The verdict is in. The Alexander Payne-led jury has made its decisions, determining the fate of this year’s Venice Film Festival competitors. While last year’s Isabelle Huppert jury was rumored to have faced agonizing deliberations (Pedro Almodóvar was far from being the consensus choice), but this year featured a clearer frontrunner: Kaouther Ben Hania‘s powerful and without exaggeration, debilitating The Voice of Hind Rajab. However, the race is hardly a foregone conclusion with Ildikó Enyedi’s Silent Friend and Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice posing as formidable challengers. A livestream begins at 6:00p.m. local time (a quartet iof awards for the Orizzonti section and the Lion of the Future will be unveiled as well) and we should know the Golden Lion winner about an hour plus into the ceremony.
IONCINEMA.com’s Chief Film Critic Nicholas Bell and I sat down yesterday looking back at the day-to-day competition offerings and weighing in on the performances that really stood-out. Who should win? Who will win? Reminder these are the main prizes – Golden Lion (Leone d’Oro), Grand Jury Prize, Silver Lion (Leone d’Argento), Special Jury Prize, Volpi Cup for Best Actor, Volpi Cup for Best Actress, Best Screenplay and the MARCELLO MASTROIANNI AWARD for Best Young Actor or Actress.
