Organised by La Biennale di Venezia, the 74th Venice Film Festival kicked off from August 30 to September 9, 2017 at Venice Lido in Venice, Italy. The prestigious star-studded event welcomed some exceptionally made films from around the world. It is one of the biggest film events in the world and has been witness to the best in film-making, with a number of future Oscar winners being showcased on its platform. This year, the festival included a number of documentaries along with a newly introduced competition in the Virtual Reality section. It also screened one of the most-awaited psychological thrillers Mother!, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem. Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water bagged the Golden Lion, which is the most prestigious accolade throughout the event. The aim of the festival is as always to raise awareness about and endorse various aspects of international cinema in all its forms.

WINNERS

Golden Lion
The Shape of Water, directed by Guillermo del Toro

Grand Jury Prize
Foxtrot, directed by Samuel Maoz

Silver Lion — Best Director
Xavier Legrand, Jusqu’à la Garde

Volpi Cup — Best Actress
Charlotte Rampling, Hannah

Volpi Cup — Best Actor
Kamel El Basha, The Insult

Best Screenplay
Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Special Jury Prize
Sweet Country, directed by Warwick Thornton

Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress
Charlie Plummer, Lean on Pete

Best Film
Nico, 1988, directed by Susanna Nicchiarelli

Best Director
Vahid Jalilvand, No Date, No Signature

Special Jury Prize
Caniba, directed by Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel

Best Actress
Lyna Khoudri, Les Bienheureux

Best Actor
Navid Mohammadzadeh, No Date, No Signature

Best Screenplay
Los Versos Del Olvido, directed by Alireza Khatami

Best Short Film
Gros Chagrin, directed by Céline Devaux

Lion of the Future — “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Film
Jusqu’à la Garde, directed by Xavier Legrand

Best Restoration
Idi I Smotri, directed by Elem Klimov

Best Documentary on Cinema
The Prince and the Dybbuk, directed by Elwira Niewiera and Piotr Rosolowski

Best VR
Arden’s Wake (Expanded), directed by Eugene YK Chung

Best VR Experience
La Camera Insabbiata, directed by Laurie Anderson and Hsin-Chien Huang

Best VR Story
Bloodless, directed by Gina Kim