45th Venice International Film Festival

The 45th annual Venice International Film Festival was held from 29 August to 9 September 1988.

Italian filmmaker Sergio Leone was the Jury President of the main competition. The Golden Lion winner was The Legend of the Holy Drinker directed by Ermanno Olmi.

Jury
The following people comprised the 1988 jury:
 * Sergio Leone, Italian filmmaker and producer
 * María Julia Bertotto, Argentine production and costume designer
 * Klaus Eder, German film critic
 * Hannah Fischer, German psychologist
 * Gilbert de Goldschmidt, French producer
 * Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Indian filmmaker
 * Lena Olin, Swedish actress
 * Natalya Ryazantseva, Soviet screenwriter
 * Harry Dean Stanton, American actor and musician
 * Lina Wertmüller, Italian filmmaker

Venice International Film Critics' Week
The following feature films were selected to be screened as In Competition for this section:
 * The Kiss Of Judas (Il bacio di Giuda) by Paolo Benvenuti (Italy)
 * The Gassy Sky (Der gläserne Himmel) by Nina Grosse (West Germany)
 * Ghosts... of the Civil Dead by John Hillcoat (Australia)
 * High Hopes by Mike Leigh (United Kingdom)
 * Let's Get Lost by Bruce Weber (United States)
 * Little Vera (Malenkaya Vera) by Vasili Pichul (Soviet Union)
 * Mortu Nega (en. Death Denied or Those Whom Death Refused) by Flora Gomes (Guinea-Bissau)
 * Off Season (Nachsaison) by Wolfram Paulus (Austria, West Germany)

Main Competition

 * Golden Lion: The Legend of the Holy Drinker by Ermanno Olmi
 * Grand Special Jury Prize: Camp de Thiaroye by Ousmane Sembene & Thierno Faty Sow
 * Silver Lion: Landscape in the Mist by Theodoros Angelopoulos
 * Golden Osella:
 * Best Screenplay: Pedro Almodóvar for Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
 * Best Cinematography: Vadim Yusov for The Black Monk
 * Best Score: José María Vitier, Gianni Nocenzi, Pablo Milanés for A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings
 * Best Set Design: Bernd Lepel for Burning Secret
 * Volpi Cup for Best Actor: Joe Mantegna & Don Ameche for Things Change
 * Volpi Cup for Best Actress:
 * Shirley MacLaine for Madame Sousatzka
 * Isabelle Huppert for Story of Women
 * Volpi Cup Special Mention: David Eberts for Burning Secret

Career Golden Lion

 * Joris Ivens

The President of the Italian Senate's Gold Medal

 * Caro Gorbaciov by Carlo Lizzani

New Cinema Award

 * Camp de Thiaroye by Ousmane Sembene & Thierno Faty Sow
 * Gli invisibili by Pasquale Squitieri
 * Special Mention: Un petit monastère en Toscane by Otar Ioseliani

Prize of the Students of the University 'La Sapienza'

 * Landscape in the Mist by Theodoros Angelopoulos
 * Ghosts... of the Civil Dead by John Hillcoat

Golden Ciak

 * Best Film: Story of Women by Claude Chabrol
 * Best Actor: Klaus Maria Brandauer for Burning Secret
 * Best Actress: Carmen Maura for Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown