‘The Master’ Wins Big at the Venice Film Festival
How exactly can a film be too good for a film festival? This is the odd case for Paul Thomas Anderson's 'The Master,' which took home two major prizes at this year's Venice Film Festival and would've taken home three if the rules allowed it to do so.
This year's jury (which was headed by filmmaker Michael Mann) was prepared to award the eagerly anticipated drama the Golden Lion (Best Picture), the Silver Lion (Best director) and Volpi Cup (Best Actor, which would have been split between stars Joaquin Phoenix and Phillip Seymour Hoffman). However, a last minute re-read of the festival's odd jury rules revealed that a single film is not allowed to win more than two major awards, sending the jury back to the drawing board for what the Hollywood Reporter describes as "heated deliberations."
Ultimately, they reached a compromise. 'The Master' would keep the Silver Lion and the Volpi Cup, but the Golden Lion would go to Kim-Ki Duk's 'Pieta,' a Korean drama about a debt collector. For what it's worth, 'The Master' also won the FIPRESCI award, an honor decided by a team of international critics. A full list of the year's winners can be found below.
This kind of controversy/weirdness is a common occurrence at the Venice Film Festival, which is the oldest festival of its kind and has its fair share of odd and antiquated rules. Past years have seen many odd decisions, with awards often spread across as many films as possible. At least now we know why!
Golden Lion (Best Picture)
“Pieta,” Kim-Ki Duk
Silver Lion (Best Director)
Paul Thomas Anderson – “The Master”
Volpi Cup – Best Actor
Joaquin Phoenix & Philip Seymour Hoffman – “The Master”
Volpi Cup – Best Actress
Hadas Yaron – “Fill The Void”
Special Jury Award
Ulrich Seidl – “Paradise: Faith”
Mastroianni Award – Best Young Actor
Fabrizio Falcone – “Dormant Beauty,” “It Was The Son”
Best Screenplay
Olivier Assayas – “Something In The Air”
Technical Achievement
Daniele Cipri – “Il Stato E Figlio,”
Luigi De Laurentiis Award (Best First Feature)
“Kuf: Mold,” Ali Aydin
Orrizonti: Best Feature
“Three Sisters,” Wang Bing
Orrizonti: Jury Prize
“Tango Libre,” Frederic Fonteyne
FIPRESCI Award (Competition)
“The Master,” Paul Thomas Anderson
FIPRESCI Award (Orizzonti/Critics’ Week)
“The Interval,” Leonardo Di Constanzo
SIGNIS Award
“To the Wonder,” Terrence Malick
SIGNIS Award (Special Mention)
“Fill the Void,” Rama Burshtein
Audience Award (Critics’ Week)
“Eat Sleep Die,” Gabriela Pilcher
Label Europa Cinemas Award
“Crawl,” Herve Lasgouttes
Leoncino d’Oro Agiscuola Award
“Pieta,” Kim Ki-duk
Leoncino d’Oro Agiscuola Award (Cinema for UNICEF mention)
“It Was the Son,” Daniele Cipri
Pasinetti Award
“The Interval,” Leonardo Di Constanzo
Pasinetti Award (Documentary)
“The Human Cargo,” Daniele Vicari
Pasinetti Award (Best Actor)
Valerio Mastandrea, “Gli Equilibristi”
Pasinetti Award (Special)
“Clarisse,” Liliana Cavani
Brian Award
“Dormant Beauty,” Marco Bellocchio
Queer Lion Award
“The Weight,” Jeon Kyu-Hwan
Arca CinemaGiovani Award (Best Film of Venezia 69)
“The Fifth Season,” Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth
Arca CinemaGiovani Award (Best Italian Film)
“The Ideal City,” Luigi Lo Casco
Biografilm Lancia Award
“The Human Cargo,” Daniele Vicari; “Bad 25,” Spike Lee
CICT-UNESCO Enrico Fulchignoni Award
“The Interval,” Leonardo Di Costanzo
CICAE Award
“Wadjda,” Haifaa Al Mansour
CinemaAvvenire Award (Best Film of Venezia 69)
“Paradise: Faith,” Ulrich Seidl
CinemAvvenire Award (Diversity)
“Wadjda,” Haifaa Al Mansour
FEDIC Award
“The Interval,” Leonardo Di Costanzo
FEDIC Award (Special Mention)
“Bellas Mariposas,” Salvatore Mereu
Mimmo Rotella Foundation Award
“Something in the Air,” Olivier Assayas
Future Film Festival Digital Award
“Bad 25,” Spike Lee
Future Film Festival Digital Award (Special Mention)
“Spring Breakers,” Harmony Korine
P. Nazareno Taddei Award
“Pieta,” Kim Ki-duk
P. Nazareno Taddei Award (Special Mention)
“Thy Womb,” Brillante Mendoza
Magic Lantern Award
“The Interval,” Leonardo Di Costanzo
Open Award
“The Company You Keep,” Robert Redford
La Navicella-Venezia Cinema Award
“Thy Womb,” Brillante Mendoza
Lina Mangiacapre Award
“Queen of Montreuil,” Solveig Anspach
AIF-FORFILMFEST Award
“The Interval,” Leonardo Di Costanzo
Mouse d’Oro Award
“Pieta,” Kim Ki-duk
Mouse d’Argento Award
“Anton’s Right Here,” Lyubov Arkus
UK-Italy Creative Industries Award
“The Interval,” Leonardo Di Costanzo
Gillo Pontecorvo-Arcobaleno Latino Award
Laura Delli Colli
Christopher D. Smithers Foundation Award
“Low Tide,” Roberto Minervini
Interfilm Award
“Wadjda,” Haifaa Al Mansour
Giovani Giurati del Vittorio Veneto Film Festival Award
“The Company You Keep,” Robert Redford
Giovani Giurati del Vittorio Veneto Film Festival Award (Special Mention)
Toni Servillo
Primio Cinematografico Award
“Terramatta,” Costanza Quatriglio
Green Drop Award
“The Fifth Season,” Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth