Venice: the city of water, unfurling romance, fashioned gondolas and masked carnivals; a mystical place that immerses the 21st century with the sounds and views of the living past, as if two cinematic worlds collided into one grand overture.

But Venice isn’t only home to singing gondoliers, tourist allures, or the famed Rialto Market with its mouthwatering produce. It is also the place that each year hosts cinematic splendor from around the world: the Venice Film Festival. Considered to be one of the top film festivals and often being the first to screen Oscar contenders (Poland’s biopic Walesa: Man of Hope (Walesa: Czlowiek z Nadziei), from four-time nominated filmmaker and recipient of an honorary Oscar Andrzej Wajda, being a fit example), it shouldn’t come as a surprise then that this year’s festival, which also happened to be celebrating its 70th year, had plenty to offer in terms of riveting cinema as well as unexpected twists and turns to match from the jury’s awardee choices.

As the tide of films showcased at the festival rolls out nationally and internationally in the coming weeks and months, we thought we would revisit its celebratory red carpet moments via our photo galleries for those who weren’t able to witness it firsthand. But first, let us commemorate the ones who walked away with more than just applause and admiration for their cinematic efforts.

Winner of the Golden Lion for Best Film:

Gianfranco Rosi’s Sacro Gra (Italy, France)

Winner of the Silver Lion for Best Director:

Alexandros Avranas for his film Miss Violence (Greece)

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize:

Tsai Ming-liang’s Jiaoyou (Chinese Taipei, France)

Winner of the Coppa Volpi for Best Actor:

Themis Panou for his role in Miss Violence (Greece)

Winner of the Coppa Volpi for Best Actress:

Elena Cotta for her role in Emma Dante’s film Via Castellana Bandiera (Italy, Switzerland, France)

Winner of the Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best Young Actor or Actress:

Tye Sheridan for his role in David Gordon Green’s film Joe (United States)

Winner for Best Screenplay:

Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope for the film Philomena (United Kingdom)

Winner of the Special Jury Prize:

Philip Gröning’s Die Frau des Polizisten (Germany)

Winner of the Persol Award:

Andrzej Wajda

Winner of the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement 2013:

William Friedkin

For a full list of award winners, please visit http://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/70th-festival/awards/.

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Featured image: Actress Scarlett Johansson attends ‘Movie Star Lounge’ Day 6 during the 70th Venice Film Festival at the Villa Laguna on September 3, 2013 in Venice, Italy. Photo Credit: Annalisa Flori/Getty Images.