"The Wrestler" Wins Golden Lion at Venice Film Fest

Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler took home top honors at the Venice Film Festival today, beating out early favorite, The Burning Plain, directed by Babel scribe Guillermo Arriaga. Aronofsky's previous films include Pi, Requiem for a Dream, and The Fountain.

There has already been some buzz about what is being called a comeback performance for Mickey Rourke in the lead role. It looks like the film has just leaped into serious consideration as well.

Here is the full list of winners:

GOLDEN LION "The Wrestler,” (Darren Aronofsky, US)

SILVER LION “Paper Soldier” (Aleksey German Jr., Russia)

GRAND JURY PRIZE "Teza," (Haile Gerima, Ethiopia-Germany-France)

ACTOR Silvio Orlando (“Il Papa di Giovanna,” Italy)

ACTRESS Dominique Blanc ("L’Autre," France)

BEST SCREENPLAY Haile Gerima (“Teza,” Ethiopia-Germany-France)

TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTION (Cinematography) Alisher Khamidhodjev, Maxim Drozdov (“Paper Soldier,” Russia)

MARCELLO MASTROIANNI PRIZE FOR YOUNG PERFORMER Jennifer Lawrence (“The Burning Plain,” US)

SPECIAL LION FOR BODY OF WORK Werner Schroeter (Germany)

OTHER JURIES

LUIGI DE LAURENTIIS LION OF THE FUTURE “Pranzo di Ferragosto,” (Gianni Di Gregorio, Italy)

VENICE HORIZONS “Melancholia” (Lav Diaz, Philippines)

VENICE HORIZONS DUCUMENTARY “Below Sea Level,” (Aleksey Fedortchenko, Russia)

VENICE HORIZONS SPECIAL MENTION “Un Lac,” (Philippe Grandrieux, France)

VENICE HORIZONS SECOND SPECIAL MENTION “Women,” (Huang Wenhai, China-Switzerland)

Label Europa Cinemas – Venice Days 2008 Prize ““Machan,” (Uberto Pasolini, Sri Lanka-Germany-Italy)

FIPRESCI (INTL. CRITIC'S ASSN) COMPETITION PRIZE "Gabbla” (“Inland”) (Tariq Teguia, Algeria)

FIPRESCI HORIZONS AND CRITICS’ WEEK PRIZE “Goodbye Solo” (Ramin Bahrani, US)

SHORTS

Corto Cortissimo Prize “Tierra Y Pan,” (Carlos Armella, Mexico)

Corto Cortissimo Special Mention “The Dinner,” (Karchi Perlmann, Hungary)

UIP Prize for Best European Short “The Altruists,” Koen Dejaegher (Belgium)

Source: Variety