The Golden Osella (Italian: Osella d'oro) is one of the oldest and most distinguished awards presented at the Venice Film Festival.[1] Named after the historic osella—a commemorative medal given by the Doges of Venice to notable members of the Venetian Republic—the Golden Osella honors exceptional achievements in cinema, covering a spectrum of creative and technical contributions.
The Golden Osella was first established in 1987 as part of the 44th Venice International Film Festival and was awarded for over two decades, making it one of the festival's most distinctive prizes. Since its inception, it has recognized excellence across a range of cinematic fields, including direction, screenplay, cinematography, production design, costume design, music score, and editing. It is inspired by the osella tradition dating back to the 15th century in the Venetian Republic, where the Doge would distribute these silver medallions to members of the Maggior Consiglio or other distinguished citizens. Each medallion bore unique engravings, often featuring the Doge's likeness or scenes from Venetian life, symbolizing the recipient's esteemed place in the city.[2]
Over the decades, the official festival jury has selected Golden Osella recipients based on films in the main competition. The first winners were Luciano Ricceri, Nana Cecchi, Sten Holmberg, David Mamet, and Richard Robbins for their work in The Gold Rimmed Glasses, Hip Hip Hurrah!, House of Games, and Maurice, respectively. From 1999 to 2003, no Golden Osella was presented, although screenplay awards were given to One Hundred Steps (2000) and Y tu mamá también (2001), with technical awards going to Far from Heaven (2002) and Good Morning, Night (2003). It was reintroduced in 2004 with a Special Golden Osella presented to Studio Ghibli for Howl's Moving Castle, marking the only occasion that the award was given to a production studio. The Golden Osella was last given out in 2012. Starting from the following year, a screenplay award is presented in a traditional format as a metal lion, distinct from the osella.[3]
As of 2012, Sooni Taraporevala, Cuca Canals, Paz Alicia Garciadiego, and Anne Fontaine are the only female screenwriters to have won the award for their respective works on Mississippi Masala, The Tit and the Moon, Dry Cleaning, and Deep Crimson. Additionally, Nana Cecchi, Dominique Auvray, Mónica Chirinos, Marisa Pecanins, and Sylvie Olivé have been honored for their outstanding technical contributions, specifically in The Gold Rimmed Glasses, No Fear, No Die, Deep Crimson and Mr. Nobody. Deep Crimson holds the distinction of being the only film to receive three awards, while The Gold Rimmed Glasses is the only other multiple winner, having claimed two awards.
