"The Queen" rules as Venice film fest hits half way
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"The Queen," a superbly acted   reconstruction of the crisis within the British monarchy caused   by Princess Diana's death in 1997, is the early favorite to   land the big prizes at the Venice Film Festival this year.
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The guessing game is almost over at the Venice film festival, where few clear frontrunners for the Golden Lion award for best picture have emerged ahead of the prize ceremony on Saturday evening. By the end of the annual 11-day marathon of movies, press conferences, interviews and parties, critics and journalists normally agree on a handful of films they think could win the top honor, although their predictions are not always correct.
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Hollywood has packed its bags and headed  for the Venice Film Festival, where a whopping 20 American  films will be screened and dozens of the hottest stars are set  to inject glamour into the arthouse competition.
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Richard Gere and Charlize Theron added their voices to a chorus of stars taking swipes at the Bush administration at the Venice Film Festival.
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The Chinese movie "Still Life," a surprise entry set against the backdrop of China's gigantic Three Gorges Dam project, on Saturday won this year's Golden Lion &#151; the top award at the Venice Film Festival. Helen Mirren and Ben Affleck took the top acting awards.
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Mike Leigh's controversial film Vera Drake scoops the Golden Lion prize for best film at the Venice Film Festival.
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The Venice Film Festival opened its 75th anniversary edition Wednesday with an all-world premiere competition for the coveted Golden Lion and a cascade of stars including George Clooney, Keira Knightley and Woody Allen.
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With a strong American presence at this year's Venice International Film Festival, it didn't take long for U.S. politics to rear its controversial head.
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The guessing game is almost over at the  Venice film festival, where few clear frontrunners for the  Golden Lion award for best picture have emerged ahead of the  prize ceremony on Saturday evening. By the end of the annual  11-day marathon of movies, press conferences, interviews and  parties, critics and journalists normally agree on a handful of  films they think could win the top honor, although their  predictions are not always correct.
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VENICE, Italy - Mike Leigh's "Vera Drake," a film about an underground abortionist in 1950s England, won the Golden Lion for best picture Saturday at the close of the 11-day Venice Film Festival.   "Vera Drake" is another of Leigh's raw, naturalistic films dealing with social issues in Britain...
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The New York Film Festival opens on  Friday with "The Queen," which portrays the British monarch  finally shedding a tear days after the death of Princess Diana,  sitting alone by a river after her car breaks down in the wilds  of Scotland.
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The Venice Film Festival is grappling with its perennial tag as the No. 2 movie extravaganza in Europe &#151; still a little brother to Cannes in terms of stars, marketing and buzz, even though it's older.
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Mike Leigh&#39;s &quot;Vera Drake,&quot; a film about a housewife in 1950s England who secretly performs abortions, won the Golden Lion for best picture at the end of the Venice Film Festival.
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VENICE, Italy  - The Venice Film Festival dazzled  like never before this year with its string of Hollywood stars  and hot arthouse directors, but the festival's new chief may  find delays and embarrassing blunders are what people remember.
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The Chinese movie "Sanxia Haoren," or "Still Life," on Saturday took this year's Golden Lion, the top award at the Venice Film Festival.
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Director Tim Burton is honoured with a career award at the Venice Film Festival.
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Stars turn out as St Mark's Square in Venice is transformed into a giant cinema for the premiere of the animated film Shark Tale.