Korean entry "Pietà" bested Brillante Mendoza's "Thy Womb" for the Golden Lion Award in the recently concluded 69th Venice International Film Festival.

Brillante Mendoza‘ “Thy Womb,” the lone Philippine entry in the 2012 Venice international film festival, failed to bag the prestigious Golden Lion Award. The trophy was awarded to Kim Ki-duk‘s “Pietà,” the official entry of Korea.

On the other hand, the lead star of “Thy Womb”—Nora Aunor—lost the Best Actress trophy from Israel’s Hadas Yaron of the movie “Fill the Void.”

Here is the complete list of winners for the 69th Venice International Film Festival:

Venezia 69

Leone d’Oro (Golden Lion) for the best film:
Pietà by Kim Ki-duk

Leone d’Argento (Silver Lion) for the best director:
Paul Thomas Anderson, for The Master

Special Jury Prize:
Paradise: Faith by Ulrich Seidl

Coppa Volpi for the Best Actor:
Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix, for The Master

Coppa Volpi for the Best Actress:
Hadas Yaron, for Fill the Void

Premio Marcello Mastroianni, for the best emerging actor or actress:
Fabrizio Falco, for Dormant Beauty and È stato il figlio

Osella for Best Cinematography:
Daniele Cipri for È stato il figlio

Osella for Best Screenplay:
Olivier Assayas, for Something in the Air

“Luigi de Laurentis” Award for a Debut Film:
Mold by Ali Aydın

Prior to the festival’s conclusion, however, “Thy Womb” has received two honors: one for its director Brillante Mendoza and the other one for its lead star, Nora Aunor.

Philippines’ very own superstar was awarded the Bisato d’ Oro Award (also known as “The Golden Eel”) on Friday by the Premio Della Critica Indipendente, a renowned group of critics in Italy. The award was for her performance in “Thy Womb” in which Aunor portrays a barren Badjao woman who is struggling to give her husband a child despite her infertility.

Yesterday, “Thy Womb” director Brillante Mendoza was honored with The La Navicella Venezia Cinema Award. The special award was conferred annually by the Rivista del Cinematografo, another group of Italian film critics, to the film director who is “particularly relevant for the affirmation of human values.”

“Thy Womb” is in the running to become the official entry of the Philippines in next year’s Oscars if it can complete a one week screening in theaters by October, and if the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) will pick the movie instead of other possible entries like “Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa,” “Captive,” “Manila Kingpin,” among others.