Venice film fest's director wins Japan Foundation's Arts and Culture Prize

by Chris MaGee

Marco Mueller has been awarded the Japan Foundation's Arts and Culture Prize. The current director of the Venice International Film Festival was honoured in a ceremony that took place Wednesday in Tokyo for "his efforts to discover the finest Japanese and Asian films, presenting the richness and diversity of the world of Japanese cinema around the world." Mueller, whose previous posts include the Turin, Pesaro, Rotterdam and Locarno film festivals has been helming the Venice International Film Festival since 2004 during which time filmmakers from Japan (Takashi Miike, Satoshi Kon, Katsuhiro Ôtomo, Hayao Miyazaki and Takeshi Kitano) as well as filmmakers from across Asia have been prominently featured. Mueller was reappointed for another four year term as director of the fest in January of this year.

Thanks to Variety Asia Online for this story.