Building up a cult genre

JOHN WOO (1946) film director born in Southern China, John Woo grew up in Hong Kong, where he began his film career as an assistant director in 1969, working for Shaw Brothers Studios. He directed his first feature in 1973 and has been a prolific director ever since. A Better Tomorrow (1986) established his reputation as a master specializing in ultra-violent gangster films and thrillers, with hugely elaborate action scenes. After gaining a cult reputation in the US with Dip hyut shueng hung (1989) (aka "The Killer"), Woo was offered a Hollywood contract. In 2010 he was awarded for Lifetime's Achievements by the Venice Film Festival.

Suggested FILMS directed by JOHN WOO:

A Better Tomorrow, 1986; 1987 A Better Tomorrow II; 1989 Just Heroes; The Killer; 1990 Bullet in the Head; 1991 Once a Thief; 1992 Hard Boiled; 1993 Hard Target; 1996 Broken Arrow; 1997 Face/Off; 2000 Mission: Impossible II

• GOLDEN LION for Best Film to "Somewhere" by Sofia Coppola (USA)
• SILVER LION for Best Director to Álex de la Iglesia, for Ballata dell'odio e dell'amore:
• SPECIAL JURY PRIZE to "Essential Killing" by Jerzy Skolimowski - Italy
• COPPA VOLPI for Best Actor to Vincent Gallo (USA) in "Essential Killing" by Jerzy Skolimowski
• COPPA VOLPI for Best Actress Ariane Labed (France) in "Attenberg" by Athina Rachel Tsangari
• MARCELLO MASTROIANNI AWARD for Best New Young Actor or Actress to Mila Kunis for "Il cigno nero"
• OSELLA FOR BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Outstanding Technical Contribution to "Silent souls" by Mikhail Krichman
• OSELLA FOR BEST SCREENPLAY: Best Screenplay to "Ballata dell'odio e dell'amore" by Álex de la Iglesia
• "Luigi de Laurentis" Award for a Debut Film: "Çogunluk" by Seren Yüce

2010 Venice Film Festival Films in Competition

• La passione: Carlo Mazzacurati
• La pecora nera: Ascanio Celestini
• Attenberg: Athina Rachel Tsangari
• Il cigno nero: Darren Aronofsky
• Miral: Julian Schnabel
• La versione di Barney: Richard J. Lewis
• La solitudine dei numeri primi: Saverio Costanzo
• 3: Tom Tykwer
• Road to Nowhere: Monte Hellman
• Post Mortem: Pablo Larraín
• Happy Few: Antony Cordier
• Essential Killing: Jerzy Skolimowski
• 13 assassini: Takashi Miike
• Potiche - La bella statuina: François Ozon
• Promises Written in Water: Vincent Gallo
• Norwegian Wood: Tran Anh Hung
• Meek's Cutoff: Kelly Reichardt
• Venere nera: Abdellatif Kechiche
• Silent souls: Aleksei Fedorchenko
• Ballata dell'odio e dell'amore: Álex de la Iglesia
• Jiabiangou: Bing Wang
• Detective Dee e il mistero della Fiamma Fantasma: Hark Tsui
• Noi credevamo: Mario Martone