Chapter 256: Awarding

This year is the second year that Marco Müller has "held power" at the Venice Film Festival. He still takes good care of Chinese films.

Counting it up, there are quite a few Chinese films and Chinese directors participating in the Venice Film Festival this year, totaling seven.

There are three that entered the main competition unit, Cao Yang's *Black Swan* and Ang Lee's *Brokeback Mountain*, and they have already received notice to participate in the awards ceremony on the evening of the 10th.

Another one, Stanley Kwan's *Everlasting Regret*, although not notified to stay, received another notice that this film won the European Art Exchange Award.

This award is selected by the European Art Film Alliance, meaning *Everlasting Regret* has obtained the permission of the Art Alliance and can be screened in 3,000 art cinemas in Europe through the Art Alliance.

In fact, these are all virtual. The most real thing is that after winning this award, the rights to this film can sell for a lot more money.

Li Yu's *Dam Street* entered the Horizons unit. This unit encourages alternative fresh creations. It is a pity that *Dam Street* did not win an award in the Horizons unit.

However, she received another notice that *Dam Street* won the European Art Film Award.

This award, like the European Art Exchange Award, is selected by the European Art Film Alliance and can be screened in 3,000 art cinemas in Europe through the Art Alliance, which means *Dam Street* has also doubled its status.

Xu Ke's *Seven Swords* did not enter any unit and did not win any awards, but it was given the treatment of the film festival's opening film, which also increased its status and could sell a lot more rights fees.

There is also a short film *Small Station* from Taiwan, which was notified to stay.

In fact, the short film was notified to stay, and there is only one award to win, which is the Best Short Film Award.

Although the Best Short Film Award is not the main competition unit, this award has a special place, that is, this award has a Silver Lion to win.

The last one is Peter Chan's *Perhaps Love*, the film starring Zhou Xun and Takeshi Kaneshiro, which was selected as the closing film of the Venice Film Festival.

Seven films, none of them returned empty-handed.

Think about it, two Chinese films that didn't win awards, one became the opening film, and one was selected as the closing film. Even if the film festival chairman was changed to a Chinese person, it would be very difficult to do this.

Old Ma is enough.

Venice time September 10th awards ceremony, tonight's red carpet is the same as previous Venice Film Festivals, and there is no particularly big surprise.

Gwyneth Paltrow, who was expected to appear, the famous Oscar "Water Queen," for some reason, was absent from the closing red carpet, which disappointed many people.

Although Gwyneth Paltrow's winning the Oscar for Best Actress with *Shakespeare in Love* has always been criticized, no matter what, she is also an Oscar Best Actress and a Hollywood big shot.

The star power of the red carpet show at the scene was very light, until George Clooney arrived, which caused the screams of fans at the scene and triggered a small peak of media shooting.

Then it returned to flatness, until Cao Yang walked onto the red carpet with Dong Xuan, Lv Yi, and Huang Xiaoming, finally detonating the scene, and the media flashlights flashed for a long time.

In fact, you can see from the red carpet that Venice is really a bit declining, and the Berlin Film Festival is certainly no better.

Only Cannes, which actively embraces Hollywood, can have more star power. This is also the reason why Cannes' influence has actually exceeded Venice and Berlin in recent years.

That's why Old Ma tried every means to ask Cao Yang to help support the scene last year, and also said to Cao Yang that he wanted to compromise with Hollywood.

In this era, Hollywood is getting stronger and stronger, and European films have long been beaten to the ground. If they are still self-entertaining like before, these world art film temples will play finished sooner or later.

However, turning around is not so easy. If you embrace Hollywood too much, you will certainly be criticized for a sharp drop in prestige, but if you embrace it slowly, the attention will be lower and lower, and it will really become self-entertaining.

The film festival awards ceremony began. First, those awards that are not painful or itchy were awarded, which are comforting in nature, but can increase the exposure of the film and increase the rights fee.

Venice has quite a few of these awards, such as the European Art Exchange Award, Outstanding Film Award, Best Italian Film, New Talent Film Award, etc.

Maybe there is also the meaning of using these awards to make up time. Otherwise, with those fixed seven awards, you can't end the awards ceremony within an hour.

These small awards were awarded, and you could feel that the atmosphere at the scene tightened.

The award-presenting guest went on stage and announced that the first main competition unit award to be awarded was the specially added Best New Talent Award.

With the words of the award-presenting guest, the atmosphere at the scene was even more solemn. The films that can walk to this step certainly don't want to win this comforting award.

Helplessly, there must be "unlucky ones."

*Heading South*'s Ménilmontant won the Best New Talent Award.

You can see that Ménilmontant is very excited to go on stage. How to say this is also a Silver Lion. As a new actor, being able to win this award is certainly very happy.

Then, the camera gave to *Heading South*'s director Laurent Cantet. This French brother looks like he lost Paris, and his smile is relatively reluctant.

The Best Technical Contribution Award was given to *Regular Lovers*. This is also a permanent award of Venice. French director Philippe Garrel can only say that he didn't lose his composure.

