56th Venice International Film Festival

The 56th annual Venice International Film Festival was held between 1 and 11 September 1999.

Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut was the festival's opening film. Yugoslavian filmmaker Emir Kusturica was the Jury President for the main competition.

The Golden Lion was awarded to Not One Less directed by Zhang Yimou.

Main Competition
The following people comprised the 1999 jury:
 * Emir Kusturica, Yugoslavian filmmaker, actor and musician - Jury President
 * Marco Bellocchio, Italian filmmaker and actor
 * Maggie Cheung, Chinese actress
 * Jonathan Coe, British novelist and critic
 * Jean Douchet, French critic
 * Shôzô Ichiyama, Japanese film producer
 * Arturo Ripstein, Mexican director
 * Cindy Sherman, American photographer

Short Films Competition

 * Erick Zonca, French director - Jury President
 * Hilke Doering, festival curator
 * Andrea Occhipinti, Italian actor and producer

Venice International Film Critics' Week
The following feature films were selected to be screened as In Competition for this section:

Main Competition

 * Golden Lion: Not One Less by Zhang Yimou
 * Grand Special Jury Prize: The Wind Will Carry Us by Abbas Kiarostami
 * Silver Lion: Seventeen Years by Zhang Yuan
 * Volpi Cup for Best Actor: Jim Broadbent for Topsy-Turvy
 * Volpi Cup for Best Actress: Nathalie Baye for Une liaison pornographique
 * Special Mention: Se-tong by Heng Tang
 * Marcello Mastroianni Award: Nina Proll for Nordrand

Luigi De Laurentis Award

 * Questo è il giardino by Giovanni Maderna
 * Special Mention: Bye Bye Africa by Mahamat Saleh Haroun

Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement

 * Jerry Lewis

The President of the Italian Senate's gold medal

 * Empty Days by Marion Vernoux

FIPRESCI Prize

 * Competition: The Wind Will Carry Us for Abbas Kiarostami
 * Parallel Sections: Being John Malkovich for Spike Jonze

OCIC Award

 * Jesus' Son by Alison Maclean
 * Special Award: A Week in the Life of a Man by Jerzy Stuhr
 * Special Award: Seventeen Years by Zhang Yuan

UNICEF Award

 * Not One Less by Zhang Yimou

UNESCO Award

 * Zion, Auto-Emancipation by Amos Gitai
 * Civilisées by Randa Chahal Sabag

Pasinetti Award

 * Best Film: Maurizio Zaccaro by Un uomo perbene
 * Best Actor: Sergi López i Ayats for Une liaison pornographique
 * Best Actress: Valeria Bruni Tedeschi for Empty Days
 * Special Mention: Guo nian hui jia (Zhang Yuan)

Pietro Bianchi Award

 * Dino De Laurentiis

Isvema Award

 * Questo è il giardino by Giovanni Maderna

FEDIC Award

 * Il dolce rumore della vita by Giuseppe Bertolucci
 * Special Award: Carlo Croccolo for The Protagonists
 * Special Mention: The Protagonists by Luca Guadagnino
 * Special Mention: Típota by Fabrizio Bentivoglio
 * Special Mention: Enzo, domani a Palermo! by Daniele Ciprì and Franco Maresco

Little Golden Lion

 * Jesus' Son by Alison Maclean

Anicaflash Prize

 * Crane World by Pablo Trapero

Elvira Notari Prize

 * Kate Winslet and Jane Campion for Holy Smoke!

Cult Network Italia Prize

 * Crane World by Pablo Trapero

FilmCritica "Bastone Bianco" Award

 * Eyes Wide Shut by Stanley Kubrick

Future Film Festival Digital Award

 * Hakuchi: The Innocent by Macoto Tezuka
 * Special Mention: Being John Malkovich by Spike Jonze

Laterna Magica Prize

 * Yi ge dou bu neng shao by Zhang Yimou

Sergio Trasatti Award

 * Yi ge dou bu neng shao by Zhang Yimou

CinemAvvenire Award

 * Best Film on the Relationship Man-Nature: After the Rain by Takashi Koizumi
 * Best Film: Bad ma ra khahad bord by Abbas Kiarostami
 * Best First Film: Bye Bye Africa by Mahamat Saleh Haroun
 * Cinema for Peace Award: Closed Door by Atef Hetata

Children and Cinema Award

 * Guo nian hui jia by Zhang Yuan
 * Special Mention: Ritratti: Mario Rigoni Stern by Carlo Mazzacurati

Rota Soundtrack Award

 * But Forever in My Mind by Paolo Buonvino

Special Director's Award

 * Zhang Yuan