The Silver Lion (or Leone d'Argento) refers to a number of awards presented at the Venice Film Festival. The prize is awarded irregularly and has gone through several changes of purpose. Until 1995, the award was infrequently given to a number of films as second prize for those nominated for the Golden Lion. At various times, the Silver Lion has also been awarded for debut films, short films, and direction.
From 1953 to 1957, the Silver Lion was awarded to a number of films nominated for the Golden Lion as a second prize.
1953
Little Fugitive by Raymond Abrashkin, Morris Engel, and Ruth Orkin
Moulin Rouge by John Huston
Sadko by Aleksandr Ptushko
Thérèse Raquin by Marcel Carné
Ugetsu by Kenji Mizoguchi
I Vitelloni by Federico Fellini
1954
On the Waterfront by Elia Kazan
Sansho the Bailiff by Kenji Mizoguchi
Seven Samurai by Akira Kurosawa
La Strada by Federico Fellini
1955
Le Amiche by Michelangelo Antonioni
The Big Knife by Robert Aldrich
Ciske de Rat by Wolfgang Staudte
The Grasshopper by Samson Samsonov
1956 – no award
1957 – Le Notti Bianche by Luchino Visconti
1966 – Chappaqua by Conrad Rooks
From 1983 to 1989, the Silver Lion was awarded to the best film by a director for his debut film.
1983 – Sugar Cane Alley by Euzhan Palcy
1984 – Sonatine by Micheline Lanctôt
1985 – Dust by Marion Hänsel
1986 – A King and His Movie by Carlos Sorín
1987 – Maurice by James Ivory
Since 1988, the Silver Lion has been given to one or more films nominated for the Golden Lion.
1988 – Landscape in the Mist by Theo Angelopoulos
1989
Recordações da Casa Amarela by João César Monteiro
Death of a Tea Master by Kei Kumai
1990 – no award
1991
Raise the Red Lantern by Zhang Yimou
The Fisher King by Terry Gilliam
J'entends plus la guitare by Philippe Garrel
1992
Hotel de lux by Dan Pița
Jamón Jamón by Bigas Luna
Un cœur en hiver by Claude Sautet
1993 – Kosh ba kosh by Bakhtyar Khudojnazarov
1994
Heavenly Creatures by Peter Jackson
Little Odessa by James Gray
Il toro by Carlo Mazzacurati
1995–present – no award
1990 – Sirup by Helle Ryslinge
1996 – O Tamaiti by Sima Urale
1999 – Portrait of a Young Man Drowning by Teboho Mahlatsi
2000 – A Telephone Call for Genevieve Snow by Peter Long
2001 – Freunde by Jan Krüger
2002 – Clown by Irina Evteeva
2003 – Neft by Murad Ibragimbekov
2004 – Signe d'appartenance by Kamel Cherif
2005 – Xiaozhan by Chien-ping Lin
2006 – Comment on freine dans une descente? by Alix Delaporte
2007 – Dog Altogether by Paddy Considine
1990 – Martin Scorsese for Goodfellas
1991
Zhang Yimou for Dà Hóng Dēnglong Gāogāo Guà
Terry Gilliam for The Fisher King / Philippe Garrel for J'entends plus la guitare
1995–1997 – no award
1998 – Emir Kusturica for Black Cat, White Cat
1999 – Zhang Yuan for Seventeen Years
2000 – Buddhadeb Dasgupta for Uttara
2001 – Babak Payami for Secret Ballot
2002 – Lee Chang-dong for Oasis
2003 – Takeshi Kitano for Zatōichi
2004 – Kim Ki-duk for 3-Iron
2005 – Philippe Garrel for Regular Lovers
2006 – Alain Resnais for Cœurs
2007 – Brian De Palma for Redacted
2008 – Aleksei Alekseivich German for Paper Soldier
2009 – Shirin Neshat for Women Without Men
2010 – Álex de la Iglesia for The Last Circus
2011 – Cai Shangjun for People Mountain People Sea
2012 – Paul Thomas Anderson for The Master
2013 – Alexandros Avranas for Miss Violence
2014 – Andrei Konchalovsky for The Postman's White Nights
2015 – Pablo Trapero for El Clan
2016
Amat Escalante for The Untamed
Andrei Konchalovsky for Paradise
2006 – Emanuele Crialese for Nuovomondo
