Venice Film Festival

Venice Film Festival, world’s oldest film festival, held annually in Venice beginning in late August or early September. Officially part of the Venice Biennale, the festival takes place in the picturesque Lido section of the city, and the combination of location and tradition makes it a popular destination for the elite of the film industry.

(Read Martin Scorsese’s Britannica essay on film preservation.)

The Venice Film Festival was founded in 1932 as the Esposizione d’Arte Cinematografica (Exhibition of Cinematographic Arts), which was a part of that year’s Venice Biennale, the second to be held under the aegis of the Italian fascist government. (Music and theatre were also added to the Biennale in the 1930s.) The first festival was noncompetitive, and the first film to be shown was American director Rouben Mamoulian’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931). Other films showcased at that inaugural festival included the American films Grand Hotel (1932) and The Champ (1931).

Two years later the festival returned, this time with a competitive dimension. Nineteen countries took part, and an award called the Coppa Mussolini (Mussolini Cup) was introduced for best foreign film and best Italian film. The festival was so popular that in 1935 it became an annual event, and the Coppa Volpi (Volpi Cup)—named for festival founder Count Giuseppe Volpi—was awarded to the best actor and actress for the first time.

After World War II the Coppa Mussolini was discontinued and replaced as the festival’s highest honour by the Leone d’Oro (Golden Lion), awarded to the best film. In 1968 students began to protest the Venice Biennale because of what they perceived to be its increasing commodification of art; as a result, no film prizes were awarded in 1969–79, and the festival’s reputation briefly suffered. By the early 21st century, however, the festival was screening more than 150 films each year and boasted an average annual attendance of more than 50,000 film professionals and cinephiles.

Besides the Leone d’Oro and Volpi Cup, a number of other juried prizes are given. Among these is the Leone d’Argento (Silver Lion), which has been awarded for achievements such as best direction and best short film, as well as for runners-up among films competing for the Leone d’Oro. Notable Leone d’Oro winners include Rashomon (1950), Last Year at Marienbad (1961), and Brokeback Mountain (2005).