‘Joker’ wins Best Film at 2019 Venice International Film Festival Awards

Erik Anderson September 7, 2019

Venice International Film Festival president Paolo Baratta presents director Todd Phillips and actor Joaquin Phoenix the Golden Lion for Best Film for ***JOKER***

The awards for the 76th Venice International Film Festival were handed out this evening and Todd Phillips’ vivid and dark DC Comics origin story Joker came out on top as the Golden Lion winner for Best Film. The last two winners of this prize were Roma and The Shape of Water. Both earned Best Picture Academy Award nominations with The Shape of Water winning. Both won Best Director Oscars. This year’s jury was headed by Argentinian director Lucrecia Martel (Zama).

Controversy was courted early on with the inclusion of Roman Polanski in competition for his film J’accuse with Martel speaking out at last month’s press conference saying, “I will not congratulate him, but I think it is correct that his movie is here at this festival.” Martel continued, saying “We have to develop our dialogue with him and this is the best possible place to go on with this type of discussion.” J’accuse went on to win the Grand Jury Prize. Polanski was unsurprisingly not at the event to accept his award but his wife, actress Emmanuelle Seigner, accepted on his behalf and offered a very brief speech of thanks.

The Volpi Cup winners for Best Actor and Best Actress were Luca Marinelli for Martin Eden and Ariane Escaride, Gloria Mundi, respectively. Last year’s winners here, Willem Dafoe for At Eternity’s Gate and Olivia Colman for The Favourite, went on to earn Academy Award nominations with Colman winning over Glenn Close in an upset.

International Critics Week and Collateral sections have been announced. Ahmad Ghossein’s All This Victory was a hit with critics and audiences, winning three awards, including the critic’s Grand Prize.

Martin Eden by Pietro Marcello was chosen the Best Italian Film at Venice and Pablo Larraín’s Ema was selected Best Film of Venezia 76.

See what AwardsWatch critic Roberto Ruggio predicted would win and should win here.

The full list of winners of the 76th Venice International Film Festival:

Golden Lion for Best Film: Joker, Todd Phillips

Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize: J’accuse, Roman Polanski

Silver Lion for Best Director: Roy Andersson, About Endlessness

Volpi Cup for Best Actress: Ariane Escaride, Gloria Mundi

Volpi Cup for Best Actor: Luca Marinelli, Martin Eden

Best Screenplay: No. 7 Cherry Lane, Yonfan

Special Jury Prize: La mafia non è più quella di una volta, Franco Maresco

Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Talent: Toby Wallace, Babyteeth

HORIZONS COMPETITION (ORIZZONTI)

Best Film: Atlantis, Valentyn Vasyanovych

Best Director: Théo Court, Blanco en Blanco

Best Actress: Marta Nieto, Madre

Best Actor: Sami Bouajila, A Son

Best Screenplay: Revenir, Jessica Palud, Philippe Lioret and Diastème

Best Short Film: Darling, Salim Salif

Special Jury Prize: Verdict, Raymund Ribay Gutierrez

LION OF THE FUTURE

Luigi de Laurentiis Award for Best Debut Feature: You Will Die at Twenty, Amjad Abu Alala

VENICE CLASSICS

Best Restored Film: Ecstasy, Gustav Machatý

Best Documentary on Cinema: Babenco – Alguém Tem Que Ouvir O Coração E Dizer: Parou, Bárbara Paz

VIRTUAL REALITY COMPETITION

Best Virtual Reality: Céline Tricart, The Key

Best Virtual Reality Experience: A Linha, Ricardo Laganaro

Best Virtual Reality Story: Daughters of Chibok, Joel Kachi Benson

INTERNATIONAL FILM CRITICS’ WEEK

International Film Critics’ Week Grand Prize
All This Victory – Ahmad Ghossein (Lebanon/France/Qatar)

Audience Award – Municipality of Taranto
All This Victory – Ahmad Ghossein

Verona Film Club Award – under-30 jury
Scales – Shahad Ameen (United Arab Emirates/Iraq/Saudi Arabia)

Mario Serandrei – Hotel Saturnia Award for Best Technical ContributionAll This Victory – Ahmad Ghossein

SIC@SIC (Short Italian Cinema @ International Film Critics’ Week) – awards handed out by a jury made up of journalists from the French film magazine La Septième Obsession, headed by Thomas Aïdan

Award for Best Short Film
Veronica Doesn’t Smoke – Chiara Marotta (Italy)

Award for Best Director Our Time – Veronica Spedicati (Italy)

Award for Best Technical Contribution The Oceans Are the Real Continents – Tommaso Santambrogio (Italy)

Queer Lion Award
The Prince – Sebastian Muñoz (Chile/Argentina/Belgium)

The Collateral Awards are independently awarded by associations of film critics, clubs and cultural associations, and cinema professionals.

