The 74th Venice Film Festival was held from August 30 to September 9, 2017, and it serves as a launchpad for the fall awards season. The grand prize at this international fest held in Italy is the Golden Lion, and this year that award went to “The Shape of Water” by Mexican filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro. Is that good news for the film at the Oscars next winter? Perhaps, but not necessarily.
This year’s main competition was judged by a jury that was led by Annette Bening and also included actors Rebecca Hall, Anna Mouglalis, and Jasmine Trinca; filmmakers Ildiko Enyedi, Michel Franco, Edgar Wright, and Yonfan; and film critic David Stratton. That’s an elite international coalition, but the tastes of Venice’s juries don’t always sync up with the motion picture academy. The last Golden Lion winner to contend for Oscars was Darren Aronofsky‘s “The Wrestler” (2008). Before that the sporadic Oscar contenders to win in Venice included “Short Cuts” (1993) “Michael Collins” (1996), “Vera Drake” (2004), and “Brokeback Mountain” (2005).
“The Shape of Water” premiered on August 31 at the festival to rave reviews. The fairy tale set in 1962 stars Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins (“Blue Jasmine”) as a mute janitor at a government facility where she befriends a creature who is being subjected to experiments. Director Del Toro previously earned an Oscar bid for his screenplay for “Pan’s Labyrinth” (2006), and in his career he has also helmed a wide array of projects, including the blockbusters “Hellboy” (2004) and “Pacific Rim” (2013), the supernatural thriller “Crimson Peak” (2015), and the animated series “Trollhunters,” for which he won an Emmy earlier this year.
Other noteworthy winners included Charlotte Rampling (“Hannah”) for Best Actress, Martin McDonagh (“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”) for Best Screenplay, and Charlie Plummer (“Lean on Pete”) for Best New Young Actor or Actress. Check out the complete list of winners below.
VENICE 74
Golden Lion
The Shape Of Water, dir: Guillermo del Toro
Grand Jury Prize
Foxtrot, Samuel Maoz
Silver Lion, Best Director
Xavier Legrand, Jusqu’à La Garde
Volpi Cup, Best Actress
Charlotte Rampling, Hannah
Volpi Cup, Best Actor
Kamel El Basha, The Insult
Best Screenplay
Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Special Jury Prize
Sweet Country, dir: Warwick Thornton
Marcello Mastroianni Award for for Best New Young Actor or Actress
Charlie Plummer, Lean On Pete
VENICE HORIZONS
Best Film
Nico, 1988, dir: Susanna Nicchiarelli
Best Director
Vahid Jalilvand, No Date, No Signature
Special Jury Prize
Caniba, dirs: Lucien Castaing-Taylor, Verena Paravel
Best Actress
Lyna Khoudri, Les Bienheureux
Best Actor
Navid Mohammadzadeh, No Date, No Signature
Best Screenplay
Los Versos Del Olvido, dir: Alireza Khatami
Best Short Film
Gros Chagrin, dir: Céline Devaux
Lion of the Future – “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Film
Jusqu’à La Garde, dir: Xavier Legrand
VENICE CLASSICS
Best Restoration
Idi I Smotri, dir: Elem Klimov
Best Documentary on Cinema
The Prince And The Dybbuk, dirs: Elwira Niewiera, Piotr Rosolowski
VENICE VIRTUAL REALITY
Best VR
Arden’s Wake (Expanded), dir: Eugene YK Chung
Best VR Experience
La Camera Insabbiata, dirs: Laurie Anderson, Hsin-Chien Huang
Best VR Story
Bloodless, dir: Gina Kim
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