed by Celina Murga (Arge)
*"Stella" - Directed by Sylvie Verheyde (France)
*"Venkovsky ucitel" (A Country Teacher) - Directed by Bohdan Slama (Czech Republic)

Venice Days (Giornate Degli Autori) Documentaries

*"Che saccio" - Directed by Camille d'Arcimoles (Italy)
*"Un paese possibile" - Directed by Silvio Soldini (Italy)
*"Il Passato e' il mio bastone" - Directed by Flavia Mastrella and Antonio Rezza (Italy)

hort Films

*"Cry Me a River" - Directed by Jia Zhangke (China, Spain, France)
*"Eve" - Directed by Natalie Portman (U.S.)
*"Vicino al Colosseo...c’e Monti" - Directed by Mario Monicelli (Italy)
*"Do Visivel ao Invisivel" - Directed by Manoel de Oliveira (Brazil, Portugal)

Orizzonti (New Horizons)

New trends of cinema with full-length films in 35mm and digital format, and documentary-movies.

*"Antonioni su Antonioni" - Directed by Carlo Di Carlo (Italy)
*"Below Sea Level" - Directed by Gianfranco Rosi (Italy/US)
*"A Erva do Rato" - Directed by Julio Bressane & Rosa Dias (Brazil)
*"L'Exil et le royaume" - Directed by Andrei Schtakleff & Jonathan Le Fourn (France)
*"La fabbrica dei tedeschi" - Directed by Mimmo Calopresti (Italy)
*"Los Herederos" - Directed by Eugenio Polgovsky (Mexico)
*"Melancholia" - Directed by Lav Diaz (Phillipines)
*"In Paraguay" - Directed by Ross McElwee (U.S.)
*"Puisque nous sommes nes" - Directed by Jean-Pierre Duret & Andrea Santana (France/Brazil)
*"Soltanto un nome nei titoli di testa" - Directed by Daniele Di Biasio (Italy)
*"ThyssenKrupp Blues" - Directed by Pietro Balla & Monica Repetto (Italy)
*"Valentino: The Last Emperor" (documentary) - Directed by Matt Tyrnauer (U.S.)
*"Venezia '68" (documentary) - Directed by Antonello Sarno, Steve Della Casa (Italy)
*"Verso Est" - Directed by Laura Angiulli (Italy/Bosnia)
*"Women" - Directed by Huang Wenhai (China/Switzerland)
*"Z32" - Directed by Avi Mograbi (Israel/France)

Jury

The international juries of the 65th Venice International Film Festival were composed as follows:

Official Competition Jury

*Wim Wenders - Jury President
*Juriy Arabov - Jurist
*Valeria Golino - Jurist
*Douglas Gordon - Jurist
*John Landis - Jurist
*Lucrecia Martel - Jurist
*Johnnie To - Jurist

Orizzonti / Horizons Jury

*Chantal Akerman - Jury President
*Nicole Brenez - Jurist
*Barbara Cupisti - Jurist
*Jose' Luis Guerin - Jurist
*Veiko Õunpuu - Jurist

Premio Luigi De Laurentiis for Best Debut Feature Jury

*Abdellatif Kechiche - Jury President
*Alice Braga - Jurist
*Gregory Jacobs - Jurist
*Donald Ranvaud - Jurist
*Heidrun Schleef - Jurist

Prizes

Venezia 65

*Leone d'Oro (Golden Lion) for the best film: "The Wrestler" by Darren Aronofsky
*Leone d'Argento (Silver Lion) for the best director: Aleksey German Jr. for "Bumažnyj Soldat" (Paper Soldier)
*Special Jury Prize: "Teza" by Haile Gerima
*Coppa Volpi for the best actor: Silvio Orlando, for "Il papà di Giovanna"
*Coppa Volpi for the best actress: Dominique Blanc, for "L'autre"
*Premio Marcello Mastroianni, for the best emerging actor or actress: Jennifer Lawrence for "Burning Plain"
*Osella for Best Cinematography: Alisher Khamidhodjaev and Maxim Drozdov for "Bumažnyj Soldat" (Paper Soldier)
*Osella for Best Screenplay: Haile Gerima for "Teza"
*Special Lion for Overall Work: Werner Schroeter

* "Luigi de Laurentis" Award for a Debut Film: "Pranzo Di Ferragosto" by Gianni Di Gregorio

Horizons - 'Premio orrizonti'

* Premio Orizzonti (Orizzonti prize): [cite web |url=http://www.labiennale.org/en/news/cinema/en/80165.html |title=Biennale Cinema 65th Venice Film Festival Official Orizzonti Awards |accessdate=2008-09-06] "Melancholia" by Lav Diaz (Philippines)
* Premio Orizzonti Doc: "Below Sea Level" by Gianfranco Rosi
** Special mention to: "Un Lac" by Philippe Grandrieux
** Special mention to: "Wo men" (We) by Huang Wenhai

