"Thanks to my dad for teaching me," she said in her acceptance speech.

"This film enchanted us from its first screening," said Quentin Tarantino, chairman of the jury which unanimously chose Copppola's film as the festival's best.

Coppola's last film, Marie Antoinette, was booed at its premiere during the Cannes Film Festival four years ago.

She is best known for her 2003 film, Lost in Translation, which starred Bill Murray and made her one of only a handful of women directors to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar.

The film tells the story of an actor whose aimless life is transformed when his young daughter comes to stay.

The prize for best director went to Spain's Alex de la Iglesia for his horror film, The Last Circus, and Vincent Gallo of France was named best actor for his role as an American Taliban in the film Essential Killing.

Vincent Gallo, spent much of the Venice festival in a balaclava to escape the paparazzi and he did not appear on stage to accept his award.

The film Essential Killing, in which he plays an American Taliban captured in Afghanistan, was directed by Jerzy Skolimowski.