Director Guillermo del Toro (The Shape of Water, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Devil’s Backbone) will be the president of the International Jury of the Competition at the 75th Venice International Film Festival (August 29 – September 8, 2018), which will assign the Golden Lion for Best Film as well as other official awards.
The decision was made by the Board of Directors of the Biennale di Venezia chaired by Paolo Baratta, who embraced the recommendation of the Director of the Venice Film Festival 2018 Alberto Barbera.
Upon accepting the proposal, Guillermo del Toro stated: “To serve as president in Venice is an immense honour and responsibility that I accept with respect and gratitude. Venice is a window to world cinema and the opportunity to celebrate its power and cultural relevance.”
Festival Director Alberto Barbera said: “Guillermo Del Toro personifies generosity, a love for movies past or future, and a passion for the kind of cinema that can spark emotions, affect people and, at the same time, make them reflect. By virtue of his lively imagination, uncommon sensitivity and his trust in the power of images, he has brought to life a fantastic universe in which love and fear can coexist, and to treasure, diversity is a fundamental value. We are pleased and honoured that he has agreed to preside over the Jury of the 75th Venice Film Festival 2018, after having illuminated the previous edition with the dazzling beauty of The Shape of Water. He will be a genial, inquisitive and enthusiastic President.”
Guillermo del Toro participated in the Competition of the recent 74th Venice International Film Festival 2017 with The Shape of Water, which won the Golden Lion for Best Film, awarded by the Jury chaired by Annette Bening. Del Toro participated in the Venice Film Festival 2018 for the first time in 1997 with the film Mimic, in the Mezzanotte section. In 2006, he was a member of the Jury for the Luigi de Laurentiis Venice Award for a Debut Film at the 63rd Venice Film Festival.
Prizes to be awarded
On the final night (September 8, 2018) of the upcoming 75th Venice Film Festival, the International Jury of Venezia 75, chaired by Guillermo del Toro and composed of nine international celebrities in the spheres of film and culture from different Countries, will assign the following official prizes to the feature-length films in the Competition:
– Golden Lion for Best Film
– Silver Lion – Grand Jury Prize
– Silver Lion – Award for Best Director
– Coppa Volpi for Best Actor
– Coppa Volpi for Best Actress
– Award for Best Screenplay
– Special Jury Prize
– Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress.
Photo and article from Venice Biennale