US actor Mickey Rourke (L) poses actress Evan Rachel Wood (C) and director Darren Aronofsky during a red carpet event at the Venice Film Festival Sept. 5, 2008. -Xinhua/Reuters

The American Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler" has won the Golden Lion for best film award at the 65th Venice International Film Festival this year, the festival organizers announced yesterday evening.

At the closing ceremony in Film Palace of Lido, Venice, the film awarded the festival's top award stars Mickey Rourke as a wrestler forced into retirement who strikes up a romance with an aging stripper played by Marisa Tomei.

The Russian Aleksey German Jr. won the award Silver Lion for best director for "Bumaznyj soldat (Paper Soldier)," a story set in the early days of the space program in the ex-Soviet Union.

The Italian Silvio Orlando was crowned best actor for his role in Italian director Pupi Avati's "Il Papa di Giovanna (Giovanna's Father)," about a father's relationship with his troubled adult daughter.

The France's Dominique Blanc won best actress for playing a jealousy-struck woman in "L'Autre (The Other One)," directed by Patrick Mario Bernard and Pierre Trividic.

This year's Venice International Film Festival started from Aug.27.