Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water wins top award at Venice Film Festival

Mexican director Guillermo del Toro's The Shape of Water, a dark fairy tale in which a mute cleaning lady falls in love with an aquatic creature, won the Golden Lion award for best film at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday.

The runner-up grand jury prize went to family tragedy Foxtrotby Israel's Samuel Maoz, while France's Xavier Legrand was picked as best director for his divorce drama Jusqu'a la Garde(Custody).

Charlotte Rampling received the best actress award for her performance in Italian film Hannah, while Palestinian Kamel El Basha took the best actor prize for his role in The Insult.

The award ceremony brings down the curtain on a 10-day movie marathon in which 21 international films featuring top Hollywood talent and auteur directors were in competition for the coveted top prize.

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