Exterior of the 2004 Venice Film Festival, 2004, http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Golden_Lion_Venice_Film_Festival_2004_3.jpg
The festival began as a non-competitive event but turned into a competition in 1935 to increase participation. The first award, known as the “Coppa Mussolini” or Mussolini Cup, was introduced in 1935.[1] The Mussolini Cup yet again demonstrates the power of the government during this time that awarded an international prize in the name of one man who “represents” a nation and industry. In hindsight, we can conclude that Mussolini’s assertion of himself as a prominent figure feeds into his regime’s development of a cult of personality and was nothing more than a way to have his name (and his country) associated with a desirable award.
After World War II, the Festival was once again held in the Palazzo del Cinema in 1949, with the introduction of a new award- the Golden Lion of St. Mark was adopted to replace the Mussolini Cup. 
The Film Festival’s counsel recognized the need to break away from its Fascist origins and replaced the Mussolini Cup with the Golden Lion of St. Mark to emphasize the city and its involvement in cinema rather than its former dictator. Awarding the Golden Lion was a way for the festival to cut ties with the recent past and connect with the city’s mythical roots.
[1] The Venice Biennale, http://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/history/
Photo Source: The Venice Biennale, http://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/history/
Golden Lion Award Recipients
2011: Faust (Russia) by Aleksander Sokurov
2010: Somewhere (USA) by Sofia Coppola
2009: Lebanon (Israel, France, Germany) by Samuel Maoz
2008: The Wrestler (USA) by Darren Aronofsky
2007: Se, jie (Lust, Caution) (USA/China/China, Taiwan) by Ang Lee
2006: Sanxia haoren (Still Life) (China) by Jia Zhangke
2005: Brokeback Mountain (USA) by Ang Lee
2004: Vera Drake (UK) by Mike Leigh
2003: Vozvrashcheniye (The Return) (Russia) by Andrei Zvyagintsev
2002: The Magdalene Sisters (UK) by Peter Mullan
2001: Monsoon Wedding (USA) by Mira Nair
2000: Dayereh (Iran) by Jafar Panahi
1999: Not One Less (China) by Zhang Yimou
1998: Così ridevano (Italy) by Gianni Amelio
1997: Hana-bi (Japan) by Takeshi Kitano
1996: Michael Collins (Ireland) by Neil Jordan
1995: Cyclo (Vietnam) by Tran Ahn Hung
1994: Before the Rain by Milcho Manchevski (Republic of Macedonia) and Aiqing wansui – Vive l’amour by Tsai Ming-liang (China), joint winners
1993: Short Cuts by Robert Altman (Usa) and Trois couleurs. Bleu by Krzysztof Kieslowski (France), joint winners
1992: Qui Ju da guansi (The Story of Qiu Ju) by Zhang Yimou (China)
1991: Urga by Nikita Mikhalkov (URSS)
1990: Rosencrantz and Guildestern are dead by Tom Stoppard (UK)
1989: Beiqing shenghsi (A City of Sadness) by Hou Xiaoxian (Taiwan)
1988: La leggenda del santo bevitore by Ermanno Olmi (Italy)
1987: Au revoir les enfants by Louis Malle (France)
1986: Le rayon vert by Eric Rohmer (France)
1985: Sans toit ni loi by Agnès Varda (France)
1984: Rol Spokojnego Slonca (The Year of the Quiet Sun) by Krzysztof Zanussi (Poland)
1983: Prénom Carmen by Jean-Luc Godard (France)
1982: Der Stand der Dinge (The State of Things) by Wim Wenders (West Germany)
1981: Die Bleierne Zeit (The German Sisters) by Margarethe von Trotta (West Germany)
1980: Atlantic City by Louis Malle (Canada) and Gloria by John Cassavetes (Usa), joint winners
1969-1979: awards not assigned
1968: Die Artisten in der Zirkuskuppel: ratlos (West Germany) by Alexander Kluge
1967: Belle de jour (France) by Luis Buñuel
1966: La battaglia di Algeri by Gillo Pontecorvo
1965: Vaghe stelle dell’Orsa by Luchino Visconti
1964: Deserto rosso by Michelangelo Antonioni
1963: Le mani sulla città by Francesco Rosi
1962: Ivanovo detstvo (URSS) by Andrej Tarkovskij and Cronaca familiare by Valerio Zurlini
1961: L’année dernière à Marienbad (France) by Alain Resnais
1960: Le passage du Rhin (France) by André Cayatte
1959: Il generale Della Rovere by Roberto Rossellini and La grande guerra by Mario Monicelli
(joint winners)
1958: Muhô-Matsu no Isshô (Japan) by Hiroshi Inagaki
1957: Aparajito (India) by Satyajit Ray
1956: Golden Lion of San Marco not assigned
1955: Ordet (Denmark) by Carl Theodor Dreyer
1954: Romeo and Juliet (UK) by Renato Castellani
1953: Golden Lion of San Marco not assigned
1952: Jeux interdits (France) by René Clément
1951: Rashô-mon (Japan) by Akira Kurosawa
1950: Justice est faite (France) by André Cayatte (Golden Lion of San Marco)
1949: Manon (France) by Henry-Georges Clouzot (Golden Lion of San Marco, Gran Premio Internazionale di Venezia)
1948: Hamlet (UK) by Laurence Olivier (Gran Premio Internazionale di Venezia)
1947: Sirena (Czechoslovakia) by Karel Stekly (Gran Premio Internazionale di Venezia)
1946: The Southerner (Usa) by Jean Renoir (Best film for the press commission)
1942: Bengasi by Augusto Genina (Coppa Mussolini for the best Italian film); Der Grosse König (Germany) di Veit Harlan
1941: La corona di ferro by Alessandro Blasetti (Coppa Mussolini for the best Italian film); Ohm Krüger (Germany) by Hans Steinhoff (Coppa Mussolini for the best foreign film)
1940: L’assedio dell’Alcazar by Augusto Genina (Coppa Mussolini for the best Italian film); Der Postmeister (Germany) by Gustav Ucicky (Coppa Mussolini for the best foreign film)
1939: Abuna Messias by Goffredo Alessandrini (Coppa Mussolini for the best film)
1938: Luciano Serra pilota by Goffredo Alessandrini and Olympia (Germany) by Leni Riefenstahl (Coppa Mussolini for the best film joint winners)
1937: Scipione l’africano by Carmine Gallone (Coppa Mussolini for the best Italian film); Un carnet de bal (France) by Julien Duvivier (Award for the best foreign film)
1936: Squadrone bianco by Augusto Genina (Coppa Mussolini for the best Italian film); Der Kaiser von Kalifornien(Germania) by Luis Trenker (Award for the best foreign film)
1935: Casta Diva by Carmine Gallone (Coppa Mussolini for the best Italian film); Anna Karenina (Usa) by Clarence Brown (Award for the best foreign film)
1934: Teresa Confalonieri by Guido Brignone (Coppa Mussolini for the best Italian film); Man of Aran (UK) by Robert Flaherty (Award for the best foreign film)
Source: Mostra Internazional D’Arte Cinematografica, La Biennale di Venezia, http://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/history/volpi.html?back=true
