Guillermo del Toro’s Cold War fantasy drama The Shape of Water took home the top award at the 74th Venice Film Festival. “ I believe in life, I believe in love and I believe in cinema,” del Toro said as he accepted the Golden Lion to a massive standing ovation at the Palazzo del Cinema’s Sala Grande. It is the first time a Mexican filmmaker receives Venice’s highest accolade, and the first festival recognition for del Toro since Pan’s Labyrinth took the 2006 Cannes jury prize.

Venice 2017’s second most prestigious honor, the Grand Jury Prize, went to Israeli filmmaker Samuel Maoz for Foxtrot,  a meditation on military culture and his first feature since receiving the Golden Lion in 2009 for the war drama Lebanon.

French director Xavier Legrand received two awards for his debut film, Custody (Jusqu’à La Garde), a further exploration of the themes of his 2013 short film Just Before Losing Everything: the Silver Lion for Best Director and the Lion of the Future, for best first feature. Acting Volpi Cups went to Charlotte Rampling, beating festival favorites Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water) and Frances McDormand (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) with her delicate portrayal of the title character in Italian director Andrea Pallaoro’s HannahThe Insult.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri was chosen for the Best Screenplay award, and the Special Jury Prize fell to Australian director Warwick Thornton for his gorgeous Outback western Sweet Country.

Winners all (clockwise from top left): Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri ; Charlotte Rampling, HannahThe InsultCustody.

getty images

These are the main awards of the 74^th Venice Film Festival:

Golden Lion

The Shape Of Water, dir: Guillermo del Toro

Grand Jury Prize
Foxtrot, Samuel Maoz

Silver Lion, Best Director
Xavier Legrand, Jusqu’à La Garde

Volpi Cup, Best Actress
Charlotte Rampling, Hannah

Volpi Cup, Best Actor
Kamel El Basha, The Insult

Best Screenplay
Martin McDonagh, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Special Jury Prize
Sweet Country, dir: Warwick Thornton

Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress
Charlie Plummer, Lean On Pete

VENICE HORIZONS
Best Film
Nico, 1988, dir: Susanna Nicchiarelli

Best Director
Vahid Jalilvand, No Date, No Signature

Special Jury Prize
Caniba, dirs: Lucien Castaing-Taylor, Verena Paravel

Best Actress
Lyna Khoudri, Les Bienheureux

Best Actor
Navid Mohammadzadeh, No Date, No Signature

Best Screenplay
Los Versos Del Olvido, dir: Alireza Khatami

Best Short Film
Gros Chagrin, dir: Céline Devaux

Lion of the Future – “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Film
Jusqu’à La Garde, dir: Xavier Legrand

VENICE VIRTUAL REALITY
Best VR
Arden’s Wake (Expanded), dir: Eugene YK Chung

Best VR Experience
La Camera Insabbiata, dirs: Laurie Anderson, Hsin-Chien Huang

Best VR Story
Bloodless, dir: Gina Kim