48th Venice International Film Festival

The 48th annual Venice International Film Festival was held on 3 to 14 September 1991.^[1][2]

48th Venice International Film Festival

Location	Venice, Italy
Founded	1932
Awards	Golden Lion: Close to Eden
Festival date	3 – 14 September 1991
Website	Website

Italian film critic Gian Luigi Rondi was the Jury President of the main competition.

The Golden Lion winner was Close to Eden directed by Nikita Mikhalkov.

Jury

Main Competition

The following people comprised the 1991 jury:^[3]

• Gian Luigi Rondi, Italian film critic and screenwriter - Jury President
• Jim Belushi, American actor
• Silvia D'Amico Bendico, Italian
• John Boorman, British filmmaker
• Michel Ciment, French film critic
• Moritz de Hadeln, Swiss director and photographer
• Naum Kleiman, Soviet film critic
• Oja Kodar, Croatian actress and filmmaker
• Pilar Miró, Spanish filmmaker

Official Sections

In Competition

English title	Original title	Director(s)	Production country
30 Door Key	Ferdydurke	Jerzy Skolimowski	Poland
The Beach of Lost Children	La plage des enfants perdus	Jillali Ferhati	Morocco, France
Chatarra		Félix Rotaeta	Spain
Close to Eden (Urga)	У́рга — территория любви	Nikita Mikhalkov	Soviet Union
The Divine Comedy	A Divina Comédia	Manoel de Oliveira	Portugal
Edward II		Derek Jarman	United Kingdom
The Fisher King		Terry Gilliam	United States
Germany Year 90 Nine Zero	Allemagne 90 neuf zéro	Jean-Luc Godard	France
I Don't Hear the Guitar Anymore	J'entends plus la guitare	Philippe Garrel	France
The Invisible Wall	Il muro di gomma	Marco Risi	Italy
Just Beyond This Forest	Jeszcze tylko ten las	Jan Łomnicki	Poland
Meeting Venus		István Szabó	United Kingdom, France, Italy
Mississippi Masala		Mira Nair	United States
My Own Private Idaho		Gus Van Sant
Necessary Love	L'amore necessario	Fabio Carpi	Italy
Night and Day	Nuit et Jour	Chantal Akerman	Belgium
Prospero's Books		Peter Greenaway	United Kingdom
Raise the Red Lantern	大紅燈籠高高掛	Zhang Yimou	China, Hong Kong
Scream of Stone	Cerro Torre: Schrei aus Stein	Werner Herzog	Germany, France, Canada, Italy
The Secret Face	Gizli Yüz	Ömer Kavur	Turkey
A Simple Story	Una storia semplice	Emidio Greco	Italy
Walking a Tightrope	Les Équilibristes	Nicos Papatakis	France

Independent Sections

Venice International Film Critics' Week

The following feature films were selected to be screened as In Competition for this section:^[4]

• Railway Bar (Bar des rails) by Cédric Kahn (France)
• Drive by Jefery Levy (United States)
• The Sky Above Paris (Le ciel de Paris) by Michel Béna (France)^[5]
• Nowhere Man (Muno no hito) by Naoto Takenaka (Japan)
• Clouds (Nuvem) by Ana Luísa Guimarães (Portugal)^[6]
• The Intruder (Razlucnica) by Amir Karakulov (Soviet Union)^[7]
• Scorpion’s Garden (Sady skorpiona) by Oleg Kovalov (Soviet Union)^[8]
• Vito And The Others (Vito e gli altri) by Antonio Capuano (Italy)
• Waiting by Jackie McKimmie (Australia, United Kingdom)

Official Awards

Main Competition

• Golden Lion: Close to Eden by Nikita Mikhalkov
• Grand Special Jury Prize: A Divina Comédia by Manoel de Oliveira
• Silver Lion:
  • The Fisher King by Terry Gilliam
  • Raise the Red Lantern by Yimou Zhang
  • J'entends plus la guitare by Philippe Garrel
• Golden Osella:
  • Best Screenplay: Mississippi Masala by Sooni Taraporevala
• Volpi Cup for Best Actor: River Phoenix for My Own Private Idaho
• Volpi Cup for Best Actress: Tilda Swinton Edward II

Career Golden Lion

• Gian Maria Volonté

Independent Awards

The President of the Italian Senate's Gold Medal

• Jean-Luc Godard for Allemagne année 90 neuf zéro

Golden Ciak

• Best Film: Mississippi Masala by Mira Nair
• Best Actor: Vittorio Mezzogiorno for Cerro Torre: Schrei aus Stein
• Best Actress: Glenn Close for Meeting Venus

FIPRESCI Prize

• Nowhere Man by Naoto Takenaka

OCIC Award

• Close to Eden by Nikita Mikhalkov
  • Honorable Mention:
    • Luigi Faccini

Pasinetti Award

• Best Film: Close to Eden by Nikita Mikhalkov
• Best Actor: Vittorio Mezzogiorno for Cerro Torre: Schrei aus Stein
• Best Actress: Mercedes Ruehl for The Fisher King

Pietro Bianchi Award

• Paolo Taviani
• Vittorio Taviani

Little Golden Lion

• The Fisher King by Terry Gilliam

Evira Notari Prize

• Raise the Red Lantern by Yimou Zhang