In what is probably the biggest surprise in Venice Film Festival history, the top prize of the festival, the Golden Lion, went to a DC comic-book movie - Joker.
Watch Joker director Todd Phillips accept the prize.
Joker stars Joaquin Phoenix (The Master, Her) as the eponymous character in this revisionist take on the origin story of the clown prince of crime.
Comic book movies have always been shunted at the Oscars. With its Venice win, Joker has the pedigree of a prestige picture that may see it get nominated at the Oscars.
Joker will be showing in cinemas in Singapore from 3 October.
The second prize, the Grand Jury Prize, went to Roman Polanski's An Officer and a Spy.
The French drama film tells the story of the Dreyfus affair, which was a political scandal and cause celebre that has come to symbolize modern injustice. The Dreyfuss affair has become a landmark symbol of a miscarriage of justice.
Polanski, no doubt, saw parallels between his own situation and the Dreyfuss affair.
Swedish director and former Golden Lion winner Roy Andersson is back with his latest film, About Endlessness, which won the Silver Lion for Best Direction.
Employing his signature wide-angle elaborately-staged deadpan comedy, About Endlessness continues Andersson's investigation into human existence.
Hong Kong director Yonfan, the man behind cult film Bugis Street, won the Best Screenplay Award for his animated film No.7 Cherry Lane.
The other winners are:
Volpi Cup for Best Actress: Ariane Ascaride in the film Gloria Mundi
Volpi Cup for Best Actor: Luca Marinelli in the film Martin Eden
Special Jury Prize: The Mafia is No Longer What it Used to Be, dir: Franco Maresco
Marcello Mastroianni Award: Toby Wallace, Babyteeth, dir: Shannon Murphy