Another Version Of 'Joker' Steals Golden Lion of Venezia76

Monday after the 76th Venice International Film Festival. No more Golden or Silver Lions left to share. All the joys and disappointments left behind, only future predictions and expectations still dance in the air, as the award winners historically have a chance to step up to the Oscar nominations and perhaps the golden statue as well (if we look back to the previous winners of Venice Festivals).

This year's Golden Lion for Best Film has caused controversial emotions among film critics and the audience. Todd Philips' Joker, yet another version of the famous comic book about the Gotham City villain starring Joaquin Phoenix, was announced as the best among 21 international films, which entered the main competition.

Silver Lion - Grand Jury Prize went to J'accuse by Roman Polanski who, of course, wasn't able to attend the award ceremony and accept the prize himself. The film is based on real historical events - a so-called Dreyfus Affair - when in 1894 a French captain was wrongfully convicted of treason and sentenced to life imprisonment at Devil's Island.

Meanwhile Silver Lion for Best Director was awarded to Roy Andersson and his About Endlessness. Copa Volpi for Best Actor and Actress went to Luca Marinelli starring the main role in Martin Eden by Pietro Marcello and Ariane Ascaride in the film Gloria Mundi by Robert Guédiguian. Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor or Actress this year was awarded to Toby Wallace from Babyteeth by Shannon Murphy.

After screening the 19 feature films and 13 short films in Orrizonti competition, the Jury decided to announce Atlantis by the Ukrainian director Valentyn Vasyanovych as the Best Film. The Lion of the Future for Best Debut Film went to You Will Die At 20 by Amjad Abu Alala.

Click here for the full list of awards.

Golden Lions in Venice is a sort of a benchmark to find out, if the film, director or an actor/actress will get a subsequent Oscar nomination. If you remember the previous winners - Roma and The Shape of Water - they not only received the nominations but also won the Oscars (Roma - Best Director, Best Foreign Film, Best Cinematography; The Shape of Water - Best Picture, Best Director) as well as the bearer of last year's Copa Volpi Olivia Colman went all the way through to her Oscar as Best Actress in The Favourite by Yorgos Lanthimos. Let's wait and see, if this year Venice maintains its Oscar sensor.