Awards News

Schnabel, winner of this year’s director nod at Cannes for “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” -- his third foray from painting into filmmaking -- will vie for the honor with three other artists and a journo.

Other nominees include photographer Anton Corbijn for “Control,” his biopic of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis; Korean novelist Lee Chang-Dong for his drama “Secret Sunshine”; Piotr Uklanski for “Summer Love,” Poland’s first spaghetti Western; and Indian journo Bhavna Talwar for “Dharm,” which explores religious fanaticism in India.

“We have chosen the best and brightest international artists who, through broad creative metamorphoses, continue to challenge our hearts and minds,” said Venice artistic topper Marco Mueller.

Nominees were selected by Mueller, Danny Huston, Michelle Yeoh, New York Times Style magazine editor-in-chief Stefano Tonchi and Italian artist Francesco Vezzoli.

Each selection committee member nominated one artist. Together they will determine the winner of the award, to be announced Sept. 3 during a gala in Venice’s Palazzo Grassi.

The Gucci Group prize was established by Gucci in tandem with Venice last year. Inaugural winner was Aussie rocker Nick Cave, prized for penning the script of outback Western “The Proposition.”

The 64th edition of the Venice fest will open Sept. 29 with Brit helmer Joe Wright’s adaptation of the Ian McEwan novel “Atonement” and close Sept. 8 with Chinese actioner “Blood Brothers.”