Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water was awarded the Golden Lion at the 74th Venice Film Festival on Saturday, a triumphant end to a week’s worth of rave reviews and Oscar buzz. The film, a romantic monster movie starring Sally Hawkins and Michael Shannon, premiered on the Lido on August 31, and was quickly hailed by many as the festival’s — and del Toro’s (at least since Pan’s Labyrinth) — best movie. It’s also the first English-language movie to win Venice’s top prize since Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere in 2010. Placing second, the Grand Jury Prize recipient was the Israeli military drama Foxtrot, which similarly wowed critics upon its premiere at Telluride last week.
Other notable winners include Lean on Pete breakout Charlie Plummer for best young performer; Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri writer-director Martin McDonagh for best screenplay — a significant boost since he’s emerged as a serious Oscar contender for the movie alongside stars Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell; and the always-excellent Charlotte Rampling, of the Italian drama Hannah, for Best Actress. See the complete list below.
VENICE 74
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 for Best New Young Actor or Actress
Charlie Plummer, Lean on Pete
VENICE HORIZONS
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
VENICE CLASSICS
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
VENICE VIRTUAL REALITY
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