COLLATERAL AWARDS

ARCA Cinema Giovani Award | ARCA CinemaGiovani
Best Italian Film in Venice: MARTIN EDEN by Pietro Marcello
Best Film of Venezia 76: EMA by Pablo Larraín

Brian Award | UAAR (Unione degli Atei e degli Agnostici Razionalisti)
THE PERFECT CANDIDATE by Haifaa Al Mansour

Casa Wabi – Mantarraya Award | Fundación Casa Wabi – Mantarraya Group
To the winner of the Lion of the Future – “Luigi De Laurentiis” Award for a Debut Film

CICT – UNESCO “Enrico Fulchignoni” Award | CICT – UNESCO (Conseil International du Cinema et de la Télévision)
45 SECONDS OF LAUGHTER by Tim Robbins

Edipo Re Award | Edipo Re, Università degli Studi di Padova
BOŻE CIAŁO/CORPUS CHRISTI by Jan Komasa

Fanheart3 Award | Associazione Fanheart3
Graffetta d’Oro for Best Film: JOKER by Todd Phillips
Nave d’Argento for Best OTP: MILLA/MOSES for the film Babyteeth by Shannon Murphy
VR Fan Experience: WOLVES IN THE WALLS by Pete Billington

FEDIC Award | Federazione Italiana dei Cineclub
Best Film: SOLE by Carlo Sironi
Special Mention FEDIC: NEVIA by Nunzia De Stefano
Special Mention FEDIC for Best Short Film: SUPEREROI SENZA SUPERPOTERI by Beatrice Baldacci

Filming Italy Award | Filming Italy Award, Sindacato Nazionale Critici Cinematografici Italiani, Best Movie
Sconfini Best Film: AMERICAN SKIN by Nate Parker

FIPRESCI Award | FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics)
J’ACCUSE by Roman Polanski
Best Film from Orizzonti and parallel sections: BLANCO EN BLANCO by Théo Court

Francesco Pasinetti Award | Sindacato Nazionale Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani
Best Film: IL SINDACO DEL RIONE SANITÁ by Mario Martone
Best Actors: FRANCESCO DI LEVA and MASSIMILIANO GALLO for the film Il Sindaco del Rione Sanità by Mario Martone
Best Actress: VALERIA GOLINO for the films 5 è il numero perfetto by Igort, Adults in the Room by Costa-Gavras and Tutto il mio folle amore by Gabriele Salvatores
Special Prize: CITIZEN ROSI by Didi Gnocchi and Carolina Rosi

GdA Director’s Award | Giornate degli Autori
LA LLORONA by Jayro Bustamante

Europa Cinemas Label Award | Giornate degli Autori
BOŻE CIAŁO/CORPUS CHRISTI by Jan Komasa

BNL Gruppo BNP Paribas – People’s Choice Award | Giornate degli Autori
UN DIVAN À TUNIS Debut Film by Manele Labidi

Gillo Pontecorvo Award | Istituto Internazionale per il cinema e l’audiovisivo dei paesi latini, Associazione Gillo Pontecorvo
MIAO XIAOTIAN, President of CFCC (China Film Coproduction Corporation)

Green Drop Award | Green Cross Italia
J’ACCUSE by Roman Polanski
Prize for Lifetime Achievement: STEFANIA SANDRELLI
“Ecologia e Cultura” Special Edition: CLAUDIO BONIVENTO

HFPA Award | HFPA (Hollywood Foreign Press Association)
to the filmmakers (directors, producers) from the Orizzonti section awarded for Best Film, Best Director and Special Jury Prize.

