55th Venice International Film Festival

The 55th annual Venice International Film Festival was held between 3 and 13 September 1998.

Italian filmmaker Ettore Scola was the Jury President of the Main Competition.

The Golden Lion was awarded to The Way We Laughed by Gianni Amelio.

Main Competition
The following people comprised the 1998 jury:
 * Ettore Scola, Italian filmmaker - Jury President
 * Héctor Babenco, Argentine-Brazilian filmmaker
 * Sarunas Bartas, Lithuanian filmmaker
 * Kathryn Bigelow, American filmmaker and producer
 * Reinhard Hauff, German director
 * Danièle Heymann, French film critic and journalist
 * Ismail Merchant, Indian director and producer
 * Luis Sepúlveda, Chilean writer
 * Tilda Swinton, British actress

Short Films Competition

 * Georges Benayoun, Moroccan - Jury President
 * Chiara Caselli, Italian actress
 * Abel Ferrara, American filmmaker and actor

Official Sections
The following films were selected to be screened:

Venice International Film Critics' Week
The following feature films were selected to be screened as In Competition for this section:
 * Beat by Amon Miyamoto (Japan)
 * Ghodoua Nahrek (fr. Demain, je brûle..., en. Tomorrow I Burn) by Mohamed Ben Smàil (Tunisia)
 * La mère Christain [sic] (en. Mother Christian) by Myriam Boyer (France)
 * The Scent of the Night (L'odore della notte) by Claudio Caligari (Italy)
 * Orphans by Peter Mullan (United Kingdom)
 * The Opposite of Sex by Don Roos (United States)
 * The Iron Heel of Oligarchy (Zheleznaya pyata oligarkhii) by Aleksandr Bashirov (Russia)

Main Competition

 * Golden Lion: The Way We Laughed by Gianni Amelio
 * Grand Special Jury Prize: Next Stop Paradise by Lucian Pintilie
 * Silver Lion: Black Cat, White Cat by Emir Kusturica
 * Golden Osella:
 * Best Screenplay: Eric Rohmer for Autumn Tale
 * Best Cinematography: Luca Bigazzi for The Way We Laughed
 * Best Score: Gerardo Gandini for La Nube
 * Volpi Cup for Best Actor: Sean Penn for Hurlyburly
 * Volpi Cup for Best Actress: Catherine Deneuve for Place Vendôme
 * Marcello Mastroianni Award: Niccolò Senni for Shooting the Moon

Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement

 * Sophia Loren
 * Andrzej Wajda
 * Warren Beatty

The President of the Italian Senate's Gold Medal

 * The Silence by Mohsen Makhmalbaf

FIPRESCI Prize

 * Best First Feature: Train of Life by Radu Mihăileanu
 * Best Feature: Cabaret Balkan by Goran Paskaljević

OCIC Award

 * Shooting the Moon by Francesca Archibugi

UNICEF Award

 * Shooting the Moon by Francesca Archibugi

UNESCO Award

 * Colonel Bunker by Kujtim Çashku
 * Special Mention: La Nube by Fernando Solanas

Pasinetti Award

 * Best Actor: The Garden of Eden by Kim Rossi Stuart
 * Best Actress: Del perduto amore by Giovanna Mezzogiorno

Pietro Bianchi Award

 * Michelangelo Antonioni

Isvema Award

 * Orphans by Peter Mullan

FEDIC Award

 * Del perduto amore by Michele Placido
 * Special Mention: Ospiti by Matteo Garrone
 * Special Mention: Sto lavorando? by Daniele Segre

Little Golden Lion

 * Crna macka, beli macor by Emir Kusturica

Anicaflash Prize

 * Train of Life by Radu Mihăileanu

Elvira Notari Prize

 * Trap, Trap, Little Trap by Věra Chytilová
 * Special Mention: New Rose Hotel (Abel Ferrara)

Cult Network Italia Prize

 * Orphans by Peter Mullan

FilmCritica "Bastone Bianco" Award

 * New Rose Hotel by Abel Ferrara

Laterna Magica Prize

 * Crna macka, beli macor by Emir Kusturica

Sergio Trasatti Award

 * The Garden of Eden by Alessandro D'Alatri
 * Special Mention: Autumn Tale by Éric Rohmer
 * Special Mention: Così ridevano by Gianni Amelio
 * Special Mention: The Silence by Mohsen Makhmalbaf

CinemAvvenire Award

 * Best Film on the Relationship Man-Nature: The Silence by Mohsen Makhmalbaf
 * Best Film: La Nube by Fernando Solanas
 * Best First Film: Vivre au paradis by Bourlem Guerdjou

Kodak Award

 * Orphans by Peter Mullan
 * IN-COMPETITION: Ospiti by Matteo Garrone

Prix Pierrot

 * Orphans by Peter Mullan

Max Factor Award

 * Elizabeth by Jenny Shircore