The 72nd annual Venice International Film Festival took place from 2 to 12 September 2015. Alfonso Cuarón served as the President of the Jury for the main competition. A restored version of Federico Fellini's film Amarcord was shown at the festival. The Venezuelan film From Afar by Lorenzo Vigas won the Golden Lion award.
Everest was selected as the festival's opening night film, while Guan Hu's drama film Mr. Six served as the closing night film. Actress and director Elisa Sednaoui hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the festival.
The festival poster featured Nastassja Kinski in front as reminiscent of Wim Wenders's Paris, Texas, while in background it featured the character of Antoine Doinel portrayed by Jean-Pierre Léaud from François Truffaut's 1959 drama film The 400 Blows, which also appeared in 71st Venice International Film Festival poster.
The festival honoured Brian De Palma with Glory to the Filmmaker Award and a documentary film titled De Palma by Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow also screened at the festival. Jonathan Demme received the Persol Tribute to Visionary Talent Award, who also served as the President of Horizons (Orizzonti) section jury.
Main competition
Alfonso Cuarón: Mexican director (President of Jury)
Elizabeth Banks: American actress and director
Diane Kruger: German actress
Emmanuel Carrère: French author, screenwriter and director
Nuri Bilge Ceylan: Turkish director
Pawel Pawlikowski: Polish director
Francesco Munzi: Italian director
Hou Hsiao-Hsien: Taiwanese director
Lynne Ramsay: Scottish director and screenwriter
Horizons (Orizzonti)
Jonathan Demme: American director (President of Jury)
Alix Delaporte: French director and screenwriter
Paz Vega: Spanish actress
Fruit Chan: Hong Kong director
Anita Caprioli: Italian actress
Luigi De Laurentiis
Saverio Costanzo: Italian director (President of Jury)
Roger Garcia: Hong Kong producer
Natacha Laurent: French film critic and historian
Charles Burnett: American director Charles Burnett
Daniela Michel: Mexican journalist
The following films were selected for the main competition:
The following films were selected to be screened out of competition:
The following films were selected for the Horizons (Orizzonti) section:
The following films were selected for the Il Cinema nel Giardino section:
The following films were selected for the 29th Venice International Film Critics' Week:
The following films were selected for the 12th edition of the Venice Days (Giornate degli Autori) section:
The following films were selected to be screened in the Venice Classics section:
The following awards were presented at the 72nd edition:
In Competition
Golden Lion – From Afar by Lorenzo Vigas
Silver Lion – Pablo Trapero for The Clan
Grand Jury Prize – Anomalisa by Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson
Volpi Cup:
Best Actor – Fabrice Luchini for Courted
Best Actress – Valeria Golino for Per amor vostro
Marcello Mastroianni Award – Abraham Attah for Beasts of No Nation
Best Screenplay Award – Christian Vincent for Courted
Special Jury Prize – Frenzy by Emin Alper
Lion of the Future – Luigi De Laurentiis Award for a Debut Film - The Childhood of a Leader by Brady Corbet
Horizons (Orizzonti)
Best Film - Free in Deed by Jake Mahaffy
Best Director - The Childhood of a Leader by Brady Corbet
Special Jury Prize – Neon Bull by Gabriel Mascaro
Special Prize For Best Actor or Actress - Dominique Leborne for Tempête
Horizons Prize for Best Short - Belladonna by Dubravka Turic
Venezia Classici Awards
Best Documentary on Cinema - The 1000 Eyes of Dr. Maddin by Yves Montmayeur
Best Restored Film - Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom by Pier Paolo Pasolini
Special Awards
Golden Lion For Lifetime Achievement – Bertrand Tavernier
Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker Award: Brian De Palma
Persol Tribute To Visionary Talent Award: Jonathan Demme
L'Oréal Paris per il Cinema Award: Valentina Corti
30th Venice International Critics' Week
Audience Award Pietro Barzisa - Tanna by Bentley Dean and Martin Butler
FEDEORA Awards
Best Film - The Black Hen by Min Bahadur Bham
Best Director of Photography - Bentley Dean for Tanna
Venice Days
Venice Days Award - Early Winter by Michael Rowe
BNL People's Choice Award - As I Open My Eyes by Leyla Bouzid
Europa Cinemas Label Award for Best European Film - As I Open My Eyes by Leyla Bouzid
Laguna Sud Award:
Best Film - Lolo directed by Julie Delpy
Best Italian Discovery - Arianna directed by Carlo Lavagna
Queer Lion - The Danish Girl by Tom Hooper
Special Mention - Baby Bump by Kuba Czekaj
Leoncino d'Oro Agiscuola per il Cinema Award
The Wait by Piero Messina
Brian Award
Spotlight by Thomas McCarthy
Arca CinemaGiovani Award
Best Film of Venezia 72 - Frenzy by Emin Alper
Best Italian Film - Pecore in erba by Alberto Caviglia
Fondazione Mimmo Rotella Award
Alexander Sokurov for Francofonia
Special Award - Johnny Depp and Terry Gilliam
2nd Starlight Cinema Awards
Career Award: Lina Wertmuller
International Award: Paz Vega
Best Film: Matteo Garrone's Tale of Tales
Best breakthrough actress of the year: Silvia D’Amico
Best breakthrough actor of the year: Giovanni Anzaldo
Humanitarian Award: Myriam Catania
Special Mention: Lucana Film Commission
Best breakthrough production: Riccardo Scamarcio's Buena Onda
Intercultural Award: Reynaldo Gianecchini
4th Green Drop Film Festival
Green Drop Award: Behemoth directed by Zhao Liang
FIPRESCI Award
Best Film at Venezia 72: Blood of My Blood directed by Marco Bellocchio
Best Film Horizons and International Critic's Week: Wednesday, May 9 directed by Vahid Jalilvand
Vittorio Veneto Film Festival
Vittorio Veneto Film Festival Young Jury award: Remember directed by Atom Egoyan
Special mention: 11 Minutes directed by Jerzy Skolimowski
Francesco Pasinetti Awards
Pasinetti Award for Best film: Don't Be Bad directed by Claudio Caligari
Pasinetti Award for Best Actor: Luca Marinelli for Don't Be Bad
Pasinetti Award for Best Actress: Valeria Golino for Per amor vostro
Pasinetti Award for Best Venice Days' Best film: La prima luce directed by Vincenzo Marra
Mouse
Gold Mouse: Rabin, the Last Day directed by Amos Gitai
Silver Mouse: Spotlight directed by Tom McCarthy
SIGNIS Award
SIGNIS Award: Behemoth directed by Zhao Liang
Special mention: The Wait directed by Piero Messina
FEDIC (Federazione Italiana dei Cineclub) Award
FEDIC Award: Don't Be Bad directed by Claudio Caligari
Special mention: The Wait directed by Piero Messina
Fedeora Awards
Best Euro-Mediterranean film: Francofonia directed by Alexander Sokurov
Venice Days
Best Film: Underground Fragrance directed by Pengfei
Best New Director: Ruchika Oberoi for Island City
Best New Actress: Ondina Quadri for Arianna
Future Film Festival Digital Award
Anomalisa by Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson
Special Mention: Heart of a Dog by Laurie Anderson
P. Nazareno Taddei Award
Marguerite by Xavier Giannoli
Lanterna Magica (CGS) Award
Blanka by Kohki Hasei
Open Award
Carlotta Cerquetti for Harry’s Bar
Lina Mangiacapre Award
Laurie Anderson for Heart of a Dog
Gillo Pontecorvo - Arcobaleno Latino Award
Don't Be Bad by Claudio Caligari
INTERFILM Award
Wednesday, May 9 by Vahid Jalilvand
"Civitas Vitae prossima" Award
Alberto Caviglia for Pecore in erba
Soundtrack Stars Award
A Bigger Splash by Luca Guadagnino
Equals by Drake Doremus
Award for Lifetime Achievement - Nicola Piovani
Schermi di Qualità – Carlo Mazzacurati Award
Don't Be Bad by Claudio Caligari
Human Rights Nights Award
Rabin, the Last Day by Amos Gitai
AssoMusica "Ho visto una Canzone" Award
The song "A cuor leggero" by Riccardo Sinigallia, from the film Don't Be Bad
Sorriso diverso Venezia 2015 Award
Best Italian film – Don't Be Bad by Claudio Caligari
Best Film in a Foreign Language – Blanka by Kohki Hasei
Amnesty International Italia "Il cinema per i diritti umani" Award
Visaranai by Vetrimaaran
CITC – UNESCO 2015 Award
Beasts of No Nation by Cary Fukunaga
NuovoImaie Talent Award
Best Actress in a Debut Film – Ondina Quadri for Arianna
Best Italian actor in a Debut Film – Alessandro Borghi for Don't Be Bad
Best Innovative Budget Award
A Bigger Splash by Luca Guadagnino
