Ang Lee wins Golden Lion at Venice
Taiwanese director Ang Lee was honoured with the coveted Golden Lion award for his latest movie Brokeback Mountain at the climax of the 62nd Venice Film Festival in Italy at the weekend.
The Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon movie-maker's adaptation of an E Annie Proulx's novella, which tells the story of a gay love affair between two cowboys, played by Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger, was chosen by the jury as best film.
Accepting the golden lion at the Veneto canal city, Lee enthused: "(My film is) a great American love story. I'm so glad it's prevailed here and was received so warmly here."
This year's festival was triumphant for the French, with Paris-born director Philippe Garrel picking up the Silver Lion prize for directing Les Amants Reguliers (The Regular Lovers), which also won in the Outstanding Technical Contribution category. Isabelle Huppert was given a Special Lion for her career, which has spanned four decades.
Meanwhile, George Clooney's second outing as a director - Good Night, And Good Luck, was named Best Screenplay and Best Actor for leading man David Strathairn.
The full list of winners is:
Golden Lion for Best Film: Brokeback Mountain by Ang Lee
Silver Lion for Best Director: Les Amants Reguliers by Philippe Garrel
Jury Special Prize: Mary by Abel Ferrara
Coppa Volpi for Best Actor: David Strathairn in Good Night, And Good Luck
Coppa Volpi for Best Actress: Giovanna Mezzogiorno in La Bestia Nel Cuore
Osella for an Outstanding Technical Contribution: William Lubtchansky for the photography in Les Amants Reguliers
Osella for Best Screenplay: George Clooney and Grant Heslov for Good Night, And Good Luck
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor or Actress: Menothy Cesar in Vers Le Sud
Special Lion for her work as a whole: Isabelle Huppert
Horizons Prize: East Of Paradise by Lech Kowalski
Horizons Documentary Prize: Pervye Na Lune (The First On The Moon) by Aleksey Fedortchenko
Luigi De Laurentiis Award for a First Feature: Lion of the Future - 13 (Tzameti) by Gela Babluani
Citroen Short Super-Short Lion for Best Short Film: Xiaozhan (Small Station) by Lin Chien-Ping
Special Mention: Layla Afel by Leon Prudovsky
UIP Prize for Best European Short Film: Butterflies by Max Jacoby.
