U.S. film Nomadland wins at the Venice Film Festival


Francis McDormand (left) and Chloe Zoe (center) accept the Golden Lion prize by zooming from CaliforniaImage copyright pyrite
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Francis McDormand (left) and Chloe Zoe (center) accept the Golden Lion prize by zooming from California

The American film Nomadland has won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival, the first such event to be held with a live audience since the Covid-19 outbreak.

The film, produced by Chinese-born Chloe Zhao, stars Francis McDorm as a widow after the 2008 financial crisis.

Also recognized by Mexican director Michelle Franco’s thrilling New Order and Japan’s Kyoshi Kurosawa and the historical drama Wife of Spy.

Guests had to wear masks during the screening.

Nearly half the seats were left vacant at locations on the Lido Waterfront, and a few celebrities traveled to the world’s oldest film festival.

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Kate Blanchett was the jury president in Lagoon City

Th of the festival. Australian-Australian actress Kate Blanchett, who presided over the jury in the th edition, said the winner was chosen after a “healthy and strong” discussion by jury members.

“Whether a good discussion is a better discussion than a mask,” he said.

Zhao, who is the first woman to win the festival’s top award, the Golden Lion, in 10 years, and spoke through Zoom from Maddox California.

McDormon said, “Thank you for letting us come to your feast in this strange, strange, strange world and way.”

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Chloe Zoe at the drive-in premiere in Nomadland on Friday

The festival’s grand jury prize went to Franco’s film, while Kurosawa was declared the best director. They were jointly awarded the Silver Lions.

In 1962 the USSR In a film about the massacre of protesters, Russian director Andrei Konchalovsky was awarded the Special Jury Prize for Dear Kard Meredith.

Britain’s Vanessa Kirby won the Best Actress award, while the Best Actor award went to Italy’s Pierre Francesco Favino.

Joker, starring Joachim Phoenix, won the festival’s top prize last year.

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The annual gathering in the Italian city is one of the festivals of the “Big Three” film, along with Cannes and Berlin.

The Berlin Festival was scheduled for February 20 to March 1.

But organizers of the Cannes festival in May were forced to postpone the event due to a coronavirus outbreak.