HRNs Award – Special Prize for Human Rights | Human Rights Nights
Special Prize for Human Rights – HRNs: LES ÉPOUVANTAILS by Nouri Bouzid
Special Mention: BLANCO EN BLANCO by Théo Court

INTERFILM Award for Promoting Interreligious Dialogue | International Interchurch Film Organisation
BIK ENEICH – UN FILS by Mehdi M. Barsaoui

Lanterna Magica Award | C.G.S. (Cinecircoli Giovanili Socioculturali)
SOLE by Carlo Sironi

Leoncino d’Oro Award | Agiscuola, UNICEF
IL SINDACO DEL RIONE SANITÁ by Mario Martone
Cinema for UNICEF: The Painted Bird by Václav Marhoul

Lizzani Award | ANAC (Associazione Nazionale Autori Cinematografici)
NEVIA by Nunzia De Stefano

Fondazione Mimmo Rotella Award | Fondazione Mimmo Rotella
GIUSEPPE CAPOTONDI, DONALD SUTHERLAND and MICK JAGGER for the film The Burnt Orange Heresy by Giuseppe Capotondi

NUOVOIMAIE TALENT AWARD | NUOVOIMAIE – i diritti degli artisti; in collaboration with Sindacato Nazionale Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani
Best New Young Actor: Claudio Segaluscio
Best New Young Actress: Virginia Apicella

La Pellicola d’Oro Award | Ass.ne Culturale “Articolo 9 Cultura & Spettacolo” e S.A.S. Cinema”
Best Stage Combat Expert: EMILIANO NOVELLI for the film Martin Eden by Pietro Marcello
Best Costume Designer: GABRIELLA LO FARO for the film Martin Eden by Pietro Marcello
Best Head Electrician: ETTORE ABATE for the film Il Sindaco del Rione Sanità by Mario Martone

Queer Lion Award | Associazione di Promozione Sociale Queer Lion
EL PRÍNCIPE by Sebastián Muñoz

Sfera 1932 Award| Consorzio Venezia e il suo Lido con Seguso Vetri d’Arte – Murano dal 1397
WOMAN by Anastasia Mikova and Yann Arthus-Bertrand
Special Mention: BALLOON by Pema Tseden

Audience Award | Venice International Film Critics Week
ALL THIS VICTORY (JEEDAR EL SOT) by Ahmad Ghossein

Grand Prize Venice International Film Critic’s Week – SIAE | Venice International Film Critics Week
ALL THIS VICTORY (JEEDAR EL SOT) by Ahmad Ghossein

Verona Film Club Award | Venice International Film Critics Week
SCALES (SAYIDAT AL BAHR) by Shahad Ameen

Mario Serandrei – | Venice International Film Critics Week
ALL THIS VICTORY (JEEDAR EL SOT) by Ahmad Ghossein

Award for Best Short Film SIC@SIC 2019 | Venice International Film Critics Week
VERONICA NON SA FUMARE by Chiara Marotta

Award for Best Director SIC@SIC 2019 | Venice International Film Critics Week
IL NOSTRO TEMPO by Veronica Spedicati

Award for Best Technical Contribution SIC@SIC 2019 | Venice International Film Critics Week
LOS OCÉANOS SON LOS VERDADEROS CONTINENTES by Tommaso Santambrogio

SIGNIS Award | SIGNIS International (World Catholic Association for Communication)
BABYTEETH by Shannon Murphy
Special Mention: WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS by Ciro Guerra

Adele and Christopher Smithers Award | The Christopher D. Smithers Foundation
BABYTEETH by Shannon Murphy

“Sorriso diverso” Award | Associazione studentesca UCL (L’università cerca lavoro)
MIO FRATELLO RINCORRE I DINOSAURI by Stefano Cipani
Best Foreign Film: J’ACCUSE by Roman Polanski

Premio Soundtrack Stars Award | Free Event and Sindacato Nazionale Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani
Best Soundtrack: JOKER by Todd Phillips; music by Hildur Guðnadóttir
Special Jury Price: BABYTEETH by Shannon Murphy

Premio UNIMED | UNIMED (Unione delle Università del Mediterraneo)
EMA by Pablo Larraín

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Erik Anderson

Erik Anderson is the founder/owner and Editor-in-Chief of AwardsWatch and has always loved all things Oscar, having watched the Academy Awards since he was in single digits; making lists, rankings and predictions throughout the show. This led him down the path to obsessing about awards. Much later, he found himself in film school and the film forums of GoldDerby, and then migrated over to the former Oscarwatch (now AwardsDaily), before breaking off to create AwardsWatch in 2013.

He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.