02/08/2002 - All the sections, the awards and novelties of Venice 59 masterfully directed by Moritz De Haldeln

De Hadeln announced that the 59th edition of the Venice Film Festival will be a blend of tradition and novelty. The Golden Lion will go to the best film of the main Venice 59 Competition while experimental features that push out the creative envelope and go against the traditional mainstream will compete for the all-new San Marco Award of a second competitive section aptly named Controcorrente – Against the Mainstream, whose jury will also assign a special new award for the the year’s most outstanding individual contribution.
For the very first time, Venice will welcome short films to the Nuovi Territori – New Territories section and this year also sees the debut of the first Venice Screenings, organised by the Industry Office. These have been set up to fulfil a real need, identified by Moritz De Haldeln, to open up Venice up to the all-important Market by providing producers and distributors with opportunities to talk and do business and see the latest products on offer both in special screening rooms and video boxes.
The festival will homage a man whose name is a by-word for excellence in world film: Michelangelo Antonioni, whose 90th birthday falls this year, and there will also be a retrospective of Soviet films made between 1932 and 1942.

Sections

- Venice 59
An international competition for feature films and the world premieres of a number of short films, as well as a selection of films screened out of competition.

- Controcorrente – Against the Mainstream
A competitive selection of the most ground-breaking and/or creatively original first-time features.

- Nuovi Territori – New Territories
Research workshop and showcase for the future that includes never-before-screened short, medium-length and feature films.

- Settimana internazionale della critica (SIC) – International Critics’ Week
A non-competitive review of 7 first-time films selected by the Italian Film Critics’ Guild (SNCCI).

- The Venice Screenings
An important initiative of the Industry Office places special screening rooms and video boxes at the disposal of producers and distributors and facilitates and encourages contact between buyers and promotors.

Juries and Awards

- Venice 59
The international 7-man jury presided over by Chinese actress Gong Li will assign the following awards to the feature films taking part. N.B. there can be no “ex-aequo” this year:

- Golden Lion for Best Film;
- The Jury Gran Prix;
- Special Award for best direction;
- Award for outstanding individual contribution;
- Volpi Cup for the best actor;
- Volpi Cup for the best actress;
- Marcello Mastroianni Award to best newcomer - Acting.

The Jury will also assign the following Short film awards. Again, no “ex-aequo” is allowed:
- Silver Lion for best short film;
- The UIP Venice Award for best European short film;
- Special Mention.

- Controcorrente – Against the Mainstream
An international jury of from 3 to 5 personalities from the world of film and/or culture will assign the San Marco Award (a cash prize of €50,000) to the best first-time film, a Special Mention by the Jury and 2 Special Mentions.

- “Luigi De Laurentiis” Award for best first-time film
All first-time features selected for the various sections of the Festival also compete for the Lion of the Future – “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice First Film Award, assigned by an international jury of between 5 and 7 film and/ or cultural exponents. The award consists of a cash prize of €100,000 and an additional prize to the director of 20 thousand feet of Kodak film stock.

(Translated from Italian)