The Venice Film Festival announces its award winners!

Here are the winners:

Official Awards

The 66th Venice International Film Festival ran 2nd to 12th September 2009.

The International Juries awarded the following prizes:

Venezia 66

- Golden Lion for best film: Lebanon by Samuel MAOZ (Israel, France, Germany)

- Silver Lion for best director: Shirin NESHAT for the film Zanan Bedone Mardan (Women Without Men) (Germany, Austria, France)

- Special Jury Prize: Soul Kitchen by Fatih AKIN (Germany)

- Coppa Volpi for Best Actor: Colin FIRTH in the film A Single Man by Tom FORD (USA)

- Coppa Volpi for Best Actress: Ksenia RAPPOPORT in the film La doppia ora by Giuseppe CAPOTONDI (Italy)

- “Marcello Mastroianni” Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress: Jasmine TRINCAin the film Il grande sogno by Michele PLACIDO (Italy)

- "Osella" for Best Technical Contribution: Sylvie OLIVÉ for the film Mr. Nobody by Jaco VAN DORMAEL (France)

- "Osella" for Best Screenplay: Todd SOLONDZ for the film Life during Wartime by Todd SOLONDZ (USA)

Orizzonti

- Orizzonti Prize to Engkwentro by Pepe Diokno (Philippines)
- Orizzonti Prize for Best documentary to 1428 by DU Haibin (China)
- Special Mention to Aadmi ki aurat aur anya kahaniya (The Man’s Woman and Other Stories) by Amit Dutta (India)

Controcampo Italiano

Controcampo Italiano Prize to: Cosmonauta by Susanna NICCHIARELLI (Italy)

“for its ability to recall a crucial moment of the twentieth century through the eyes of a young girl”

Kodak will offer to the awarded director 40,000 euros in negative film stock - 35 or 16mm, chosen by the winner - to shoot a new feature film.

Corto Cortissimo (Prizes awarded on 10th September 2009)

- Corto Cortissimo Lion for Best Short Film to Eersgeborene (First Born) by Etienne Kallos (South Africa, USA)
- Venice Nomination to the European Film Awards 2009 to Sinner by Meni Philip (Israel)
- Special Mention to Felicità by Salomé Aleksi (Georgia)

“Luigi De Laurentiis” Award for a Debut Film

- Lion of the Future – “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Film

Persol 3-D Award for the Best 3-D Stereoscopic Film of the Year (Prize awarded on 11th September 2009)

- Persol 3-D Award: The Hole by Joe Dante (USA)

-Thoughts?