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Lebanon wins the Golden Lion at Venice

The Israeli war film Lebanon has won the Golden Lion at the 66th Venice Film Festival.

Lebanon wins Golden Lion at Venice 2009

The Israeli war film Lebanon has won the Golden Lion at the 66th Venice Film Festival.

Directed by Samuel Maoz, it was shot almost entirely inside an Israeli tank and is set against the backdrop of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon.

In the other big awards Best Director went to Shirin Neshat for Women Without Men, whilst Colin Firth won Best Actor for A Single Man, the adaptation of Christopher Isherwood’s novel.

Here are the other winners in full:

VENEZIA 66

  • Golden Lion for Best Film: Lebanon (Dir. Samuel Maoz  / Israel, France, Germany)
  • Silver Lion for Best Director: Shirin Neshat for Zanan Bedone Mardan (Women Without Men) (Germany, Austria, France)
  • Special Jury Prize: Soul Kitchen (Dir. Fatih Akin / Germany)
  • Coppa Volpi for Best Actor: Colin Firth in A Single Man (Dir. Tom Ford / USA)
  • Coppa Volpi for Best Actress: Ksenia Rappoport in La Doppia Ora (Dir. Giuseppe Capotondi / Italy)
  • Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress: Jasmine Trinca in Il Grande Sogno (Dir. Michele Placiso / Italy)
  • Osella for Best Technical Contribution: Sylvie Olive for Mr. Nobody (Dir. Jaco  Van Dormael / France)
  • Osella for Best Screenplay: Todd Solondz for Life During Wartime (Dir. Todd Solondz / USA)

ORIZZONTI

  • Orizzonti PrizeEngkwentro (Dir. Pepe Diokno / Philippines)
  • Orizzonti Prize for Best Documentary1428 (Dir. Du Haibin / China)
  • Special MentionAadmi Ki Aurat Aur Anya Kahaniya (The Man’s Woman and Other Stories) by Amit Dutta (India)

CONTROCAMPO ITALIANO

  • Controcampo Italiano Prize: Cosmonauta (Dir. Susanna Nicchiarelli / Italy)
  • Special Mention: Negli Occhi (Dir. Daniele Anzellotti and Francesco Del Grosso / Italy)

CORTO CORTISSIMO

  • Corto Cortissimo Lion for Best Short Film: Eersgeborene (Dir. Etienne Kallos / South Africa, USA)
  • Venice Nomination to the European Film Awards 2009: Sinner (Dir. Meni Philip / Israel)
  • Special Mention: Felicità (Dir. Salomé Aleksi / Georgia)

Luigi De Laurentiis Award for a Debut Film

  • Lion of the Future Venice Award for a Debut Film: Engkwentro (Dir. Pepe Diokno / Philippines)

Persol 3-D Award for the Best 3-D Stereoscopic Film of the Year

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