The 65th Venice International Film Festival, organised by the Venice Biennale, took place at Venice Lido from August 27th to September 6th 2008. The aim of the Festival is to encourage the awareness and the promotion of all the various aspects of international cinema as art, entertainment and industry, in a spirit of freedom and tolerance.

Marco Müller was the director of this edition, continuing the work he began in 2004. Marco Müller dedicated the 65th Venice Film Festival to Youssef Chahine.

The line-up of the 65th Venice Film Festival included the following sections:

Venezia 65 - Out of Competition - Orizzonti - Corto Cortissimo -

These Phantoms: Italian Cinema Rediscovered (1946-1975) (retrospective screenings and restorations)

In addition to the official selection, there were two autonomous and collateral sections:

International Critics’ Week: a series of seven or eight films –debut works– independently organized

Giornate degli Autori – Venice Days: a series of 10-12 films independently organized

·          Introduction by the Festival’s Director, Marco Müller

·          Countries represented

·          Statistics

·          Debut films, second and third films

·          A practical guide

·          Official Awards: Venezia 65 - Orizzonti - Corto Cortissimo - Collateral Awards