Affleck wins Venice film fest top actor

Ben Affleck won the best actor prize at the 63 d annual Venice Film Festival for his portrayal of the late TV Superman George Reeves in director Allen Coulter's ``Hollywoodsland." The world's oldest film festival also recognized Helen Mirren as best actress for playing Queen Elizabeth II in Stephen Frears's ``The Queen" about the days following the death of Princess Diana. The Venice festival's highest award, the Golden Lion, was given to the Chinese movie ``Still Life," a surprise entry to the fest that ended over the weekend. And Spike Lee won the Horizons documentary prize for ``When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts," about Hurricane Katrina. Lee recently hosted a screening of his documentary and forum on Martha's Vineyard, where Lee spends his summers. Affleck, an Oscar winner, said he enjoyed making ``Hollywoodland" and saw it as ``a wonderful character study." The Cambridge native was in Venice with costars Adrien Brody, Diane Lane, and Bob Hoskins earlier in the festival, but they had returned to Los Angeles for last week's premiere. He sent a video message to the ceremony to accept the award. Affleck's been getting good notices for his role as the fading actor who dies under mysterious circumstances. Chief among them is his director, Coulter, who was in Boston recently promoting the film. ``I hope Ben does get recognition for his work in this film. . . . He worked hard, and he is good."

Tunney honored for ‘Open Window’

Actress Robin Tunney was in Boston last night to receive an acting award from the Boston Film Festival for her work in ``Open Window," which also stars Cybill Shepherd, Elliott Gould, and Joel Edgerton. Tunney, who also is in ``Hollywoodland" and the hit Fox TV show ``Prison Break," is one of two actresses being recognized for their work in films showing at the festival. Thursday, Rebecca Lowman will be honored at the screening of ``Eve of Understanding." Tonight, Chazz Palminteri is slated to be honored for achievement in filmmaking at a reception at the Lenox Hotel before a screening of his lastest film ``A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints."

The festival got its week rolling on Friday night with a reception at the new Copia in Charlestown with former 'N Syncer-turned-actor Joey Fatone, who stars in ``Homie Spumoni," which opened the festival. One no-show was Fatone's costar Jamie-Lynn DiScala, said to be tied up shooting for ``The Sopranos." That seemed plausible until news stories said DiScala was sitting in the audience of Kimora Lee Simmons's Baby Phat fashion show Friday night. On Saturday, actress Amanda Detmer of ``Jam " was joined by the film's director Craig Serling at a festival party at Douzo Modern Japanese Restaurant & Lounge.

Bridget’s fashion statement

Tom Brady's belle, Bridget Moynahan, professes not to know much about fashion, but she sure looked lovely all dressed up at Friday night's party, celebrating the first anniversary of Boston Common magazine. So how did the actress, who claims to be comfortable in just a T-shirt and jeans, know that was a Valentino she was wearing? ``Well, I can read," she said laughing.

Watertown actress Eliza Dushku has just wrapped up work on her next film, the intriguingly titled ``Sex and Breakfast." The movie co starring Macaulay Culkin includes an orgy scene, but before you get too excited, Dushku does not bare it all. The 25-year-old actress, best known for her work on ``Buffy the Vampire Slayer," told us she doesn't take nudity lightly, and turned down a role in ``The Dukes of Hazzard" because producers wanted to include a nude scene on the DVD. But Dushku does have a sense of humor. In a new short film called ``The Last Supper," she plays a beauteous barmaid in a modern retelling of the biblical tale.

Olympia Dukakis stopped by the Somerville Museum Saturday night to get a preview of two installations about Greek immigration to the Boston area. Dukakis, who was raised in the area, attended a fund-raising reception for the exhibition. Her cousin, former Governor Mike Dukakis, is honorary chair of the exhibition. . . . ``The Season of Open Water," Dawn Clifton Tripp's tale of Prohibition rum running, is the Massachusetts Book Awards winner for fiction. Given annually by the Massachusetts Center for the Book, the awards honor works by Bay State authors and those set in the area. Megan Marshall's debut biography, ``The Peabody Sisters: Three Women Who Ignited American Romanticism," was selected for nonfiction. Emerson College writer-in-residence Gail Mazur's ``Zeppo's First Wife: New and Selected Poems" was recognized in the poetry category. Liza Ketchum's ``Where the Great Hawk Flies" got the nod for children's literature.

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