Chapter 196: Silver Lion Obtained

*Painted Skin* received an invitation from the organizing committee to stay for the closing ceremony.

Jia Zhangke's *The World* was a bit regretful and didn't receive a notification.

For the failure of *The World*, Jia Zhangke had expected it long ago, but for *Painted Skin* receiving the notification, he was shocked and couldn't help but think: is it really an experimental film?

Cao Yang understood. This is probably the surprise Old Ma mentioned, right? Just a technical award, but it's better than nothing.

The film crew came with so many people, and knowing this news, everyone was very excited.

The key is that they didn't expect that a commercial film could also win an award in Venice—receiving an invitation to stay definitely means winning an award.

"Cao Dao, congratulations, we are going to win an award!"

Huang Xiaoming was the first to react after Han Zong announced the news of staying, and preemptively said to Cao Yang.

"Congratulations, Cao Dao, this is really not easy." Chen Kun took the conversation with a smile.

"Cao Dao, congratulations." Duan Yihong, Zhou Yiwei, and Wang Luodan, who reacted, also followed suit.

After everyone finished speaking, Pang Bing said with a smile on the side: "Congratulations, Cao Dao, I knew you could do it."

What you said seems to be a double entendre.

Li Xiaoran and Gao Yuanyuan looked at each other, neither spoke first, just looking at Cao Yang with a smile.

In the eyes of others, the two seemed full of confidence in Cao Yang, and it didn't matter whether they said congratulations or not.

Only Cao Yang knew that the two were still competing secretly, and neither was willing to speak first, so as not to be weaker than the other.

Sigh, why bother.

In the evening, Li Xiaoran and Gao Yuanyuan tacitly walked hand in hand, guarding against each other, and decided to stay in the same room by coincidence.

Pang Bing also joked: "I really envy your sisterhood. Why don't you both come to my room tonight? I'll sleep hugging two Best Actresses, what a sense of achievement."

"Go, go, what are you adding to the chaos."

Pang Bing played with the two in their room for a while, and seeing that both were sleepy, she yawned and said: "You should sleep early. You still have to walk the red carpet tomorrow. You are both Best Actresses, and the European media will definitely interview you."

"Got it, Bingbing, you are really nagging now."

"Good night, two young ladies."

Pang Bing walked out of the room, closed the door for the two, and deliberately stuck to the door to listen for a while.

Then, the look of yawning and being sleepy just now immediately became energetic.

Like a thief, she walked quickly to Cao Yang's door and knocked lightly.

After Cao Yang opened the door, Pang Bing ducked in.

Two hours later, Pang Bing, who had finished washing, put on her clothes, kissed Cao Yang, giggled, and said: "Let you smell your own scent, haha."

After saying that, she waved her hand, and Pang Bing left Cao Yang's room very gracefully and went back.

For Cao Yang, Pang Bing is still very sensible.

She just complained to Cao Yang with a smile that she had been neglected in the company. Because she refused many special arrangements of the company, now she didn't have a share of the company's better resources.

She also said that fortunately, Sister Hua, who is in charge of the brokerage company, is quite good and got her a few plays.

Fine, Cao Yang heard it. This is telling herself that she listened to what she said last time. It's good to be able to listen.

Before Ma Ke-Mu Le became the chairman of the Venice Film Festival, he had a nickname called "Film Festival Architect," which originated from the reform measures he implemented when he served as the chairman of the Rotterdam and Locarno Film Festivals.

Since he became the chairman of the Venice Film Festival, Old Ma would definitely carry out reforms to bring vitality to the Venice Film Festival, which has been controversial in the past two years.

The first step of his reform measures is to abandon the Deko Theater, which has served the film festival for decades, in three years.

And to commemorate the contribution of this theater, this film festival erected 60 golden lion statues in front of its door.

The 60 golden lions represent the 60 highest awards awarded by the Venice Film Festival since 1932, and on the base of each golden lion, the name of the director who won the Golden Lion Award and the year are indicated.

The second step is how to save the cold scene of the Venice Film Festival that does not match its reputation.

Actually, the method is very simple, that is, to learn from Cannes and embrace Hollywood.

Ma Ke-Mu Le spent a lot of energy on this point.

This year's Venice Film Festival can be said to be full of Hollywood stars.

Tang Mu Hanks, Spielberg, Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, John Travolta, Tang Mu Cruise, Reese Witherspoon, Al Pacino, Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Nicole Kidman...

!

These popular Hollywood stars all brought films. Some were to promote films, some entered various non-competition sections, and of course, some entered the main competition section.

By comparison, Cao Yang's *Painted Skin* entering the main competition section is really not a big deal.

On the 11th, the 61st Venice Film Festival entered the last day, and on this day, the awards ceremony will be held in the evening.

Starting at five o'clock in the afternoon, many stars had already walked on the red carpet of the closing ceremony.

However, compared to the explosive and super-many Hollywood superstars at the opening ceremony, the closing ceremony seemed a bit eclipsed.

Berlin Best Actress Li Xiaoran and Cannes Best Actress Gao Yuanyuan, who walked the red carpet hand in hand, were almost the biggest names among the actors present according to current achievements.

Old Ma is worthy of being an Italian. Just like the "Down with Hollywood" shouted by the Venice Film Festival at the beginning, there was not a single Hollywood film among those invited by the organizing committee in the end.

At 6:30 in the evening, the awards ceremony officially began.

The first award presented was the Best Newcomer Award, also known as the Marcello Mastroianni Best Newcomer Award.

The winners of this award were Ma Ke-Lu Yi Si and Tuo Ma Suo-La Men Ge of the Italian film *Slow Work*.

Then, the award presenter went on stage and announced that the next award to be presented was the Best Technical Contribution Award.

The award presenter opened the envelope, looked at it, and then announced: "The winner of the Best Technical Contribution Award is Cao Yang for *Painted Skin*..."

Before the guests below could applaud, he continued: "and Hayao Miyazaki for *Howl's Moving Castle*."

Damn, a technical award for making up the numbers, and it even turned into a double-yolk egg.

Cao Yang laughed while applauding and complaining.

The big screen began to play clips of the film. *Painted Skin* didn't play the scene of thousands of troops charging, but the scene when Xiao Wei was still on the mountain and stole a painted skin from her grandmother.

Then, like putting on clothes, a pure white fox with nine tails put on the painted skin, and in a flash, became the charming Gao Yuanyuan.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 197 =====