Madonna presented actress Jessica Chastain with the very first Gucci Award for Women in Cinema for her Tree of Life (Al Pacino) performance.

By sheer coincidence, the 'tree of life', besides being a movie title, is a topic Madonna cares about for her Kabbalistic belief.

The nominees also included Caroline Champetier, Federica Pontremoli, Nansun Shi and Athina Tsangari.

Ironically the jury featured Sean Penn's former wife, Robin Wright, as well as Valeria Golino, James Franco, Giulia D'Agnolo Vallan and obviously Frida Giannini.

Guests of the ceremony were Franca Sozzani (Vogue Italia), Marco Müller (Venice Film Festival), François-Henri Pinault (Gucci) and Salma Hayek.

Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera reports that Madonna was singing acapella when she was on her table for the official dinner.

After reading that Madonna thinks that filming a movie in Italy is too expensive, the Latium Region Councillor for Culture, Art and Sport Fabiana Santini is inviting her to a conference on "Cinema and Region" that they will hold next Sunday at Hotel Excelsior in Venice.

Fabiana Santilli admits Madonna is correct in her assumption, but, when the Councillor will introduce the new Latium Cinema Fund, Madonna "could change her mind."

We remind you that Rome - and so Cinecittà -  is located in Latium. Filming in Rome - for a remake of Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita or everything else - is also regolated by Latium Region Councillor for Culture laws.

According to Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera, there were scare moments last night in Venice while Madonna was going to the Granai della Giudecca to host the first Gucci Award for Women in Cinema.

Her bodyguards took the wrong way and Madonna was besieged by her fans. They had to find a new way to the cerimony.

Madonna looked very scared and worried while her bodyguards did his best to to make their way through the crowd.

Fortunately, everything went off well... and Madonna's fans will have something special to remember.

Variety is amoung those newspapers which are praising W.E. for "lavish production design and terrific, well-researched costumes," but dislike the movie's script, even though "it's in focus."

But, at the same time, Variety's Leslie Felperin thinks that W.E. is better than Filth and Wisdom. "Before it preemed in Venice, advance word on W.E., Madonna's sophomore feature about Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII, was that it was better than her debut, Filth and Wisdom. Indeed it is."

Last but not least, Leslie Felperin writes that "nevertheless, interest in the subject and her Madgesty alone will ensure substantial royalties internationally."

Even though W.E. was not a critical success at the Venice Film Festival, Italian popular magazine TV Sorrisi e Canzoni bets Madonna's second directoral film will be a boffo box office.

"We will come back to that when W.E. will be on the (Italian) theatres in January," report TV Sorrisi e Canzoni.

"Film-goers will develop a deep passion to this double love story, its more or less predicable developments, the always pleasant art direction and period costume choices," adds the Italian magazine.

TV Sorrisi e Canzoni also points up that besides causing big sensation on the Venice Film Festival red carpet, Madonna was very kind and available with the press.

MTV says that Madonna's second directorial effort, W.E., had been unjustly dismissed.

According to MTV, the Venice Film Festival "turned into something of a feeding frenzy on Thursday, as critics practically fell over one another in an effort to drum up the harshest disses and most damning, damaging turns-of-phrase about" W.E.

Talking to the international press for the promotion and the world premiere of her movie W.E. in Venice, Madonna confesses that she "would like to do a remake of Federico Fellini's 'La Dolce Vita'."

But the singer, actress and director admits that "unfortunately, filming in Italy is too expensive!"

Madonna is fond of telling her passion for Italian cinema, especially for Italian directors Pier Paolo Pasolini, Federico Fellini, Roberto Rossellini, Luchino Visconti, Lina Wertmüller, and the Turkish-born Ferzan Özpetek.

Talking about W.E., Madonna also admits that Luchino Visconti's cinematography has been a big inspiration for her film.

This is an interesting amateur clip recorded inside the Sala Grande in Venice during the world premiere of Madonna's W.E.

You can see Madonna and the cast of the movie, and catch the mood of that exciting Italian night!

Thanks to xxxxbennyxxxx.

Besides some excerpt footage of a new Madonna interview, this mostly offensive reportage is only interesting because of a message of Madonna to her fans:

"I am recording a new record that will mark a new change again... in a perfect Madonna-style!"