娱乐英语新闻:"Faust" takes main Venice prize, Shangjun Cai wins Best Director

ROME, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- The 68th edition Venice Film Festival concluded Saturday, with "Faust," the Goethe's tragedy directed by Russian director Aleksander Sokurov, taking home the top prize, while Chinese films won the honors for Best Director and Best Actress.

The 11-day festival concluded with a formal award ceremony in the Venice Lido's Sala Grande, that included the Best Director honor to Shangjun Cai for "Ren Shan Ren Hai" (People Mountain People Sea) and the Coppa Volpi prize for Best Actress to Seanie Yip for her role in "Tai jie" (A Simple Life), directred by Ann Hui.

Chinese director Cai Shangjun receives the award of the Silver Lion for the Best Director for his film "Ren Shan Ren Hai (People Mountain People Sea)" at the awarding ceremony of the 68th Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Sept. 10, 2011

Faust was given the festival's top honor over a strong field of 22 other films that included four Chinese productions, please political thriller Ides of March from George Clooney, psychoanalysis drama "A Dangerous Method," "Carnage" from Roman Polanski, and "Shame" from Steve McQueen.

Hometown favorite "Terrafirma," the most celebrated Italian film in the competition, won the special jury prize, generally considered to be the second most important honor handed out.

Joining Yip with the acting prizes was Michael Fassbender from "Shame."

Cai's "Ren Shan Ren Hai" is notable because it was the surprise film added during the festival, the 23rd and final film to be added to the main competition.

Chinese films also did well among the secondary prizes handed out Friday and earlier on Saturday, with Hui's "Tai jie" winning five smaller prizes including the Nazareno Taddei honor.

One of the oldest and most prestigious film festivals in the world, the 68th Venice Film Festival kicked off on Aug. 31 and ran through Sept. 10 when the complete group of winners were announced.