The Best Screenplay Award was given to *Good Night, and Good Luck*. George Clooney, as the director, screenwriter, and one of the leads, happily went on stage to receive the award.

Hollywood films can win awards at the three major European film festivals, especially Venice, which is a famous "pit," which is definitely an unexpected joy.

The next award-presenting guest went on stage, and as soon as he opened his mouth, he said he was going to award the Best Actress, that is, the Venice Best Actress. Everyone who hadn't won an award was refreshed. The "small awards" were finally awarded, and the rest were all big awards.

Cao Yang touched Dong Xuan with his hand. Dong Xuan turned her head mechanically and gave Cao Yang a stiff smile. It could be seen that she was very nervous. "Don't be nervous."

Cao Yang reached out to grab Dong Xuan's hand. Dong Xuan obviously had a shrinking action, but stopped abruptly, and then blushed slightly.

After being stunned for a moment, Cao Yang reacted. It was night, and Dong Xuan's "other personality" appeared. No wonder she was so nervous and shy.

"Don't be afraid, after going up, just speak in Chinese, say whatever you want, if you are really nervous and don't know what to say, just thank them all the way."

"Ah?"

Dong Xuan's brain didn't react a bit. The award winner hasn't been announced yet, are you so sure it's me?

"The good and evil, beauty and ugliness, righteousness and evil in human nature are all in the thought of the heart. Her White Swan is pure, quiet, introverted, shy, and her Black Swan is passionate, desire, blooming, charming..."

Cao Yang only felt his hand tighten. Dong Xuan clearly heard the meaning of the award-presenting guest.

"The winner of the Venice International Film Festival Best Actress is Dong Xuan, *Black Swan*."

"Ah!"

Lv Yi next to her screamed, hugged Dong Xuan, and shouted excitedly: "Huanhuan sister, it's you, you won the Venice Best Actress!"

Lv Yi seems to be happier than Dong Xuan.

!

"Thank you, thank you, Yiyi."

After hugging Lv Yi, Dong Xuan only hesitated for two seconds, then hugged Cao Yang and said: "Cao Dao, thank you. Being able to know you is my greatest luck. You are really great."

I don't know what she thought of, her face blushed again.

"Remember what I said, go."

Cao Yang patted Dong Xuan on the back and said with a smile.

"Junior sister, congratulations."

Huang Xiaoming envied Dong Xuan very much. Venice Best Actress, Cao Dao has brought out another Best Actress.

Dong Xuan pretended not to see Huang Xiaoming's posture of wanting to hug, but said with a smile: "Thank you, Brother Xiaoming."

Coming to the stage, truly receiving the Silver Lion from the award-presenting guest, Dong Xuan originally thought she had made enough psychological construction and might not be too nervous.

But in fact, she was so nervous that she forgot all the lines she had memorized in advance.

At this time, she remembered what Cao Yang said, if you can't remember, just say thank you.

"Thank you Cao Dao Yang, he is a great director, rarely loses his temper on the set, has enough patience for actors, I am very, very grateful to him.

Thank the entire crew staff, thank Lv Yi, thank Chen Shu, thank Brother Xiaoming, thank Teacher Pan Hong, thank the Venice Film Festival, thank the Beijing Film Academy, thank my parents."

After saying everyone who should be thanked, Dong Xuan thought, should it be about the same?

Then she raised the Silver Lion and said again: "Finally, thank Cao Dao Yang again, you are the best."

The audience began to applaud. Lv Yi was a bit envious and muttered: "If I could also win an actor award."

After speaking, she looked at Cao Yang next to her.

Next, the Best Actor award was awarded, and the winner was the male lead of *Good Night, and Good Luck* directed by George Clooney, David Strathairn.

You can see that whether it is George Clooney or David Strathairn, they are very surprised. They certainly didn't expect that after winning the Best Screenplay, they could still win the Venice Best Actor award.

Too damn unexpected, isn't Venice always the pioneer against Hollywood?

The next award is Best Director. The award-presenting guest opened the envelope and read: "The winner is Ang Lee, *Brokeback Mountain*."

Another Hollywood film won an award.

In fact, with the urine nature of the Venice Film Festival, *Brokeback Mountain* winning an award is not an upset. After all, European guys, especially Italians, like to watch the jokes of the old Americans more.

It is obvious that *Brokeback Mountain* is such a joke. The most stubborn conservative cowboys in the US started gay, isn't it ridiculous enough?

Cao Yang applauded. He knew very well that due to his appearance, Ang Lee didn't win the Golden Lion.

Ang Lee was very happy to win Best Director. Although Best Director in the three major European film festivals is lower in gold content than the highest award and the Jury Grand Prize, but...

He looked at Cao Yang's direction. *Black Swan* won a major award like Venice Best Actress, so it shouldn't be possible to win any more awards, right?

Ang Lee couldn't help but think, as a director, he won Best Director, which should be more gold content than Cao Yang only winning Best Actress.

Being able to suppress Cao Yang at the Venice Film Festival is enough!

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 257 =====