The organizers of the Venice International Film Festival have named the winners of the honorary Golden Lion for their contribution to world cinema. The award winners will be Hong Kong director and screenwriter Anne Hui and British actress Tilda Swinton. They have previously received awards from the show. Swinton was awarded the Volpi Cup in 1991 for Best Actress in Derek Jarman's Edward II, and Hui presented the award-winning drama The Simple Life at the 2011 Film Festival.
Commenting on the selection, festival director Alberto Barbera stressed that Anne Hui is one of the most respected, prolific and versatile directors in Asia today. According to him, even in the commercial projects that brought her popularity, Hui never abandoned the author's approach.
“In her films, she has always shown a special interest in stories with intense emotional and social components, telling - with the delicacy and sophistication characteristic of intellectuals - the stories of individuals, intertwined with important social topics such as the situation of refugees, marginalized populations and the elderly. In an innovative way, using her own language and unique image, she was able to not only capture the specific aspects of Hong Kong and perceptions of it, but also transform and translate them into a universal perspective, ”said in a statement Barbera.
He called Tilda Swinton one of the most original and influential performers who made themselves known at the end of the 20th century.
“Her uniqueness lies in her commanding and incomparable nature, amazing versatility and ability to act in the most radical art house cinema, and in major Hollywood projects, never giving up her inexhaustible need to bring unique and unusual characters to life”, - said Barbera. He added that every image of an actress is a constant risk and challenge to artistic or social convention.
According to the director of the festival, Tilda Swinton has established herself as a star of modern cinema, who "does not agree to the dictates of simplicity and fashion, but, on the contrary, strives for the impossible."
Last year, Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar and British actress Julie Andrews were honored with awards for contributions to world cinema.
The 77th Venice Festival is scheduled for September 2-12, 2020. It will be the first major film screening to be held offline after a hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. The festival program will be announced on 28 July.
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- © Lucas Jackson
In turn, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) will award the Tribute Actor Award to actress Kate Winslet. She will be honored at a virtual event on September 15th.
Most of the festival's events, including press conferences, film industry events and red carpet events, will take place online. However, the organizers still hope to show an abbreviated screening program in cinemas.
If the initiative is approved by the health officials, 50 films will be shown to viewers within five days. Among them will be the picture "Ammonite", where Winslet played one of the central roles.
“Kate's brilliant and compelling on-screen images continue to captivate, captivate and inspire both viewers and actors,” said festival executive director Joana Vicente.
The names of other winners of the award will be announced later. In 2019, the festival honored four filmmakers - directors Taiku Waititi and Mati Diop, as well as actors Joaquin Phoenix and Meryl Streep.
- © Shot from the series "Chernobyl" (2019)
Also last week, the BAFTA TV Craft Awards winners were announced online.
The miniseries Chernobyl produced by HBO and Sky became the leader in the number of awards. The film received prizes for directing, editing, original soundtrack, cinematography and lighting, costume design, art director and sound design.
Jessie Armstrong, who co-authored the series "Heirs", received the Best Screenplay for Dramatic Projects. The prize for the comedy script was awarded to Jamie Demetriou, who worked on the project "Stas Will Surrender Everything".
Arthur Carey, who directed The Last Survivors, was named the best director of a documentary project. Prizes for script and documentary film editing were awarded to Michael Hart for his film Don't Touch the Seals: The Hunt for the Internet Killer.
The event was originally expected to take place in April, but it has been postponed due to the coronavirus and has been moved online. The BAFTA Major Television Awards are scheduled for July 31st. It will also be held online.
The coronavirus pandemic and related restrictions have significantly impacted cultural events. In particular, the Cannes Festival, which was scheduled for May, has been canceled. At first, the event was postponed until the summer, but later the organizers decided to cancel the show this year. However, 56 selected films will be shown in theaters with special festival markings.
The date of the Oscar ceremony has changed. In 2021, it will not be held on February 28, as originally planned, but on April 25.
The dates for the Kinotavr festival have been postponed in Russia. The show, which is traditionally held in Sochi in June, will take place from 11 to 18 September. Previously, the organizers emphasized that they were not considering the option of an online format. The 42nd Moscow International Film Festival is also scheduled for autumn.
This year the Golden Raspberry anti-award ceremony was held online this year, although even in an ordinary situation, laureates rarely come personally for its awards.