Venetian prize for the first work

*Leone del futuro (Lion of the future)

hort Films (Corto Cortissimo)

* Golden Lion for Best Short: "Tierra y Pan" by Carlos Armella
**Special mention: "Vacsora" by Karchi Perlmann
**U.I.P. Award for Best European Short: "Zand" by Joost Van Ginkel

Other prizes

According to the official web site: [cite web |url=http://www.labiennale.org/en/news/cinema/en/80160.1.html |title=Biennale Cinema 65th Venice Film Festival Collateral Awards |accessdate=2008-09-06]

FIPRESCI Award

* Best Film Venezia 65: "Gabbla" (Inland) by Tariq Teguia
* FIPRESCI Award Best Film Horizons and International Critics' Week: "Goodbye Solo" by Ramin Bahrani

IGNIS Award

*The Hurt Locker by Kathryn Bigelow
**special mention to "Vegas: Based on a True Story" by Amir Naderi
**special mention to "Teza" by Haile Gerima

Critics Week

* The International Critics' Week Best Film: "L'apprenti" by Samuel Collardey.

Francesco Pasinetti (SNGCI) Award

* Best Film: Pranzo di Ferragosto by Gianni Di Gregorio
** Special mention to Pa-ra-da by Marco Pontecorvo
* Best Male Actor: Silvio Orlando for Il papà di Giovanna
* Best Female Actor: Isabella Ferrari for Un giorno perfetto

Isvema Award for an debut or second feature film

*"Pranzo di Ferragosto" by Gianni Di Gregorio

Label Europa Cinemas Award – Giornate degli Autori 2008

*"Machan" by Uberto Pasolini

Doc/it Award – Sicilia Film Commission

*"Below Sea Level" by Gianfranco Rosi
**special mention to L’Apprenti by Samuel Collardey

Leoncino d'oro Award 2008 (Agiscuola)

*"Il papà di Giovanna" by Pupi Avati
*Cinema for UNICEF commendation: "Teza" by Haile Gerima

Art Cinema Award

* "Dikoe Pole" (Wild Field) by Mikhail Kalatozishvili

La Navicella – Venezia Cinema Award

*"The Hurt Locker" by Kathryn Bigelow

C.I.C.T. UNESCO Enrico Fulchignoni Award

*BirdWatchers – La terra degli uomini rossi by Marco Bechis

Christopher D. Smithers Foundation Special Awards

*Stella by Sylvie Verheyde

Biografilm Lancia Award - fiction

*"Rachel Getting Married" by Jonathan Demme

Biografilm Lancia Award - documentary

* "Below Sea Level" by Gianfranco Rosi

Nazareno Taddei Award

* "Il papà" di Giovanna by Pupi Avati

Don Gnocchi Award

* "Pa-ra-da" by Marco Pontecorvo
**special mention to Ezio Greggio for "Il papà di Giovanna"

Future Film Festival Digital Award

*The Sky Crawlers by Mamoru Oshii
**special mention to "Gake no ue no Ponyo" (Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea) by Hayao Miyazaki

Brian Award

Khastegi

Queer Lion Award

* "Un altro pianeta" by Stefano Tummolini

Lanterna Magica Award (Cgs)

* "Pa-ra-da" by Marco Pontecorvo

CinemAvvenire

*Best Film in Competition: "Vegas: Based on a True Story" by Amir Naderi
*"The circle is not round. Cinema for peace and the richness of diversity" Award: "Teza" by Haile Gerima

FEDIC Award

* "Machan" by Uberto Pasolini

Bastone Bianco Award (Filmcritica)

* "Akires to kame" (Achilles and the Tortoise) by Takeshi Kitano

Human Rights Film Network Award

* "The Hurt Locker" by Kahryn Bigelow

Arca Cinemagiovani Award

* Best Film Venezia 65: "The Hurt Locker" by Kathryn Bigelow
* Best Italian Film: "Pranzo di Ferragosto" by Gianni Di Gregorio
* "Altre Visioni" Award: "Sell Out!" by Yeo Joon Han

EIUC Human Rights Film Award

* "Kabuli Kid" by Akram Barmak

Lina Mangiacapre Award

* "Stella" by Sylvie Verheyde

Air For Film Fest Award

* "Pa-ra-da" by Marco Pontecorvo

Open Award 2008

* "The Butcher's Shop" by Philip Haas

"Poveri ma belli" Award

* "Puccini e la fanciulla" by Paolo Benvenuti

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) by Hayao Miyazaki

References

External links

* [http://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/ Official website]
* [http://www.ansa.it/site/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2008-08-26_126247705.html Venice: All the films (factbox) 2008-08-26 (ANSA)]

s-ttl|title = 65th Venice International Film Festival
year = 2005