 Italy
is known to us for its contribution in almost all the fields of
arts. Films are no exception to it as they are the most fascinating
and entertaining form of arts. The contribution towards the film
industry is enormous. Creativity certainly requires motivation and
nobody can deny the effect of a romantic location on motivation.
Venice through ages is known to the world for the romance its wraps
throughout and the patronization it has offered to various artist
and their creations. What could be more suitable destination to
organize a platform to honour the greatest of the great creators
of movies, the form of art that is most cherished and enjoyed in
the modern days.
 Yes
we are talking about the world famous Venice film festival or otherwise
known as Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica which takes
place every year in the month of August/ September on the Lido di
Venezia in the historic Palazzo del Cinema on the lungomare Marconi
in Venice, Italy. The film festival is part of the Venice Biennale,
a major biennale exhibition and festival for contemporary art. The
event organized every year is not just an ordinary film festival
but rather can be compared like clearing final exam, once correctly
compared by the famous film director Federico Fellini. The experience
of participating in the event is a lifetime experience of glory,
pride, joy, happiness, sorrow and the ultimate satisfaction to be
remembered for the rest of life. The rules of the game are very
strictly followed and the participants are expected to give proper
respect to the rules decided by the committee. The films interested
to participate got to be virgin at least in the aspect of participation
in film festivals. The honor of the festival is also because of
its age. Mostra inaugurated in the year 1932 is perhaps the oldest
film festival in the world and therefore also carries the prestige
of its age.
 The
main award for Mostra is the prestigious Leone d’Oro or the
golden lion is the most sought after and glorious. Talk to any filmmaker
or person associated with film, almost all of their dreams would
be to achieve the golden lion of Venice. Off course the award also
does carry a lot of meaning as it is decided by an international
panel of juries and every nomination is analyzed critically in every
possible angle so that the ultimate selection is beyond all doubts.
There are off course other sections also which are equally proclaimed
like the Corto Cortissimo lion for the best short film and the Venezia
Orizzonti prize and Luigi De Laurentiis awards. Recently a new award
has been added, the San Marco award for the best film in the controcorrente
section.
The coverage of Mostra is enormous in terms of not only the spectators
but also in terms of the number of films participating in the event
as nobody can expect such a vast display and platform of talents
to be organized other than Venice.  Besides
the main section the Italian Association of Film Critics, in total
independence from the Mostra, chooses seven first films for presentation
in the international critics week. Even the working prints in double
heads can be presented for selection provided it had reached a state
of post-production enabling its evaluation and must be in perfectly
fit in its technical condition permitting its screening. Such is
the knack to search art and talent in Mostra. Talking about the
coverage in a different angle the Mostra is attended by approximately
three thousand journalists, film critics, radio and television reporters
from all over the world who are been offered privileged access to
all the screenings so that the maximum can be communicated to the
world. Therefore it wouldn’t be wrong to say that Mostra is
perhaps the most extraordinary and exclusive launch pad for new
film makers and established personalities of the 7th art.
 To
experience the grandeur of the festival it is imperative to go through
the list of those who achieved the zenith of glory in film in the
past so many years in this arena. To start with the Golden Lion,
2004 winner was Vera Drake directed by Mike Leigh, 2003 was for
Vozvrashchenive or the return by Andrey Zvyaguintsev, 2002 was for
The Magdalene Sisters by Peter Mullan, 2001 was for Monsoon Wedding
by Mira Nair, 2000 for The Circle by Jafar Panahi, 1999 for Not
one Less by Zhang Yimou, 1998 for Cosi ridevano by Gianni Amelio,
1997 for Hana bi by Takeshi Kitano, 1996 for Michael Collins by
Neil Jordan, 1995 for Xich lo by Anh Hung,1994 for Aiqing wansui
by Tsai Ming-liang, 1993 for Shorts cuts by Robert Altman. Few mentioned
above are succeeded by many more films which are classics of their
own kind. Equally worth to mention are the other section of the
awards. Mussolini cup for the best Italian film also has its own
wonderful history of legendary films which are creation to be remembered
forever. Few to mention would be 1934-Teresa confalonieri by Guido
Brignone, 1935-Casta Diva by Carmine Gallone, 1936-Squadrone bianco
by Augusto Genina, 1937-Scipione l’Africano by Carmine Gallone,
1938-Luciano serra pilota and 1939-Abuna Mesias by Goffredo Alessandrini,
1940-L’assediodell’Alcazar by Augusto Genina, 1941-La
coronoa di ferro by Alessandro Blasetti and 1942- Bengasi by Augusto
Genina.
