And so it begins... Todd Phillips' Joker has won its first award last weekend. The origin movie about the famous comic book villain has been crowned 'Best Film' at the Venice Film Festival, further establishing the Oscar buzz it already generates.

In his acceptance speech, Phillips not only thanked Warner Bros and DC "for stepping out of their comfort zone and taking such a bold swing on me and this movie", but also praised the film's star Joaquin Phoenix: "There is no movie without Joaquin Phoenix. Joaquin is the fiercest and brightest and most open-minded lion I know. Thank you for trusting me with your insane talent."

Joker's win of the Golden Lion Award as 'Best Film' at the Venice Film Festival can be called significant, given that previous winners were often strong contenders at the Academy Awards. Last year saw Alfonso Cuaron's Roma take home the trophy, while the year before Guillermo del Toro and The Shape Of Water won the award. Roma was nominated for 'Best Picture' at the Oscars but lost to Green Book. The Shape Of Water, however, won the prestigious award.

We believe that the Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival is most likely the first award of many for Todd Phillips' chilling imagining of Joker.

Joker will be out in Irish cinemas on October 4.