He’s maybe a smoker and likely a midnight toker, but Joker is now also a serious Oscars contender. The Venice Film Festival awarded the Joaquin Phoenix-starring drama with the coveted Golden Lion, an honor that recognizes the festival’s best film. Joker, which gives our lipstick-loving superhero villain an incredibly dark backstory, is directed by Todd Phillips and follows the character as a failed stand-up comedian in Gotham City. (Robert De Niro, Marc Maron, and Zazie Beetz co-star.) Roman Polanski also snagged the festival’s Grand Jury Prize for his new drama, An Officer and a Spy, which was met with a long standing ovation at its premiere. The full list of competition winners is below.
Golden Lion:Â Joker, Todd Phillips
Grand Jury Prize:Â An Officer and a Spy, Roman Polanski
Silver Lion for Best Director:Â Roy Andersson, About Endlessness
Volpi Cup for Best Actress:Â Ariane Ascaride, Gloria Mundi
Volpi Cup for Best Actor:Â Luca Marinelli, Martin Eden
Best Screenplay:Â No. 7 Cherry Lane, Yonfan
Special Jury Prize:Â The Mafia Is No Longer What It Used to Be, Franco Maresco
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Young Actor:Â Toby Wallace, Babyteeth