The Venice Film Festival is the oldest festival in the world, and considered by many the most prestigious. With the Cannes Festival overrun with publicity stunts, the Venice Film Festival certainly looks like the classier of the Grand Dame film festivals; a club which also includes the Berlin Film Festival.

The first Venice Film Festival was held in 1932 as part of the legendary Venice Biennale, a visual arts showcase established in 1895. Many turbulent and disruptive years were to follow its inception, and, once the Leone d’Oro (Golden Lion) award was introduced in 1949, many jury controversies as well.

Like all festivals, the Venice Film Festival strives to show highly anticipated world premieres, and throughout September Rialto Channel is screening a collection of award-winning films which made their names premiering in Venice.