The first awards of the Venice Film Festival were announced on Friday, Sept. 6.
Oscar contender "Philomena," starring Judi Dench, won Venice's Queer Lion for best portrayal of a gay character, while Israel's "Bethlehem" won the Venice Days section of the festival.
The Slovenian film "Class Enemy" won the Critics' Week sidebar, while Alexandros Avranas' "Miss Violence" took home the Fedora prize for the best film from the Mediterranean region.
Amos Gitai's "Ana Arabia" was awarded the Green Drop Award for its attention to environmental issues, and "La Belle Vie" won the Venice Film Festival's Europa Cinemas Label, as part of the festival's Venice Days section.
The International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) also awarded their Best Film honor to Xavier Dolan's psychological thriller "Tom at the Farm."
The final awards ceremony will be held on Saturday, Sept. 7 where the jury will hand out the coveted Golden Lion. The official awards ceremony will also hand out honors for the autonomous Venice Days and Critics' Week sections, which this year celebrated their 10th and 28th editions respectively.
Other awards that will be handed out include Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Screenplay.
Films in competition at the festival include Stephen Frears' "Philomena," John Curran's "Tracks," Dolan's "Tom at the Farm," Avranas' "Miss Violence," James Franco's "Child of God," Phillipe Garrel's "Jealousy" and Terry Gilliam's "The Zero Theorem."
The Venice Film Festival celebrated its 70th edition and also celebrated the second annual Venice Market. The festival began on Aug. 28 with the opening night film "Gravity."
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