65th Venice International Film Festival 65th Venice International Film Festival The 65th annual Venice International Film Festival, held in Venice, Italy, was opened on August 27, 2008, by "Burn After Reading", and closed on September 6, 2008. International competition jury, led by Wim Wenders, awarded Leone d'Oro to "The Wrestler", directed by Darren Aronofsky. 77-year-old Italian film director Ermanno Olmi received a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. The festival opened on August 27, 2008, with the highly anticipated film directed by the Coen brothers, "Burn After Reading". "Burn" is not running in the official competition and thus is ineligible to win any prizes, but reaction
Ventura Film Festival Ventura Film Festival The Ventura Film Festival is an international film festival held each year in Ventura, California. The Ventura Film Festival features Academy Award-winning films and has been attended by Academy Award-winning celebrities. In 2011 the Ventura Film Festival hosted the 50th Anniversary of "West Side Story" and the full cast of the film and gave a lifetime achievement awards to Academy Award winner/Golden Globe winner George Chakiris who starred in the film as Bernardo and Academy Award nominee/Golden Globe winner Russ Tamblyn who played the co-starring role of Riff in "West Side Story". The 50th Anniversary of "West