The Venice Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi di Misurata in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the Lido, Venice, Italy. Screenings take place in the historic Palazzo del Cinema on the Lungomare Marconi. It is one of the world's most prestigious film festivals and is part of the Venice Biennale, a major biennial exhibition and festival for contemporary art.

The 65th Venice International Film Festival

The festival's principal awards are the Leone d'Oro (Golden Lion), which is awarded to the best film screened at the festival, and the Coppa Volpi (Volpi Cup), which is awarded to the best actor and actress. In 2002, the San Marco Award has been introduced, for the best film of the Controcorrente (Against the stream) section.

For the most recent Venice Film Festivals, see the 62nd (2005), the 63rd (2006), the 64th (2007), and this year's 2008 65th Venice International Film Festival.

Golden Lion winners

See a list of winners at Golden Lion

The Golden Lion is the festival's principal award for best film.

Silver Lion

See list of winners at Silver Lion

Silver Lions are an irregular award presented in some years as a "runners-up" prize to the Golden Lion. In addition, other Silver Lions are sometimes awarded for debut films, short films and direction.

Special Jury Prize

See list of winners at Special Jury Prize (Venice Film Festival)

A Special Jury Prize is awarded to one or two films in most years.

Volpi Cups

For a list of winners, see Volpi Cup.

The Volpi Cups are awarded to actors. Awards for best actor and best actress have been given since 1935. In the mid-1990s awards were also given to supporting actors and actresses, and in 1993 an award was given to the entire cast of Short Cuts.

Golden Osellas

For a list of winners, see Golden Osella

The Golden Osellas are awarded to directors, cinematographers, screenwriters, composers, and for outstanding technical contributions.

Past awards

Mussolini Cups

The Mussolini Cups were the top awards from 1934 to 1942. Named after Italy's then ruler, Benito Mussolini, they were abandoned upon his ousting in 1943, and eventually returned as the Grand International Prize of Venice in 1947 (see Golden Lion).

Mussolini Cup for best Italian Film

• 1934 Teresa confalonieri by Guido Brignone
• 1935 Casta Diva by Carmine Gallone
• 1936 Lo squadrone bianco by Augusto Genina
• 1937 Scipione l'Africano by Carmine Gallone
• 1938 Luciano serra pilota by Goffredo Alessandrini
• 1939 Abuna Messias by Goffredo Alessandrini
• 1940 L'assedio dell'Alcazar by Augusto Genina
• 1941 La corona di ferro by Alessandro Blasetti
• 1942 Bengasi by Augusto Genina

Mussolini Cup for best foreign film

• 1934 Man of Aran by Robert J. Flaherty (Great Britain)
• 1935 Anna Karenina by Clarence Brown (United States)
• 1936 Der Kaiser von Kalifornien by Luis Trenker (Germany)
• 1937 Un carnet de bal by Julien Duvivier (France)
• 1938 Olympia 1.Teil – Fest der Völker by Leni Riefenstahl (Germany)
• 1940 Der Postmeister by Gustav Ucicky (Germany)
• 1941 Ohm Krüger by Hans Steinhoff (Germany)
• 1942 Der große König by Veit Harlan (Germany)

Best director awards

• 1935 King Vidor for The Wedding Night
• 1936 Jacques Feyder for La Kermesse Héroique
• 1937 Robert J. Flaherty and Zoltan Korda for Elephant Boy
• 1938 Carl Froelich for Heimat

Best actor awards

• 1932 Fredric March in Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde
• 1934 Wallace Beery in Viva Villa!

Best actress awards

• 1932 Helen Hayes in The Sin of Madelon Claudet
• 1934 Katharine Hepburn in Little Women
• 1938 Norma Shearer in Marie Antoinette

Special Award best cast

• 1954 Executive Suite: William Holden, June Allyson, Barbara Stanwyck, Fredric March, Walter Pidgeon & Shelley Winters

External links

• La Biennale di Venezia - Official Site in English and Italian
• Guestinvenice.tv - The Venice Video Sharing Portal with a Venice Film Festival section
• UKHotMovies.com - History and Hightlights of the Venice Film Fesival
• d2 official digital cinema partner of Venice 2008 for mastering and playout

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