Seidl’s film, the second in his Paradies trilogy, won the Special Jury Prize. The film split critics into strongly opposing groups who either loved or hated the film with its uniquely Seidl style. Many had tipped its leading actress, Maria Hofstatter, for the best actress prize but the Austrian actress went home empty handed.
Controversy erupted around the main prize winner when the Hollywood Reporter published an article saying that the Silver Lion winner The Master by Paul Thomas Anderson had originally been tipped by the jury to win the top prize but as the film’s two leading actors had also been selected by the jury for the best actor prize the jury was asked to chose another film for the Golden Lion. The festival’s regulations prohibit both prizes going to the same film. The Master also won the FIPRESCI award for Best Film.
Alberto Barbera’s return to the Lido as festival director was marked by a strong programme with a reduced number of films in competition but critics and participants agreed that the new leaner lineup made it easier to see the main competitions.
This year also saw the launch of the festival’s first film market with most participants praising the market’s organisation and easy access to screenings although few deals were reported with most buyers saying they would tie up deals later in Toronto. The first edition was helmed by Pascal Diot who invited 250 international buyers and sales agents to a digital library and screening rooms set up in the nearby Excelsior Hotel.
Official Awards of the 69th Venice Film Festival
VENEZIA 69
GOLDEN LION for Best Film to PIETA by Kim Ki-duk (Republic of Korea)
SILVER LION for Best Director to THE MASTER by Paul Thomas Anderson (USA)
SPECIAL JURY PRIZE to Paradies: Glaube by Ulrich Seidl (Austria, Germany, France)
COPPA VOLPI for Best Actor to Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix
in the film THE MASTER by Paul Thomas Anderson (USA)
COPPA VOLPI for Best Actress Hadas Yaron
in the film LEMALE ET HA’CHALAL by Rama Bursthein (Israel)
MARCELLO MASTROIANNI AWARD for Best New Young Actor or Actress to Fabrizio Falco
in the films BELLA ADDORMENTATA by Marco Bellocchio (Italy) and È STATO IL FIGLIO by Daniele Ciprí (Italy)
AWARD FOR BEST SCREENPLAY to Olivier Assayas
for the film APRES MAI by Olivier Assayas (France)
AWARD FOR THE BEST TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTION (CINEMATOGRAPHY) to Daniele Ciprì
for the film È STATO IL FIGLIO by Daniele Ciprì (Italy)
LION OF THE FUTURE – “LUIGI DE LAURENTIIS” VENICE AWARD FOR A DEBUT FILM to KÜF (MOLD) by Ali Aydin (Turkey, Germany) VENICE INTERNATIONAL FILM CRITICS’ WEEK
as well as a prize of 100,000 USD, donated by Filmauro di Aurelio e Luigi De Laurentiis to be divided equally between director and producer
ORIZZONTI
ORIZZONTI AWARD FOR BEST FILM (full-length films) to
SAN ZIMEI by Wang Bing (France, Hong Kong)
SPECIAL ORIZZONTI JURY PRIZE (full-length films) to
TANGO LIBRE by Frédéric Fonteyne (France, Belgium, Luxembourg)
ORIZZONTI YOUTUBE AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM to
CHO-DE by Yoo Min-young (South Korea)
EUROPEAN FILM AWARDS 2012-EFA to
TITLOI TELOUS by Yorgos Zois (Greece)
GOLDEN LION FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT 2012
to Francesco Rosi
JAEGER-LECOULTRE GLORY TO THE FILMMAKER AWARD
to Spike Lee
PERSOL AWARD
to Michael Cimino
L’ORÉAL PARIS PER IL CINEMA AWARD
to Giulia Bevilacqua
Collateral Awards
FIPRESCI Award
Best Film of Venezia 69 to The Master by Paul Thomas Anderson
Best Film of Orizzonti and Settimana Internazionale della Critica to L’intervallo by Leonardo Di Costanzo
SIGNIS Award
to To The Wonder by Terrence Malick
Special Mention to Fill The Void by Rama Burshtein
“RaroVideo” – Settimana della Critica. Awarded by the audience
to Äta Sova Dö (Eat Sleep Die) by Gabriela Pichler
Label Europa Cinemas Award
to Crawl by Hervé Lasgouttes
Leoncino d'Oro Agiscuola Award
to Pieta by Kim Ki-duk
Cinema for UNICEF mention to È stato il figlio by Daniele Ciprì
Francesco Pasinetti (SNGCI) Award
to L’intervallo by Leonardo Di Costanzo
Best Documentary: La nave dolce (The Human Cargo) by Daniele Vicari
Best Actor: Valerio Mastandrea in Gli Equilibristi
Pasinetti Speciale to Clarisse by Liliana Cavani
Brian Award
to Bella Addormentata by Marco Bellocchio
Queer Lion Award (Associazione Cinemarte)
to The Weight by Jeon Kyu-Hwan
Arca CinemaGiovani Award
Best Film of Venezia 69 to La Cinquième saison by Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth
Best Italian film to La città ideale by Luigi Lo Cascio
Biografilm Lancia Award
to both La nave dolce (The Human Cargo) by Daniele Vicari and Bad25 by Spike Lee
CICT - UNESCO “Enrico Fulchignoni” Award
to L’intervallo by Leonardo Di Costanzo
CICAE - Cinema d’Arte e d’Essai Award
to Wadjda by Haifaa Al Mansour
CinemAvvenire Award
Best film of Venezia 69 to Paradies: Glaube by Ulrich Seidl
Best film - Il cerchio non è rotondo (Cinema per la pace e la ricchezza delle diversità)
to Wadjda by Haifaa Al Mansour
FEDIC Award
to L’intervallo by Leonardo Di Costanzo
Special Mention to Bellas Mariposas by Salvatore Mereu
Fondazione Mimmo Rotella Award
to Après Mai by Olivier Assayas
Future Film Festival Digital Award
to Bad25 by Spike Lee
Special Mention to Spring Breakers by Harmony Korine
P. Nazareno Taddei Award
to Pieta by Kim Ki-duk
Special Mention to Sinapupunan (Thy Womb) by Brillante Mendoza
Lanterna Magica (CGS) Award
to L’intervallo by Leonardo Di Costanzo
Open Award
to The Company You Keep by Robert Redford
La Navicella – Venezia Cinema Award
to Sinapupunan (Thy Womb) by Brillante Mendoza
Lina Mangiacapre Award
to Queen Of Montreuil by Sòlveig Anspach
AIF - FORFILMFEST Award
to L’intervallo by Leonardo Di Costanzo
Mouse d'Oro Award
to Pieta by Kim Ki-duk
Mouse d’Argento to Anton tut ryadom (Anton's Right Here) by Lyubov Arkus
UK - Italy Creative Industries Award – Best Innovative Budget Award
to L’intervallo by Leonardo Di Costanzo
Gillo Pontecorvo - Arcobaleno Latino Award
to Laura Delli Colli
Christopher D. Smithers Foundation Award
to Low Tide by Roberto Minervini
Interfilm Award for Promoting Interreligious Dialogue
to Wadjda by Haifaa Al Mansour
Giovani Giurati del Vittorio Veneto Film Festival Award
to The Company You Keep by Robert Redford
Special Mention to Toni Servillo
Premio Cinematografico “Civitas Vitae prossima” Award
to Terramatta by Costanza Quatriglio
Green Drop Award
to La cinquième saison by Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth
