Venice, Critics Week honor films (Variety)

VENICE -- Two first winners have emerged at the Venice Film Festival from in the independently run Venice Days and Critics Week sections.

Dutch helmer Alex van Warmerdam's dark comedy "The Last Days of Emma Blank," about a despotic old lady who, from her deathbed, drives the people around her crazy, has scooped the Venice Days Europa Cinemas nod.

The Dutch/Belgian co-production, which also unspools in Toronto, is being sold by Fortissimo Films.

Paris-based Iranian helmer Nader Takmil Homayoun's "Tehroun," which depicts a twilight Tehran populated with prostitutes, beggars and gangsters, took the 24th Venice Critics Week honor, which is dedicated to first works. The prize is voted on the auddience and worth E5,000 ($7,200) given by the Veneto Region.

The sixth Venice Days Europa Cinemas prize was decided by a jury of European exhibitors. The nod will give "Emma Blank" a promotional push on the EU-funded Europa Cinemas pan-European network of screens.

The 66th Venice Film Festival's official prizes will be announced during the closing ceremony on Saturday .