65th Venice International Film Festival
The 65th annual Venice International Film Festival, was held from 27 August 2008 to 6 September 2008, at Venice Lido in Italy. The festival was dedicated to the late Egyptian filmmaker Youssef Chahine.
German filmmaker Wim Wenders was the jury president for the main competition. Russian actress Kseniya Rappoport was the Host of the opening and closing ceremonies. The Golden Lion was awarded to The Wrestler by Darren Aronofsky.
Italian filmmaker Ermanno Olmi received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement during the festival.
A restored version of Federico Fellini's 1952 comedy The White Sheik, with forty minutes of newly discovered footage. The record for the longest film at the festival was broken by Lav Diaz's Melancholia, with a running time of approximately seven and a half hours, which was included in the Orizzonti competition section.
The festival opened with Burn After Reading by Joel and Ethan Coen.
Juries
Main Competition (''Venezia 65'')
- Wim Wenders, German filmmaker, playwright, author and photographer - Jury President
- Yuri Arabov, Russian screenwriter, writer, poet and educator
- Valeria Golino, Italian actress and director
- Douglas Gordon, Scottish artist
- John Landis, American filmmaker, actor and producer
- Lucrecia Martel, Argentine filmmaker, and producer
- Johnnie To, Hong Kong director and producer
''[Orizzonti]''
- Chantal Akerman, Belgian filmmaker, artist and professor of film - Jury President
- Nicole Brenez, French historian, theoretician and professor of cinema
- Barbara Cupisti, Italian documentary director and actress
- José Luis Guerín, Spanish filmmaker and educator
- Veiko Õunpuu, Estonian filmmaker
''Opera Prima'' ("Luigi de Laurentiis" Award for a Debut Film)
- Abdellatif Kechiche, Tunisian-French actor, and filmmaker - Jury President
- Alice Braga, Brazilian actress
- Gregory Jacobs, American director, producer and screenwriter
- Donald Ranvaud, British producer and film journalist
- Heidrun Schleef, Italian screenwriter and producer
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 Film Competition (''Corto Cortissimo'')
The following films were selected for the Short film competition section:These Phantoms: Italian Cinema Rediscovered (1946-1975)
Retrospective screenings and restorations. Special mono-graphic sessions dedicated to the "secret story of Italian cinema". This is the fifth part of the retrospective, initiated at the 61st edition of the festival.Independent sections
Venice International Film Critics' Week
The following films were selected for the 23rd International Film Critics' Week:Venice Days
The following films were selected for the 5th edition of Venice Days autonomous section:Official Awards
In Competition (''Venezia 65'')
- Golden Lion: The Wrestler by Darren Aronofsky
- Silver Lion for Best Director: Aleksei Alekseivich German for Paper Soldier
- Special Jury Prize: Teza by Haile Gerima
- Volpi Cup for Best Actor: Silvio Orlando for Giovanna's Father
- Volpi Cup for Best Actress: Dominique Blanc for The Other One
- Marcello Mastroianni Award: Jennifer Lawrence for Burning Plain
- Golden Osella for Best Cinematography: Alisher Khamidhodjaev and Maxim Drozdov for Paper Soldier
- Golden Osella for Best Screenplay: Haile Gerima for TezaSpecial Lion: Werner Schroeter
Horizons (''[Orizzonti]'')
Best Film: Melancholia by Lav DiazBest Documentary: Below Sea Level by Gianfranco Rosi- * Special Mention: Un Lac by Philippe Grandrieux & Women by Huang Wenhai
Short Film Competition (''Corto Cortissimo'')
Lion for Best Short Film: Tierra y Pan by Carlos Armella- * Special Mention: Vacsora by Karchi PerlmannU.I.P. Award for Best European Short: De onbaatzuchtigen by Koen Dejaegher
Luigi De Laurentis Award For a Debut Film
Mid-August Lunch by Gianni Di GregorioIndependent Sections Awards
Venice International Film Critics' Week
Best Film: The Apprentice by Samuel CollardeyIsvema Award for a debut or second feature film: Mid-August Lunch by Gianni Di GregorioDoc/it Award – Special mention: The Apprentice by Samuel Collardey"Altre Visioni" Award: Sell Out! by Yeo Joon HanEIUC Human Rights Film Award: Kabuli Kid by Akram BarmakVenice Days (''Giornate Degli Autori">Giornate degli Autori">Giornate Degli Autori'')
Label Europa Cinemas Award: Machan by Uberto PasoliniChristopher D. Smithers Foundation Special Awards: Stella by Sylvie VerheydeFEDIC Award: Machan by Uberto PasoliniLina Mangiacapre Award: Stella by Sylvie VerheydeIndependent Awards
The following collateral awards were conferred to films of the official selection:FIPRESCI Award">FIPRESCI">FIPRESCI Award
Best Film : Gabbla by Tariq TeguiaBest Film : Goodbye Solo by Ramin BahraniSIGNIS Award">SIGNIS">SIGNIS Award
The Hurt Locker by Kathryn Bigelow- * Special mention: Vegas: Based on a True Story by Amir Naderi & Teza by Haile Gerima
Francesco Pasinetti Award (SNGCI)
Best Film: Mid-August Lunch by Gianni Di Gregorio- * Special Mention: Pa-ra-da by Marco Pontecorvo Best Actor: Silvio Orlando for Giovanna's FatherBest Actress: Isabella Ferrari for ''Un giorno perfetto''
Doc/it Award – Sicilia Film Commission
Below Sea Level by Gianfranco RosiLeoncino d'oro Agiscuola Award
Giovanna's Father by Pupi Avati[Queer Lion]
One Day in a Life by Stefano TummoliniUNICEF Award
Teza by Haile GerimaArt Cinema Award
Dikoe Pole by Mikheil KalatozishviliLa Navicella – Venezia Cinema Award
The Hurt Locker by Kathryn BigelowC.I.C.T. UNESCO Enrico Fulchignoni Award
BirdWatchers by Marco BechisBiografilm Lancia Award
Best Fiction Film: Rachel Getting Married by Jonathan DemmeBest Documentary: Below Sea Level by Gianfranco RosiNazareno Taddei Award
Giovanna's Father by Pupi AvatiDon Gnocchi Award
Pa-ra-da by Marco Pontecorvo- * Special mention: Ezio Greggio for ''Giovanna's Father''
Future Film Festival Digital Award
The Sky Crawlers by Mamoru Oshii- * Special mention: Ponyo by Hayao Miyazaki
Brian Award
Lanterna Magica Award (Cgs)
Pa-ra-da by Marco PontecorvoCinemAvvenire, 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