 Mostra
is an international playground. Its like Olympic in films where
there are scopes for not only many nations but also various yardsticks
for various many avenues. The Mussolini cup for best foreign film
is one such example and it had crowned many creations down the year.
To name some 1934-The man of Aran by Robert J.Flaherty, 1935-Anna
Karenina by Clarence Brown, 1936-Der Kaiser von Kalifornien by Luis
Trenker, 1937-Un Carnet de bal by Julien Duvivier, 1938-Olympia
I.Teil by Leni Riefenstahl, 1940-Der Postmeister by Gustav Ucicky
and 1941-Ohm Kruger by Hans Steinhoff. There are awards for best
actors also like any other festival but in Mostra the names featured
are the ones which are celebrated through ages. Names like Fredric
March for Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde, Wallace Berry for Viva Villa, Paul
Muni for The story of Louis Pasteur, Sam Jeff, Joseph Cotten, Jean
Gabin, Bourvil, Anthony franciosa, Alec Guiness, James Stewart,
John Mills, Tom Courtney, Naseeruddin shah, Hugh Grant, Xia Yu,
Wesley Snipes, Sean Penn and Javier Bardem are the names which mark
the epitome of acting skills. Beautiful actress also mark the chart
of Mostra with there names and the skills they have shown in the
screen to be remembered through ages. Few to mention are Katherine
Hepburn, Paula Wessely, Luise Ullrich, Anna Magnani, Eleanor Parker,
Sophia Loren, Shirley Maclaine, Laura Betti, Geraldine James, Rose
Byrne, Julianne Moore and Imelda Staunton.
 The
2004 Mostra was the 61st and the 2005 festival off course is 62nd
one. Perhaps this is much astonishment to those who think legacy
cannot be carried with same standard. But for David Croff president
of the Venice Biennale the aim was not only to maintain the standard
but also to match and elevate the standards to the present era,
and he did with much justification. The 62nd Mostra was a grand
success with collaboration to the Ministry of cultural affairs,
the general office of cinema and the National film achieve. The
countries participated this enjoyed the spectacular globalization
of ideas and concepts. Countries like Argentina, Austria, Brasil,
China, France, Germany, Hongkong, Japan, Kazakhistan, Italy, Poland,
Portugal, Russia, Spain, South Korea, Turkey and United kingdom
participated and enjoyed their share of cake. 2005 Mostra declared
its life time achievement awards to the great director Hayao Miyazaki
and the actor Stefania Sandrelli. Hayao Miyazaki is among the greatest
directors in Japanese cinema and a master of animated cinema whereas
Stefania Sandrelli is an Italian actress with a strong forty five
year career in Italian contemporary cinema.
 The
Mostra is significant in terms of film market also. The movies buyers
be it international or national are invited to attend the event
so that the correct target clientele can be approached in the global
market. The Mostra offers market screening both for films and videos
at an attractive rate as well as with the possibility of promotional
facility such as booths, poster presentation or other form of publicity.
Thus the event provides the logistics and a framework for promoting
and selling films.
Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica is legendary in its
own sense to be the most spectacular film festival of the era. No
doubt that it will be one of the most acclaimed awards in the future
as well. May Venice host the most amazing festival of the 7th art
and continue to give the world the best of the magic of silver screen
for years so that the world can relish the beauty and the talent
of the films which reflect the society and is one of the most prominent
ways of progression. Mostra is an international playground which
is designed in such a way so that it can give proper justification
to the entire global outlook without having any bias to any particular
sect of the world. The effort is not to promote a particular type
like European cinema or Hollywood movies but to give acclamation
to the talents and art work throughout the world in film production.
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