Julian Schnabel Awarded the 2007 Gucci Group Award at the 64th Venice Film Festival

Julian Schnabel Awarded the 2007 Gucci Group Award at the 64th Venice Film Festival

VENICE, Italy, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- American visual artist Julian Schnabel received the 2007 Gucci Group Award from Robert Polet, President and CEO of Gucci Group, at a ceremony held tonight at the Palazzo Grassi during the 64th Venice Film Festival. Schnabel was honoured for his direction of "Le Scaphandre et le Papillion" ("The Diving Bell and the Butterfly").

The Gucci Group Award is bestowed to an internationally-acclaimed artist who has made a remarkable contribution to a film in any capacity within the past 18 months, as a director, actor, screenwriter, set designer, or costume designer. Upon receiving the award, Schnabel, said, "Painting can be compared to life, but is about optimism and faith. Artistic expression is the embodiment of hope."

"Julian Schnabel's 'Le Scaphandre et le Papillion,' ('The Diving Bell and the Butterfly') perfectly encapsulates the essence of the Gucci Group Award which recognizes and honours visionaries who bring art to life on screen," said Robert Polet, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Gucci Group.

The ceremony was attended by some 250 guests from the worlds of art, cinema, and international society. Also present were the members of the 2007 Gucci Group Award Selection Committee, comprised of some of today's leading creative personalities, including: Marco Muller, the director of the 64th Venice Film Festival; actor and director Danny Huston; Stefano Tonchi, editor- in-chief of the style magazine of the New York Times "T"; Italian artist Francesco Vezzoli, whose installment, "Democrazy," is currently at the 52nd International Art Exhibition; and actress and producer Michelle Yeoh.

Each Selection Committee member nominated one artist, and together they determined the winner of the award. In addition to Schnabel, the four other 2007 Gucci Group Award nominees included novelist Lee Chang-Dong, photographer Anton Corbijn, journalist Bhavna Talwar, and visual artist Piotr Uklanski.

"All of the 2007 Gucci Group nominees impressed us with their extraordinary ability to translate their work into moving art," said Selection Committee member Marco Muller, the director of the 64th Venice Film Festival. "Julian Schnabel's direction reflected the hand and eye of an exceptional artist and we honour his new cinematic 'objet d'art'."

For photos, please visit: http://www.guccigroup.com/veniceawardimages.zip

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Source: Gucci Group

CONTACT: Paola Milani of Gucci Group N.V., +39-02-8800-5562,
paola.milani@guccigroup.com; Naomi Starkman of AAB Productions,
+1-917-539-3924, nstarkman@aabproductions.com

Web site: http://www.guccigroup.com/
http://www.guccigroup.com/veniceawardimages.zip

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Profile: International Entertainment