by Murtada
On Saturday night President Annette Bening and her jury, announced their choices at the Venice Film Festival. Guillermo Del Toro’s romantic fantasy The Shape of Water rode its wave of ecstatic reviews all the way to winning the biggest prize, The Golden Lion. More and a complete list of winners after the jump...
Another film that’s wooing crowds and critics at TIFF this past weekend, Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri won the screenplay award. However the leads of both those films - Sally Hawkins and Frances McDormand - lost best actress to Charlotte Rampling in Hannah, playing an elderly woman drifting between reality and denial when she is left alone to grapple with the consequences of her husband's imprisonment. Hawkins’ and McDormand’s Oscar buzz though, continues to grow in this year highly competitive best actress category. This “loss” won’t hinder their bright prospects.
The other major awards were won by two films that recieved critical raves. Israeli director Samuel Moaz’ Foxtrot about a couple dealing with the loss of their son to the military, won second place, Grand Jury Prize. Best director went to Frenchman Xavier Legrand for Custody a bracing drama about a divorced couple’s acrimonious custody battle. While Kamel El Basha, one of the two leads in Lebanese director Ziad Doueiri’s political courtroom drama The Insult won Best Actor. The Insult, Custody, Hannah and Foxtrot are all playing TIFF, so we hope to hear of their release plans soon. And the star of Andrew Haigh’s Lean on Pete, Charlie Plummer won the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Young Performer. That film will come our way next year.
Golden Lion: The Shape of Water, Guillermo del Toro
Grand Jury Prize: Foxtrot, Samuel Maoz
Silver Lion for Best Director: Xavier Legrand, Custody
Volpi Cup for Best Actress: Charlotte Rampling, Hannah
Volpi Cup for Best Actor: Kamel El Basha, The Insult
Best Screenplay: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Martin McDonagh
Special Jury Prize: Sweet Country, Warwick Thornton
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Young Performer: Charlie Plummer, Lean on Pete