The 55th annual Venice International Film Festival was held between 3 and 13 September 1998.

Italian filmmaker Ettore Scola was the Jury President of the Main Competition. 

The Golden Lion was awarded to The Way We Laughed by Gianni Amelio.

Juries

Main Competition 
The following people comprised the 1998 jury:
 Ettore Scola, Italian filmmaker - Jury President
 Héctor Babenco, Argentine-Brazilian filmmaker
 Sarunas Bartas, Lithuanian filmmaker
 Kathryn Bigelow, American filmmaker and producer
 Reinhard Hauff, German director
 Danièle Heymann, French film critic and journalist
 Ismail Merchant, Indian director and producer
 Luis Sepúlveda, Chilean writer
 Tilda Swinton, British actress

Short Films Competition 
 Georges Benayoun, Moroccan - Jury President
 Chiara Caselli, Italian actress
 Abel Ferrara, American filmmaker and actor

Official Sections

In Competition

Independent Sections

Venice International Film Critics' Week
The following feature films were selected to be screened as In Competition for this section:
 Beat by Amon Miyamoto (Japan)
 Ghodoua Nahrek (fr. Demain, je brûle..., en. Tomorrow I Burn) by Mohamed Ben Smàil (Tunisia)
 La mère  (en. Mother Christian) by Myriam Boyer (France)
 The Scent of the Night (L'odore della notte) by Claudio Caligari (Italy)
 Orphans by Peter Mullan (United Kingdom)
 The Opposite of Sex by Don Roos (United States)
 The Iron Heel of Oligarchy (Zheleznaya pyata oligarkhii) by Aleksandr Bashirov (Russia)

Official Awards

Main Competition 
 Golden Lion: The Way We Laughed by Gianni Amelio
Grand Special Jury Prize: Next Stop Paradise by Lucian Pintilie
Silver Lion: Black Cat, White Cat by Emir Kusturica
Golden Osella:
Best Screenplay: Eric Rohmer for Autumn Tale
Best Cinematography: Luca Bigazzi for The Way We Laughed
Best Score: Gerardo Gandini for La Nube
Volpi Cup for Best Actor: Sean Penn for Hurlyburly
Volpi Cup for Best Actress: Catherine Deneuve for Place Vendôme
Marcello Mastroianni Award: Niccolò Senni for Shooting the Moon

Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement 
Sophia Loren
Andrzej Wajda
Warren Beatty

Independent Awards

The President of the Italian Senate's Gold Medal 
The Silence by Mohsen Makhmalbaf

FIPRESCI Prize 
Best First Feature: Train of Life by Radu Mihăileanu
Best Feature: Cabaret Balkan by Goran Paskaljević

OCIC Award 
Shooting the Moon by Francesca Archibugi

UNICEF Award 
Shooting the Moon by Francesca Archibugi

UNESCO Award 
Colonel Bunker by Kujtim Çashku
Special Mention: La Nube by Fernando Solanas

Pasinetti Award 
Best Actor: The Garden of Eden by Kim Rossi Stuart
Best Actress: Del perduto amore by Giovanna Mezzogiorno

Pietro Bianchi Award 
Michelangelo Antonioni

Isvema Award 
Orphans by Peter Mullan

FEDIC Award 
Del perduto amore by Michele Placido
Special Mention: Ospiti by Matteo Garrone
Special Mention: Sto lavorando? by Daniele Segre

Little Golden Lion 
Crna macka, beli macor by Emir Kusturica

Anicaflash Prize 
Train of Life by Radu Mihăileanu

Elvira Notari Prize 
Trap, Trap, Little Trap by Věra Chytilová
Special Mention: New Rose Hotel (Abel Ferrara)

Cult Network Italia Prize 
Orphans by Peter Mullan

FilmCritica "Bastone Bianco" Award 
New Rose Hotel by Abel Ferrara

Laterna Magica Prize 
Crna macka, beli macor by Emir Kusturica

Sergio Trasatti Award 
The Garden of Eden by Alessandro D'Alatri
Special Mention: Autumn Tale by Éric Rohmer
Special Mention: Così ridevano by Gianni Amelio
Special Mention: The Silence by Mohsen Makhmalbaf

CinemAvvenire Award 
Best Film on the Relationship Man-Nature: The Silence by Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Best Film: La Nube by Fernando Solanas
Best First Film: Vivre au paradis by Bourlem Guerdjou

Kodak Award 
Orphans by Peter Mullan
IN-COMPETITION: Ospiti by Matteo Garrone

Prix Pierrot 
Orphans by Peter Mullan

Max Factor Award 
Elizabeth by Jenny Shircore

References

External links 

Venice Film Festival 1998 Awards on IMDb

Venice
V
Venice Film Festival
Film
Venice
September 1998 events in Europe