61st Venice International Film Festival


The 61st annual Venice International Film Festival, was held from 1 and 11 September 2004, at Venice Lido in Italy.
British filmmaker John Boorman was the jury president for the main competition. The Golden Lion was awarded to Vera Drake, directed by Mike Leigh.
On this edition, a new independent section, Venice Days, was created "for free cinema, new talents and new stories". This section is organized by the ANAC and the API.
Also in this edition, The Secret History of Italian Cinema was launched, a new official retrospective section, with the aim of restoring and systematically rediscovering sides of the Italian cinema that have been "forgotten, invisible, unknown or misunderstood". The retrospective was planned for the following four editions, later was extended with the These Phantoms: Italian Cinema Rediscovered, and the Italian Comedy Retrospective. The Fondazione Prada was the main sponsor/partner of this section.
The festival opened with The Terminal by Steven Spielberg, and closed with Steamboy by Katsuhiro Otomo.
WWW labiennale.org/en/history...

Juries

Main Competition (''Venezia 61'')

''[Orizzonti]''

Venezia Cinema Digitale

  • Mike Figgis, British filmmaker and composer - Jury President
  • Shozo Ichiyama, Japanese film producer
  • Claire Simon, French filmmaker

Official Sections

In Competition

The following films were selected for the main competition:

Out of Competition

The following films were selected to be screened out of competition:

''[Orizzonti]''

The following films were selected for the Horizons section:

Short Films Competition (''Corto Cortissimo'')

The following films were selected for the Short Films Competition :

Venetian Nights

The following films were screened for the Venetian Nights section :

Venice Digital Cinema

A section intended to provide an overview of the new expressive possibilities granted by digital technologies.

Retrospective - The Secret History of Italian Cinema 1

A new retrospective section on Italian Cinema aiming to restore and systematically rediscover sides of the Italian cinema That Have Been "Forgotten, Invisible, Unknown Or Misunderstood". This first edition of the retrospective is titled Italian Kings of the B's.

Independent Sections

Venice International Film Critics' Week

The following feature films were selected to be screened as In Competition for this section:

Venice Days

The following films were selected for the 1st edition of Venice Days autonomous section:

Official Awards

In Competition (''Venezia 61'')

Golden Lion for lifetime achievement">Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement">Golden Lion for lifetime achievement

''[Orizzonti]''

Best Film: The Grand Sons by Ilan Duran Cohen

Digital Cinema Award

20 Fingers by Mania Akbari

Short Film Competition (''Corto Cortissimo'')

Citroen Short Super-Short Lion for Best Short Film: Signe d'appartenence by Kamel Cherif
  • * Special mention: The Carpenter and His Clumsy Wife by Peter FootUIP Prize for Best European Short Film: Goodbye by Steve Hudson

"''Luigi de Laurentiis''" Award For A Debut Film (Lion of the Future)

The Great Journey by Ismaël Ferroukhi and Humbert Balsan

Independents Awards

The following collateral awards were conferred to films of the official selection:

Venice International Film Critics' Week

Audience Award:To Take a Wife by Ronit Elkabetz and Shlomi Elkabetz

FIPRESCI Prize

Competition: 3-Iron by Kim Ki-dukParallel Sections: Vento di terra by Vincenzo Marra

SIGNS Award

C.I.C.A.E. Award

UNICEF Award

UNESCO Award

Pasinetti Award

Isvema Award

FEDIC Award

Little Golden Lion

Venice Days - Label Europa Cinemas

Young Cinema Award

"Lino Miccichè" First Feature Award

Open Prize

Lina Mangiacapre Award

Future Film Festival Digital Award

Laterna Magica Prize

Sergio Trasatti Award

CinemAvvenire Award

Award of the City of Rome

International Peace Award

Human Rights Film Network Award

EIUC Award

Special Director's Award

Special Pasinetti Award