# 48th Venice International Film Festival

The 48th annual Venice International Film Festival was held on 3 to 14 September 1991.
Italian film critic Gian Luigi Rondi was the Jury President of the main competition.
The Golden Lion winner was Close to Eden directed by Nikita Mikhalkov.

## Jury
### Main Competition

The following people comprised the 1991 jury:
* Gian Luigi Rondi, Italian film critic and screenwriter - Jury President
* Jim Belushi, American actor
* Silvia D'Amico Bendico, Italian
* John Boorman, British filmmaker
* Michel Ciment, French film critic
* Moritz de Hadeln, Swiss director and photographer
* Naum Kleiman, Soviet film critic
* Oja Kodar, Croatian actress and filmmaker
* Pilar Miró, Spanish filmmaker

## Official Sections
### In Competition

| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production country |
| 30 Door Key | Ferdydurke | Jerzy Skolimowski | Poland |
| The Beach of Lost Children | La plage des enfants perdus | Jillali Ferhati | Morocco, France |
| Chatarra | Chatarra | Félix Rotaeta | Spain |
| Close to Eden (Urga) | У́рга — территория любви | Nikita Mikhalkov | Soviet Union |
| The Divine Comedy | A Divina Comédia | Manoel de Oliveira | Portugal |
| Edward II | Edward II | Derek Jarman | United Kingdom |
| The Fisher King | The Fisher King | Terry Gilliam | United States |
| Germany Year 90 Nine Zero | Allemagne 90 neuf zéro | Jean-Luc Godard | France |
| I Don't Hear the Guitar Anymore | J'entends plus la guitare | Philippe Garrel | France |
| The Invisible Wall | Il muro di gomma | Marco Risi | Italy |
| Just Beyond This Forest | Jeszcze tylko ten las | Jan Łomnicki | Poland |
| Meeting Venus | Meeting Venus | István Szabó | United Kingdom, France, Italy |
| Mississippi Masala | Mississippi Masala | Mira Nair | United States |
| My Own Private Idaho | My Own Private Idaho | Gus Van Sant | United States |
| Necessary Love | L'amore necessario | Fabio Carpi | Italy |
| Night and Day | Nuit et Jour | Chantal Akerman | Belgium |
| Prospero's Books | Prospero's Books | Peter Greenaway | United Kingdom |
| Raise the Red Lantern | 大紅燈籠高高掛 | Zhang Yimou | China, Hong Kong |
| Scream of Stone | Cerro Torre: Schrei aus Stein | Werner Herzog | Germany, France, Canada, Italy |
| The Secret Face | Gizli Yüz | Ömer Kavur | Turkey |
| A Simple Story | Una storia semplice | Emidio Greco | Italy |
| Walking a Tightrope | Les Équilibristes | Nicos Papatakis | France |

## Independent Sections
### Venice International Film Critics' Week

The following feature films were selected to be screened as In Competition for this section:
* Railway Bar (Bar des rails) by Cédric Kahn (France)
* Drive by Jefery Levy (United States)
* The Sky Above Paris (Le ciel de Paris) by Michel Béna (France)
* Nowhere Man (Muno no hito) by Naoto Takenaka (Japan)
* Clouds (Nuvem) by Ana Luísa Guimarães (Portugal)
* The Intruder (Razlucnica) by Amir Karakulov (Soviet Union)
* Scorpion’s Garden (Sady skorpiona) by Oleg Kovalov (Soviet Union)
* Vito And The Others (Vito e gli altri) by Antonio Capuano (Italy)
* Waiting by Jackie McKimmie (Australia, United Kingdom)

## Official Awards
### Main Competition

* Golden Lion: Close to Eden by Nikita Mikhalkov
* Grand Special Jury Prize: A Divina Comédia by Manoel de Oliveira
* Silver Lion:
** The Fisher King by Terry Gilliam
** Raise the Red Lantern by Yimou Zhang
** J'entends plus la guitare by Philippe Garrel
* Golden Osella:
** Best Screenplay: Mississippi Masala by Sooni Taraporevala
* Volpi Cup for Best Actor: River Phoenix for My Own Private Idaho
* Volpi Cup for Best Actress: Tilda Swinton Edward II

### Career Golden Lion

* Gian Maria Volonté

## Independent Awards
### The President of the Italian Senate's Gold Medal

* Jean-Luc Godard for Allemagne année 90 neuf zéro

### Golden Ciak

* Best Film: Mississippi Masala by Mira Nair
* Best Actor: Vittorio Mezzogiorno for Cerro Torre: Schrei aus Stein
* Best Actress: Glenn Close for Meeting Venus

### FIPRESCI Prize

* Nowhere Man by Naoto Takenaka

### OCIC Award

* Close to Eden by Nikita Mikhalkov
** Honorable Mention:
*** Luigi Faccini

### Pasinetti Award

* Best Film: Close to Eden by Nikita Mikhalkov
* Best Actor: Vittorio Mezzogiorno for Cerro Torre: Schrei aus Stein
* Best Actress: Mercedes Ruehl for The Fisher King

### Pietro Bianchi Award

* Paolo Taviani
* Vittorio Taviani

### Little Golden Lion

* The Fisher King by Terry Gilliam

### Evira Notari Prize

* Raise the Red Lantern by Yimou Zhang