Mike Leigh's "Vera Drake" won the coveted "Leone d’Oro" - Golden Lion - at the 61st Venice International Film Festival, presided over by John Boorman, jury president. The awards were announced at the closing ceremony September 11. Imelda Staunton who plays Vera Drake, a midwife in the 1950's prosecuted for "helping young girls and women in trouble" won the Coppa Volpi, best actress award. There is an irony in the award of the Golden Lion to Mike Leigh's "Vera Drake". Tod Solondz "Palindro...

The 61st Venice International Film Festival has long been an “A” festival of world renown. This year an anti-globalization manifestation on the first day raised the question of how Venice may more and more be bowing to Hollywood glamour and celebrities by staging world premieres to market films outside the US. Many of these films do better in the global box office as proof. The manifestation was designed to blow the horn about the presence of Hollywood movie headliners with top stars as majo...

The first prominent names to arrive at the 61st Venice International Film Festival were Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg to help kick off their out of competition opening film The Terminal. Fans and press bent over the Lido lagoon to catch a glimpse of Spielberg and Hanks boating in by water taxi to Hotel Exelsior's private dock.The 61st Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica met with the press corps the same day at Hotel Excelsior. On hand were president of the jury - director John Boorma...

Venezia Cinema Digitale is one of the 5 sections of the 61st Venice International Film Festival (September 1-11, 2004)Venezia 61Venezia Corto CortissimoVenezia Orizzonti (Venice Horizons)Venezia Mezzanotte (Venice Midnight)Venezia Digitale (Venice Digital): this section intended to provide an overview of the new expressive possibilities granted by the new digital technologies. Only feature-length films made using digital technology and never publicly screened outside their country of origin and ...